Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, speaking at the virtual launch ceremony for the Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean (SAC) Project on Thursday, October 28, 2021. The project, which is led by the Canadian non-profit organization, World University Service of Canada, is aimed at promoting climate-resilient agriculture for equitable economic growth and will target the increased economic prosperity of women and youth in the sector.

Shaw stated that Jamaica welcomes the partnership as one that will which will help to foster climate-resilient agricultural markets that offer inclusive and sustainable economic benefits for women and youth.

Jamaica is among five countries that will benefit from the five-year Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean (SAC) Project led by World University Service of Canada (WUSC). The project, which is aimed at promoting climate-resilient agriculture for equitable economic growth, will target the increased economic prosperity of women and youth in the sector.

The SAC project will address gaps and barriers in agricultural market systems, particularly those facing women and youth. These will include areas linked to alleviating the impacts of climate change, reducing vulnerability to natural disasters, and fostering climate-resilient agricultural markets.

Speaking at the virtual launch of project on Thursday, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, stated that the project reflected the type of partnership the Government of Jamaica embraces to drive growth and development in the agriculture sector.

“We see this initiative as a booster to the agriculture sector. In fact, the SAC Project is aligned with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries’ Rural Youth Economic Empowerment Programme, which aims to expose youth to life skills, entrepreneurship and other necessary tools to pursue business opportunities in the agriculture sector,” he noted.

Additionally, Shaw said that the project was also aligned with the Ministry’s Women in Bloom initiative geared at celebrating women’s involvement in the sector in order to inspire more women to participate in upcoming projects.

“This year, we are seeking to engage 50 women, who are at different stages of their agri-entrepreneurial journey, by providing assistance in training and funding,” stated Shaw.

As it relates to the enhancement of a climate-resilient sector, Shaw stated that Ministry has revamped the Disaster Risk Management and Mitigation Committee and is to lead the implementation the Climate-Smart Framework and Strategy designed for the sector.

“The need to increase livelihoods, opportunities, and capacity for women and youth to participate in inclusive, sustainable, and climate-resilient agricultural market systems are goals that are linked with the Ministry’s New FACE of Food Strategy,” the Minister said.

Other regional beneficiaries on the project are Dominica, Guyana, Saint Lucia, and Suriname.

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