The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) is managing the GCF- Readiness Project entitled “Strengthening the Foundation for a Climate Responsive Agricultural Sector in the Caribbean” (GCF CARICOM AgREADY, in short), funded through a Grant Agreement with the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Two workshops, facilitated by Dr. Natalia Lugay and Mr. McCulley Ismael of the Agricultural Division, were held recently in Dominica: one in Portsmouth for farmers in the north and one in Roseau for farmers in the south. It enlightened farmers and extension officers to the impacts of current agricultural practices on the earth, via greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from both livestock and crop farms.
Over thirty-five (35) participants, learned about what needs to be done to improve climate smart practices on their farms. These included practices such as adopting the best feed for cattle and ruminants, practicing good composting, and crop rotation, and most importantly, recording farm data. The importance of farm data collection was stressed as not only the farmer’s responsibility for good business practices but also a necessity to begin to collect statistics island-wide, which will guide the sector into realizing trends, forming plans, and making important policy decisions. The workshop sessions were also an avenue for a lively discussion on improper farming practices and experiences and resolutions to reducing the sector’s GHG emissions.
The AgReady project has a vision of developing “A Climate Responsive Agricultural Sector in the Caribbean that supports food security, livelihoods and uses natural resources sustainably” by addressing barriers of ineffective mechanisms and engagement with agricultural experts and stakeholders in GCF climate programming processes, policy gaps, and limited or fragmented data/information to inform climate risks planning, programming, and action in the sector.
The IICA-GCF Readiness Project targets nine countries (The Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Haiti, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago) in the CARICOM sub-region.
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