Georgetown: “One's very existence depends on agriculture”. Veteran Guyanese journalist and media owner Enrico Woolford was speaking at the media workshop entitled “Inclusive Evidence-Based Coverage of Agriculture and Rural Development”, at the 12th Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) 2013 in Guyana. Woolford called on media practitioners to take a 'macro view of journalism'. He said, “look past resource limitations and take a proactive approach to agriculture coverage to inform the public of the possibilities existing right here in the region”.
Dr Arlington Chesney, Executive Director of the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), emphasised the importance for media to work hand in hand with the agriculture sector. He said, “ Food and nutrition security is too important to be left in the hands of agriculturists”. He called on everyone to take on an active role in agriculture to work towards a food and nutrition secured region. Dr Chesney said, “signals such as increases in food prices and the adverse impacts of climate change on food production shows the need for the Caribbean to make agriculture a top priority”.
Addressing the media on the session entitled ‘Resolution and the Way Forward’, Michael Hailu, Director of the Netherlands-based Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) said, “We want more collaboration with the Caribbean including promoting higher engagement of the media in covering agriculture stories.” He emphasized that, “there is always a key role for media in increasing public awareness and mobilization, policy change and implementation”, and noted that, “With a well-planned strategy media associations and journalists can archive good results in contributing to the development of the agricultural sector as an engine for growth, employment creation for the youth and ensuring for and nutrition security.
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