KINGSTON, Jamaica, (IICA) – The 20th edition of the Caribbean Week ofAgriculture –entitled “The New Face of Caribbean Food Systems” – will be held in Kingston, Jamaica, from 27 September to 2 October. The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) will be one of its organisers.
The event serves as a platform for collaboration and knowledge sharing, designed to aid the development of increasingly modern, competitive, and resilient agriculture in the Caribbean countries. Details of the activity were announced at a hybrid ceremony held in the Jamaican capital involving ministers of agriculture from the region, senior officials from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and the director general of IICA, Muhammad Ibrahim.
Farmers, entrepreneurs, public policymakers, regional leaders, youth, and rural women will take part in the event, which will focus on four main issues: food security, climate-smart technologies, export growth, and agribusiness.
The Caribbean Week of Agriculture is the premier event in this region’s agricultural calendar. It includes seminars, key meetings, and field visits, and attracts high-level public and private sector decision-makers. The Caribbean Institute for Agricultural Research and Development (CARDI) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are helping to organise the activity, along with IICA and CARICOM.
Protecting people
“For generations, Caribbean agriculture has fed and provided livelihoods for Caribbean societies. Guaranteeing food security means protecting our peoples, so all stakeholders will be welcome at this regional gathering,” said Jamaica’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Floyd Green.
The host minister pointed out that the 2026 Caribbean Week of Agriculture will be taking place nearly a year after Hurricane Melissa, the most devastating hurricane Jamaica has ever known, which severely affected agricultural infrastructure and farmers’ livelihoods.
“We are not defeated. Agriculture has always joined us together in this region, because it plays a central role in our economic and social development. Today we are facing a critical situation, due to natural disasters, rising input costs, and ongoing global uncertainties. But we are looking to emerge from the Caribbean Week of Agriculture with a new face, one that is focused on food security, climate-smart technologies, and how we are expanding our exports,” Green added.
Zulfikar Mustapha, minister of agriculture of Guyana and leader of the CARICOM Ministerial Task Force on Agriculture and Food Security, highlighted the fact that despite the obstacles, Caribbean agriculture has made great strides thanks to the implementation of innovative policies, the development of strategic partnerships, and increased investment.
“The Week of Agriculture is more than an annual meeting. It is a promoter of practical solutions in support of food security,” he said.
Muhammad Ibrahim acknowledged the work of the Caribbean ministers of agriculture and underscored his organisation’s commitment to the region. IICA is an organisation that has been promoting science-based solutions to the challenges faced by agricultural production for 83 years.
The IICA director-general also mentioned the upcoming launch of a regional hub for innovation and sustainable agriculture in Guyana, designed to make concrete contributions that increase the productivity and resilience of agrifood systems in the Caribbean.
The initiative is being implemented by IICA and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA). Ibrahim also gave details of a project financed by the European Union that is being executed in five countries of the region, to promote market access for agricultural products.
“We have the political will and capacity to advance an agenda aimed at strengthening and attracting investment for Caribbean agriculture,” Ibrahim said.
Since the Caribbean Week ofAgriculture was staged for the first time in Trinidad and Tobago in 1999, the activity has grown and evolved to become a flagship event and the premier strategic forum for the Caribbean agricultural agenda. In 2025, St. Kitts and Nevis were the hosts.
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