The impacts of the Global Environment Facility’s (GEF’s) funding of the CSIDS SOILCARE Project, were prominently showcased during the organisation’s joint mission to St Lucia and Grenada, along with representatives of the Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management (PISLM), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Government of Canada. During the mission, implementation site visits were conducted in St Lucia, Carriacou and Grenada from 17–18 and 19–20 February.
Courtesy calls were made to the Hon. Lisa Jawahir and staff of the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Climate Change in St Lucia, Permanent Secretary Leanwall Perrotte of the Ministry of Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs in Carriacou, and Hon. Lennox Andrews and Permanent Secretary Isaac Bhagwan at the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Forestry in Grenada.
The discussions in the 2 countries underscored the importance of strong partnerships that can improve sustainable soil and land management and country commitments for the ongoing work, as SOILCARE continues to deliver practical, community-driven solutions across the islands.
Executive Director for the PISLM, Dr Ronen Francis, said the undertaking represents the organisation’s role in “Updating partners such as the GEF, funders such as the Government of Canada, on the work that has already been done and how it impacts the landscape and livelihoods of people within the communities where the project is implemented.”
Neila Bobb-Prescott, GEF Task Manager and Climate Finance Specialist with the FAO, the implementation agency for SOILCARE, explained that the mission helps them to see, “What can be built on, in Phase 2 of the regional project.”
The mission included site visits to several key project locations in:
- St Lucia: Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, Darban, and the National Soil Laboratory
- Carriacou: Limlair Livestock Facility, Belair Agricultural Nursery, Bellevue South and Dumfries Agricultural Station
- Grenada: St George’s soil laboratory, Les Avocat Forest reserve, and Chambord project intervention sites.
“This has been an excellent way to improve the resilience of farmers, combat climate change and reduce land degradation,” suggested Rawleston Moore, Senior Climate Change Specialist at the GEF.
The delegation also comprised Trevor Thompson, Project Manager for the CSIDS SOILCARE Project Phase 1; David Ainsworth, Senior External Relations Officer at the Global Environment Facility; and Ebru Gurbuzer, International Development Officer for the Global Issues and Development Sector at the Government of Canada.
The regional mission was able to promote how the support from international agencies, such as GEF and FAO — is improving the lives and livelihoods of people within the Caribbean communities and improving climate resilience by promoting sustainable solutions for land, water, and agricultural systems, food security and livelihood enhancement.
PISLM
