Research and Education Support Systems for Agricultural Development in the Caricom Region

The importance of national physical and cultural characteristics in the formulation of a Research and Education Support System (RESS) is restated and the physical and cultural characteristics of the Caricom farming community briefly described. The purposes of RESSs interrelationships between fusion of science and technology versus institutional integration of research and education for agricultural development in the 20th century are discussed. Structural features of RESS in Caricom are evaluated in the light of these discussions. Current, fragmented management of support systems for agricultural development in Caricom are examined and an alternative framework for integrated management of the RESS proposed. The framework is based on fusion of the publicly funded national and regional institutions of agricultural research with national institutions of formal (schools of agriculture) and non-formal (extension services) education. It is perceived that the major problems in implementing the alternative framework at national and regional levels are conceptual. At national level, the problems revolve around convincing national governments of the efficacy of integrating institutions of research and education for accelerated agricultural development. The regional problems emerge from difficulty in accepting the notion that a regional institution of research can be effectively replaced by a regional system for management (mandating, networking and evaluation) of regional projects in national institutions, albeit at reduced costs.