The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission partnered with the EU-Caribbean Nutrition Facility (EU-CaN) to host a regional workshop on “The Role of Agricultural and Fishery Censuses in Agricultural Development Planning and Food Security” in St Lucia from 24–27 February.
Among the specific objectives of the workshop were to demonstrate the value of an agricultural census as a decision-making tool that contributes to agricultural planning, research, investment and business decisions; to monitor environmental changes and provide data on the use of environmentally friendly practices. The workshop will contribute to creating a roadmap for data and official statistics to support the implementation and evaluation of the OECS Food and Agriculture Systems Transformation (FAST) Strategy 2022–2032. Obtaining reliable data and statistics is a priority for the OECS Commission.
“This workshop is a timely opportunity to strengthen agricultural planning through data-driven approaches, aligning with the OECS Agenda for Agricultural Development and advancing regional food security efforts,” stated Dr Gale Archibald, Head of Services Unit, OECS Commission. “By leveraging agricultural and fisheries censuses, we can ensure evidence-based decision-making and impactful strategies for the sector.”
The EU-Caribbean Nutrition Facility (EU-CaN), the OECS FAST Strategy and Caricom’s 25 by 25 Initiative share complementary goals that address food security and promote sustainable agricultural development in the Caribbean. The initiative focuses on reducing the region’s reliance on food imports by increasing local production. Similarly, the EU-CaN emphasises equitable access to healthy diets and improving local food systems to enhance food security.
Teodora Diamantopoulos Fernandez, Coordinator for EU-CaN Facility, planted the seeds of collaboration with her remarks. “This project, which brings together expertise from Spain and Lithuania, focuses on increasing social inclusion in the agricultural sector and promoting equitable access to healthy diets. We hope that through this workshop, we can foster meaningful exchanges that will drive positive change in the region’s agri-food systems.”
The workshop benefitted from the expertise and experience of the Spain Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, who shared their methodology, tools and practices for collecting, disseminating and using agriculture and fisheries data. The success of this collaboration and knowledge-sharing will rely on access to and the availability of quality agricultural and fisheries data based on effective coordination among national data producers, farmers, fisherfolk, businesses and the community, to improve and sustain the OECS region’s agricultural sector.
There were 35 participants from Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines, representing their respective Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and their national statistics office. They are expected to incorporate the shared information to update their respective strategic plan for agriculture and rural statistics (SPARS) in line with their national FAST strategy. Other participants were from FAO and the Caricom Regional Statistics Programme.
The event was funded by the EU-Caribbean Nutrition (EUCAN) project implemented by the Fundación Internacional Y Para Iberoamérica De Admón Y Políticas Públicas (FIIAPP) and the Central Project Management Agency (CPVA). This support is part of the EU regional food security programme 2023 to 2027 that aims to improve the resilience and sustainability of the food system in the Caribbean.
