Caribbean News
1.3 Million MORE Regional People FOOD INSECURE; CARICOM’s Ali presents plans to beat HUNGER
Rashaed Esson
Staff Writer
March 4, 2024 – With the issue of regional food insecurity still at large, CARICOM Heads announce that they are making huge efforts to end hunger and malnutrition by 2030; speaking directly to solutions and strides was host of the 46th Regular Meeting, Irfaan Ali, the incoming chair of CARICOM and President of Guyana.
The Guyanese President identified significant international partners such as Canada and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In his address, Dr. Ali points out that the work with Canada will involve their Agri-Value added program.
“We are going to work with the Canadians to accelerate and implement projects from their Agri-Value added
program,” he maintained, speaking at the Opening Ceremony of the CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting on February 25th, 2024.
He added that talks have already been had with minister Ansari Hosein, Executive Director, CARDI who is responsible for the investment in Agri-Value added programs and projects.
The Guyanese President continued to express that this development is crucial to the region, to build on its resistance and sustainability against various shocks which may not affect the rest of the world the way it affects this region.
Additionally, he revealed that in the coming weeks, work will be done to finalize projects and programs focused on the involvement of youth and women in innovative agriculture.
This ties into another multi-million dollar partnership with Saudi Arabia.
“We have submitted a regional sustainable resilient agricultural project to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, at the cost of $25 million US dollars. We are in advanced stages of finalizing this investment, to be made within the region, that will focus again, on youth, women and innovation in the food production system.”
Also, moves are being made to remove trade barriers as passionately expressed by Ali, as he calls CARICOM nationals to push for their removal.
“We are continuing work to address the removal of trade barriers within member states, and the people of CARICOM must put pressure on the leaders of CARICOM to remove the trade barriers, it is of no use and purpose for this region. We are too small to be competing against each other. People of this region, call upon your leaders to remove these barriers, let them hear you loudly,” he firmly stated, adding that the trade barriers must urgently be broken down.
To further boost the chances of beating hunger and malnutrition by 2030, Guyana, according to Ali, is investing in what he called a Center of Excellence, armed with a situational room and a “state-of-the-art data analytics platform, to support regional food security and regional food production.”
“The platform will focus on the area of research and development, real-time data technology and predictive decision making modules to help our farmers,” he added.
This, he says, in collaboration with ECA and FAO as a regional project.
There is also work being done with The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), to rebuild the region’s citrus sector. The target goal for this, according to Ali, is to have 1 million citrus seedlings available within the forest year, that is the end of December 2024.
And, effort is being put into expanding the regional food hub.
This, he says, it to “integrate production, processing, packaging and distribution within the region and connected to northern Brazil.
Making the region “fully self-sufficient in corn, soya. Black-eyed peas and red beans by the end of 2026,” is another major goal towards the elimination of hunger and malnutrition by 2030, alongside collaboration with [CAPSO], to fortify the region’s poultry sector, to be fully self-sufficient, “with full backward and forward integration, including the production of hatching eggs within a five year window.”
Not only that, CARICOM is expanding its breeding program for livestock, to increase quality and production to cater to the increasing regional demand.
Additionally, in his detailed address on regional development, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, underlined deeper efforts with products to ensure the health and protection of the region’s agricultural produce.
“We are working with…veterinary company products, in conjunction with Bio-Cuba Farmer, for the production of bio pesticides and by products for agriculture and the use of natural products in support of our livestock industry and food production.”
The private sector is another important part of freeing the region of hunger and malnutrition.
Ali speaks to work being done by Republic Bank Limited.
He says, “The low interest 100 million US dollar facility by Republic Bank Limited, has been activated, with the first 17 million US dollars disbursed, already, in food and agriculture projects within the region.”
He adds that they are launching a development workshop program to help the region in benefiting from the Republic Bank Facility.
Furthermore, the region is equipped with many internationally recognized individuals who Ali expressed, can be key to meeting the 2030 target and so, the intention is to utilize these human assets.
“We are proposing to bring together the human assets that this region nurtured into international fame, to bring their goodwill together as ambassadors, to mobilize international financing and support, so that we can end hunger and malnutrition in this region…we have the capability.”
He continued to highlight individuals such as Usain Bolt, Chris Gayle and Clive Loyd.
With these assets, the aim is to raise resources and revenue to address hunger.
According to statistics, fifty seven percent of the region’s population in 2023 were affected by food insecurity, a major rise of 1.3 million compared to February of 2022.
Caribbean News
Minister of Education, Youth, Sports, and Culture signs sport declarations at General Assembly American Sports Council – CADE 2024
Press Release
Washington, USA, April 26, 2024 – Hon. Rachel Taylor, Minister of Education, Youth, Sports, and Culture, signs CADE declarations at the General Assembly American Sports Council, CADE 2024 held in Washington DC, USA.
The Sport meetings commenced on Thursday, 25th April and continued through Friday, 26th April, 2024. There were three meetings held during the two days: A bi-lateral meeting hosted by the USA for English Speaking Caribbean countries; CONCECADE (Meeting for Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean); and CADE (meeting with South America, Central America, and the Caribbean and North America).
Accompanying the Minister were the Deputy Permanent Secretary of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, Mr. Amin McCartney, and the Director/CEO of the TCI Sports Commission, Mr. Jarrett Forbes. Sport leaders from thirty (30) plus countries from across South America, Central America, North America, and the Caribbean were present.
