The Invasive Species Safeguarding Strategy Within The Alliance'S Framework For The Repositioning Of Agriculture In The Region - The Jagdeo Initiative

The Alliance for the Sustainable Development of Agriculture and the Rural Milieu in the Wider Caribbean is a forum to enable dialogue and the creation of a common vision and agreed goals and objectives for agricultural and rural development in the Caribbean. The Conference of Heads of Government (CHG) authorized Mr. Bharat Jagdeo, President of Guyana, to launch the Jagdeo Initiative on the development and implementation of a process that would result in the resurgence of agricultural potential in member countries, individually and collectively. Through this Initiative ten major key Binding Constraints on agricultural development in the Caribbean have been identified, and corresponding remedial actions required at the national and regional levels have been prescribed. Examples of constraints and remedial actions that would assist in the combat of invasive species include the following: Constraint No. 1: Limited Financing and Inadequate New Investments; remedial actions: (a) establish an Agricultural Modernization Fund (AMF), and (b) define CARICOM's Agri-Food Needs at 2005 to 2015 to identify investment opportunities (incl. tourism); Constraint No. 2: Deficient and uncoordinated risk management measures including Praedial Larceny; remedial actions: (a) operate a disaster fund within the AMF, and (b) support mandatory farmer and fresh produce trader registration; Constraint No. 4: Outdated and inefficient Agriculture Health and Food Safety Systems; remedial actions: (a) provide funds from AMF to operationalise CAHFSA and national agencies or systems, (b) strengthen the legislative and regulatory trade framework through establishment of CAHFSA and National Agencies or Systems, and (c) collective financing of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) protocols to improve industry competitiveness.