OECS Youth in Agriculture Symposium Begins
The inaugural Organisation of Eastern Caribbean (OECS) Youth in Agriculture (YIA) symposium began in Roseau, Dominica, with Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit questioning regional countries’ commitment to the free movement of goods and services across the region.
Prime Minister’s Address
Skerrit told the opening ceremony of the three-day event that while he is happy that young people are attending the symposium on agriculture, “we cannot speak about OECS agriculture and food exports and imports, neither can we speak about the 25 by 2025 (CARICOM initiative) if today we still have barriers towards importation of food from our sister OECS and CARICOM countries.”
“Why can we send our produce from Dominica to European and North American countries, but within CARICOM, they will not accept certain crops from Dominica or OECS countries?
“It does not make sense to me. Are you telling me that those people overseas or in other parts of the world are less human beings than us or that we are more susceptible to certain things that they are not?” he told the symposium.
Skerrit said there must be the political will within CARICOM and the OECS “to achieve our sustainability efforts and food security.
OECS YIA Symposium Objectives
The OECS YIA Symposium aims to connect the region’s next generation of agricultural leaders through discussions on innovation, tools, opportunities, and the conditions necessary to shape the future of agriculture.
Challenges in the Agricultural Sector
The agricultural sector in the sub-region has faced many challenges over the last few decades, including a significant decline due to environmental degradation, changes in productivity, and vulnerability to climate events and natural hazards. The declining agricultural sector has also resulted in an aging farming population, and younger people are choosing to refrain from continuing generations of farming practices in their families.
Conclusion
The OECS YIA Symposium is the first component of the Food and Agriculture Systems Transformation (FAST) Strategy, which prioritizes reengaging youth in the agriculture program. The symposium is being hosted by the Dominica government, in partnership with the European Union, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, and other regional organizations.
FAQs
* What is the OECS YIA Symposium?
+ The OECS YIA Symposium is a three-day event that aims to connect the region’s next generation of agricultural leaders through discussions on innovation, tools, opportunities, and the conditions necessary to shape the future of agriculture.
* What is the FAST Strategy?
+ The FAST Strategy is a program that prioritizes reengaging youth in the agriculture program and aims to transform the food and agriculture systems in the region.
* Who is hosting the symposium?
+ The symposium is being hosted by the Dominica government, in partnership with the European Union, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, and other regional organizations.