Argentina reaffirmed its strong commitment to agricultural cooperation and regional food security during its participation in the Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA), held this year in St Kitts and Nevis.
As a special guest of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), the Argentine delegation shared its interest in building stronger partnerships with the region. It highlighted opportunities for collaboration in areas such as dairy industry modernisation, plant health systems, soil and water management, and the use of digital technologies in agriculture.
“Argentina is ready to support the Caribbean in advancing smart agriculture, sustainable value chains, and food security,” said the delegation during a presentation that attracted strong regional interest.
Argentina is one of the world’s top agricultural producers and exporters, and a global reference in agri-innovation, particularly in animal genetics, biotechnology, and seed development. The country brings decades of experience and technical capacity to offer, especially in support of small island developing states working to reduce import dependency and build climate resilience.
The visit comes as Caricom intensifies efforts under its “25 by 2025” strategy — an initiative to reduce the region’s food import bill by 25% by the year 2025, recently extended through 2030. Argentina expressed its willingness to become a strategic partner in the initiative by providing technical support, training, and know-how aligned with regional priorities.
The delegation emphasised its long-standing cooperation with Caribbean nations, facilitated in many cases by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). Since 1992, Argentina has implemented knowledge-sharing programmes across the region. Over the past decade alone, more than 20 projects have been carried out, involving 255 Argentine and 172 Caribbean experts in areas such as crop production, fisheries, and climate monitoring.
One notable initiative is the API-Caribe programme, launched in 2019 with IICA and Caribbean partners to strengthen the beekeeping sector — vital for pollination and food systems. Other projects have supported artisanal fisheries, converting fish waste into animal feed, and using satellite data to manage natural disaster risks, droughts, and floods.
As the region works to transform its food systems, Argentina confirmed it will continue to listen, collaborate, and innovate with the Caribbean to support its goals for greater food sovereignty and rural development.
The Caribbean Week of Agriculture, first held in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago, is the region’s leading agricultural forum, bringing together government leaders, farmers, private sector players, and development partners to promote investment and innovation in agri-food systems.
The Argentine delegation was led by Fernando Brun, Secretary for International Economic Relations, and Manuel Chiappe, Undersecretary for Agriculture.
Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Forestry