Amongst the topics discussed were: a report from the recently hosted Pan-American and Parapan-American Games in Santiago Chile 2023 and its legacies; Jamaica’s approach to developing mass participation through its Sport for All programmes; USA Commission for Athlete Representation; Inclusion in sports through strengthening para and special Olympic programmes; the commitment and social benefits of physical activity in schools; Structure and application of the Paralympic sport system in Columbia; and anti-doping in sports.
After the General Assembly, common positions for the future of sports in the Americas were taken with a final declaration and bilateral agreements of the CADE Assembly 2024.
Comment from the Minister of Education Youth Sports Culture and Library Services
“It was a pleasure to attend the General Assembly of the American Sports Council – CADE 2024 for the first time as the Minister of Sports for the TCI. It provided a greater insight into the roles and responsibilities of each entity and the kind of support we can garner whether financially, technically, or in the area of training. The CONCECADE bi-lateral meeting with Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean provided an opportunity for Caribbean Member countries to voice their concerns in relation to legacy matters including the dissemination of minutes and other content in English. This year yielded the largest number of Caribbean Ministers in attendance for the English-speaking countries, providing an opportunity to share best practices and collaborate with their counterparts.”
CADE Declarations signed by the Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture include:
First: Sports is something very special – it brings people together from every corner of the world, from every possible background. Each person, from every age, should have the opportunity to participate in the sports they enjoy. It is essential that all of us throughout the Americas reiterate our longstanding commitment to the development and implementation of sports policies for every segment of society, without any discrimination of any kind. It is essential to recognize that sports also have a critical role to play in addressing many of our social issues, including gender equality and inclusion, health promotion, education, and livelihood.
Second: Paralympians are amazing athletes and an inspiration to everyone who gets the chance to see what they can do. It is essential for every country to ensure that Paralympic athletes have robust opportunities to train, compete, and celebrate their amazing and vital contribution to sports.
Third: The Americas is proud of the success of the 2023 Pan American Games hosted by the Government of Chile and organized in cooperation with Pan Am Sports and the Chilean National Olympic Committee. We offer our deepest congratulations to all athletes who competed, their coaches and families, and to all those in Chile who worked so hard to ensure the success of the Games.
Fourth: The success of sports in the Americas has many elements, but first among them is the commitment to excellence of our athletes. The dedication, discipline, and spirit of everyone who seeks to be the best in their fields is an inspiration to us all, especially our children, who need role models and heroes to look to as they pursue their dreams.
Fifth: The Members of CADE commit to strengthening CADE as an organization with the vision of it building on the strong foundation that already exists, to becoming an even more robust hemispheric multilateral organization specializing in Sports.
Sixth: All CADE member countries are signatories to the UNESCO convention and we reiterate the importance of the convention as a government multilateral institution with critical anti-doping responsibilities and an obligation to work collaboratively with all sports and anti-doping stakeholders.
Seventh: Anti-Doping is a critical responsibility for every country. In this regard, it is vital that public authorities, whether through their Sports Ministry or otherwise, ensure that sufficient funding is available to national anti-doping organizations so that they are able to effectively implement their important obligations to ensure fair competition. It is the responsibility of the government to support the institutions our athletes are part of, to ensure the integrity of sports. The CADE general assembly very much appreciated the opportunity to hear directly from the WADA President for the first time.
Eight: The Olympic Movement plays a very critical role in the World of Sports. They are a vital stakeholder year-round, not just when it’s time for the Summer and Winter Olympics to develop Sports. They are part of the Sports ecosystem, which includes sports ministries, the International Olympic Committee, Pan Am Sports, the National Olympic Committee, Sports Federations National Anti-Doping Organizations, and a wide array of support and sponsors. It is critical that these vital relationships among all stakeholders remain strong. We thank the International Olympic Committee for their participation in this year’s CADE Sports Summit and invite them to participate again next year.
END
Caribbean News
RECORD VISITOR ARRIVALS AND TOURISM EARNINGS FOR JAMAICA BETWEEN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2024
By: The MPE Caribbean Report Newsletter
May 9, 2024 – The FCCA Foundation, the charitable arm of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), has launched an annual scholarship in honor of former Prime Minister of Barbados, The Right Honorable Professor Owen Seymour Arthur, who played a significant role in advancing the cruise trade association’s vision.
The annual gift of US$25,000 will be awarded to a different Caribbean destination each year to support the work of either an educational institution or a nonprofit organization chosen by the destination.
Barbados will receive the inaugural Owen Arthur scholarship, and next year’s scholarship destination winner will be announced at the ‘Shining Stars FCCA Foundation Dinner’ during Seatrade Cruise Global 2025.
“I am honored that the Foundation can continue the legacy of The Right Honorable Professor Owen Seymour Arthur, who truly inspired my career and empowered so many throughout the Caribbean, as well as making it possible to have the current partnership between the cruise industry and the Caribbean,” said Michele Paige, CEO, FCCA. “Hopefully this scholarship can live up to his memory by providing a platform for future generations in the region.”
-
Health3 days agoAstraZeneca withdraws COVID vaccines after millions took their jabs
-
TCI News5 days agoBomb Threat No 6. In TEN days
-
Crime1 week agoUnlocking Perspectives: Serious Tourist Incidents unveiled in TCI
-
TCI News1 week agoRegional SDGs Update; 22% to be reached by 2030
-
Bahamas News1 week agoRBC appoints new Country Manager and Area Vice President for Turks & Caicos
-
Caribbean News1 week agoVISITOR ARRIVALS NOT NEGATIVELY AFFECTED BY TRAVEL ADVISORIES KINGSTON, May 1 (JIS):
-
Bahamas News1 week agoCIBC Caribbean announces the closure of Bay Street Branch
-
Bahamas News1 week agoBahamas economic growth