Hon. Floyd Green and the Jamaican delegation in a meeting with Guyana's Agriculture Minister, Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha for bilateral talks at the 38th Regional Conference of FAO for Latin America and the Caribbean in Guyana. During the meeting the Ministers discussed areas of mutual interest within the agriculture sector and possible areas for collaboration through knowledge-sharing and technical support.

Floyd Green, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining is currently leading Jamaica's delegation at the 38th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean. The conference is taking place from March 18 to 21, 2024, in Georgetown, Guyana.

At the forefront of Minister Green's agenda is the empowerment of small-scale fishers, who are integral to Jamaica's fishing communities and play a vital role in ensuring food security and sustainability throughout the region. Minister Green is lobbying for increased resources and support mechanisms to strengthen the sustainability of small-scale fishers and their communities across Jamaica and the broader Caribbean.

“The livelihood and survival of our artisanal fishers is important. Fundamentally these meetings must redound to the benefit of the fishers that we represent from our various states," stated Minister Green.

During his address at the session titled 'Advancing fisheries and aquaculture towards sustainability under the Blue Transformation approach' on March 19, Minister Green reiterated the urgent need for collective action to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

"There can be no blue transformation if we don’t tackle illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, including continuing to strengthen intraregional fisheries management systems at national, sub-regional, and intraregional levels," Minister Green emphasized.

In sharing the innovative approaches coming out of Jamaica to advance the aquaculture sub-sector, Minister Green also announced that Jamaica is driving the development of the country’s first Aquaculture Agro-Park.

Minister Green is also leading initiatives to address the pressing challenges posed by climate change, particularly its adverse effects on agriculture and fisheries. He highlights the importance of implementing adaptation and mitigation strategies and advocates for collaborative efforts to develop climate-resilient agri-food systems capable of withstanding the impacts of a changing climate.

Additionally, Minister Green emphasizes the crucial role of youth in shaping the future of agriculture and fisheries in the Caribbean. With a focus on empowering young people, he is committed to creating an enabling environment that fosters youth leadership and growth.

Minister Green's participation in the 38th FAO Regional Conference exemplifies Jamaica's deliberate strategy to advancing regional cooperation and addressing shared challenges. He remains optimistic that through concerted efforts, the Caribbean region can overcome obstacles and unleash its full potential for the collective benefit of all its citizens.

=30=

• ‹ Previous
• Next ›

Page