CARICOM Extends Food Security Initiative to 2030 Amid Climate Challenges

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, February 27, 2025 - In the face of mounting climate disasters and global trade uncertainties, CARICOM has been forced to recalibrate its ambitious food security timeline.

The regional body announced Tuesday that its flagship "25 by 2025 Initiative" — originally aimed at slashing the Caribbean's staggering $6 billion food import bill by a quarter before year's end — will now extend to 2030 with expanded goals.

The announcement came from Guyana's President H.E. Dr. Irfaan Ali, who serves as Lead Head of Government for agriculture and food security in the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet.

Speaking at the conclusion of the 48th Regular Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government in Barbados last Friday, Ali painted a picture of both progress and setbacks that have shaped the initiative's trajectory.

"We have made significant progress," Ali told reporters, citing an impressive "24 percent increase in food production across the Region" from 2022 through late 2024.

The agricultural renaissance has been buttressed by substantial infrastructure investments spanning cold storage facilities, farm-to-market access roads, solar dryers, and dairy establishments.

The private sector has also demonstrated growing confidence, with Ali noting "significant increases in private sector investment and lending in the agriculture sector and the food production chain within the Region."

However, Hurricane Beryl's devastating impact on regional agriculture, coupled with persistent global supply chain disruptions, has necessitated the timeline extension.

The recalibration comes with what Ali described as a "holistic framework" designed to build resilience and competitiveness in the Caribbean's food systems, with special emphasis on engaging young people and women in agricultural entrepreneurship.

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