Georgetown: Preparations for hosting the Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) in Paramaribo, Suriname, are well advanced, according to organisers of the event.CWA starts on Monday, October 6.
Guyana hosted the 12th CWA last October, under the theme “Linking the Caribbean for Regional Food and Nutrition Security and Rural Development.” Last year, the week brought together stakeholders for activities to promote agriculture and agro-industries via policy dialoguing, learning sessions, field visits, workshops, and an exhibition and trade show showcasing the fruits of the sector.
A team of sector stakeholders in Guyana is expected to be represented in Suriname next week.
Additionally, the neighbouring country, on 15 August, launched the 13th edition of the CWA with the introduction of the event’s logo as well as the logo for Suriname’s Agro- Food Event 2014 (SAFE), an exhibition and trade fair that is being held for the first time, and which will coincide with the CWA.
The CWA is the Community’s premier agricultural event which will be hosted this year by the Government of Suriname, in collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat under the theme “Transforming Caribbean Agriculture Through Family Farming.”
Elaborating on the theme, Suriname’s Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Soeresh Algoe, said family farming is the backbone of food production.
“Fostering, uplifting and transforming this institute of family farming should be our main goal when we are thinking about ensuring national and regional food security, and promoting a healthy lifestyle. Transforming the institute of family farming will strengthen our production and export base of agricultural produce and therefore contribute to sustainable socio-economic growth of our countries and CARICOM as a whole,” Minister Algoe said.
The CWA, which will be held at the Suriname Chamber of Commerce and Industry Conference, Exhibition and Trade Fair complex, will be officially opened on Wednesday, October 8. The exhibition and trade show will also be opened on Wednesday.
During the week, farmers, youth and women in agriculture, policy-makers, experts in the field of agriculture and other stakeholders, will participate in activities aimed at charting the Region’s path in the important sector. The activities include seminars and workshops, a special meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) and forums of regional agricultural organisations such as the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Ministers of Agriculture.
A major event on Wednesday October 8, 2014 is the Meeting of the Alliance for Sustainable Development of Agriculture and the Rural Milieu (‘The Alliance’), which will be chaired by the Hon Saboto Caeser, Minister of Agriculture of St Vincent and the Grenadines. Presentations from successful family farmers in the Region and on Suriname’s approach to family farming will be made.
Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) was conceptualised as a facility to place agriculture and rural life on the front burner of regional integration activities. The CWA enables key decision-makers in the public and private sectors to better acknowledge the importance of agriculture and rural life to the economic, social and environmental stability of the Region. The event also provides an opportunity for major stakeholders in agriculture and related sectors to dialogue and forge a common vision for the repositioning of agriculture and the enhancement of rural life.
To ensure that CWA 2014 is a resounding success, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat is working very closely with the Government of Suriname; CARDI; the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA); the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO); the Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation (CTA); the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN); the Caribbean Agri-Business Association (CABA) and the OECS Commission.
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