Two young farmers from Montserrat flew out to Dominica this August to take part in a regional agriculture conference.
Kelvin Ponde and Malika Casimir were among 55 young farmers and agro-processors from eight member states that attended this year’s Youth in Agriculture Symposium from 7 to 9 August.
The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) event was hosted under the theme ‘Growing the Future and Harvesting Dreams’.
According to an OECS press release, it featured a dynamic programme of keynote speeches from industry experts, panel discussions, mentorship sessions, tours, and networking opportunities.
Topics included the importance of youth in decision-making and governance, value chain and market opportunities for youth, agri-business development, and the role of research innovation and technology.
A ‘critical role’
The ministries of agriculture in each member state selected the participants based on their ability to contribute to regional food security and demonstration of innovation in the sector.
“As the symposium concluded, participants left with a renewed confidence of commitment to support youth in agriculture,” the press release said.
“The event underscored the critical role that youth will play in shaping the future of food and nutrition security and the importance of continued investment in agricultural education and innovation.”
The symposium was hosted by the Government of Dominica, and funded by the European Union Regional Integration Through Growth Harmonisation and Technology Programme.
Other partners included the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, the Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management of Dominica, and the World University Service of Canada (Caribbean).
The OECS is an intergovernmental organisation that promotes economic and regional integration, and the protection of human and legal rights in the eastern Caribbean.
Watch highlights from the symposium here.
