Promoting regional trade and agribusiness development in the Caribbean
2nd Caribbean Agribusiness Forum
STRENGTHENING THE AGRIFOOD SECTOR and EXPANDING MARKETS
Organised by CTA, IICA, CABA in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Water Resource Management and Barbados Tourism Product Authority (BTPA)
Organised in the context of the Caribbean-Pacific Agri-Food Forum
5-6 November 2015, Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC)
Two Mile Hill, BB11093, Barbados
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This Forum is linked to the Brussels Briefings organized by CTA, the European Commission, the ACP Group and Concord on key issues related to ARD in ACP countries. It also brings some experiences from the Caribbean through the Intra ACP Agricultural Policy Programme
As part of CTA’s work on promoting regional trade through agribusiness development, various activities have been carried out in support of Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
At the ACP-EU policy level, a Brussels Development Briefing was held on Building resilience of SIDS through trade and agribusiness development in July 2014 organised y CTA, the European Commission, The ACP Secretariat and Concord leading to the Private Sector Partnership Forum at SIDS Conference in Samoa.
The 1st Caribbean Agribusiness Forum was organised by CTA and IICA in the Caribbean in November 2014 on Enhancing regional trade and adding value to Caribbean agrifood products looking at the potential offered by the tourism-related markets. Subsequently a study on Agribusiness Development – Strengthening agritourism potential in the Caribbean was commissioned looking at 11 successful businesses cases in 5 countries. In 2015, a partnership has been developed with the Caribbean Agribusiness Association (CABA) and a joint application for and EU grant on agribusiness developed for 2015-2016.
As a strategic partnership between CTA and the Pacific Island Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO) launched at the Samoa SIDS Conference, the 1st Pacific Agribusiness Forum organised by CTA, PIPSO and SPC was held in Fiji in July 2015 on Linking the Agrifood sector to the tourism-related markets aimed at Strengthening the agrifood sector through agribusiness development and the identification of new market opportunities. For the first time, experts from the Indian Ocean shared their experience.
The Caribbean Agribusiness Association (CABA), the ACP-EU Technical Center for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), the Interamerican Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), in collaboration with key partners in the Caribbean region, are promoting agribusiness in the region at export and regional markets. They also promote successes which strengthen sustainable and inclusive development practices and link agriculture and tourism industries with the view of upscaling and replicating best cases and learn from them.
The Forum’s objectives include: (i) to promote agribusiness development in SIDS by sharing successful business cases; (ii) identify tangible opportunities in new markets; (iii) Promote linkages between the agrifood sector and the tourism industry to increase sustainable local sourcing; (iv) Identify support needed to strengthen relations between chain actors and tourism industry.
New ! articles on agribusiness in the Caribbean and the Pacific
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Additional materials:
BB. 37 Reader – Building resilience of SIDS through agricultural trade and agribusiness development
Capacity4Dev: Blog – Building Resilience of Small Island Economies
Interviews:
Additional media coverage: caribbean360.com ; stluciatimes.com ; caribbeannewsnow.com ; antiguatimes.com ; dtwonline.com ; lenouvelliste.com ; nowgrenada.com ; CaribVision youtube; dailypost.vu ; unitednews.sr ; caribnewsdesk.com ; bajanreporter.com ; iwnsvg.com ; caribnewsdesk.com ; jamaica-gleaner.com ; agricorner.com ; barbadosadvocate.com and see more via cta.int
*** Programme ***
Thursday 5th November 2015
8h30-9h00 Media Briefing
9h00-9h20 Opening remarks
Mikael Barfod, Head of the European Union Delegation to the Eastern Caribbean Countries, the OECS, CARICOM and CARIFORUM; Diego Montenegro, Director of Management and Regional Integration, IICA; Vassel Stewart, President, CABA; Michael Hailu, Director, CTA;
9h30-11h00 Policy Forum: Opportunities to support agribusiness in the ACP-EU cooperation instruments
This high-level policy panel will provide the ACP-EU policy context in support of agribusiness and private sector development in SIDS and the new opportunities offered by the 11th EDF to the ACP SMEs. It will highlight the instruments facilitating trade and market access. It will discuss regulatory issues of importance to agribusiness and new opportunities.
Moderator: Michael Hailu, Director of CTA
– Roy Mickey Joy, Ambassador of Vanuatu to the EU
– Len Ishmael, Ambassador, Eastern Caribbean States (ECS) to the EU and coordinator of the ACP SIDS Platform
– Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director, Caribbean Export Development Agency
– Junior Lodge, Team Leader, ACP TBT Programme
– Vassel Stewart, President, Caribbean Agribusiness Association (CABA)
11h15-13h00 Panel 1: Opportunities in regional and international markets
This panel will feature opportunities in the regional market and in export markets. In the regional market focus is placed on the fast food/quick service restaurant industry and in the fruits and vegetable industry, whilst in the export market focus is placed on opportunities in fresh produce market for EU and other countries for both fresh and processed foods.
Moderator: Vassel Stewart, President, Caribbean Agri-business Association (CABA)
– Opportunities to reduce utilization of imports in the regional fast food/quick Service restaurant industry
Vassel Stewart, President, Caribbean Agri-business Association (CABA)
– Opportunities to replace imported of fruits and vegetables in CARICOM
Jai Rampersad, Agribusiness Expert, Bunny Imports Exports Ltd., Trinidad and Tobago
– Opportunities in export markets: the case of fresh produce to Holland
Janak P. Gafar, Owner, Hilo Import, The Netherlands
– Opportunities in agribusiness for coconut products from the Pacific
Hobart Va’ai, Samoa Chamber of Commerce & Industry
– Opportunities in the EU Market for agrifood products and PPPs
Dorian Filote, International Relations Officer, European Commission/DG Agriculture and Rural Development, ACP Countries and Development Issues
– Finance opportunities in support of agribusiness
Noemi Perez, President & CEO,Finance Alliance for Sustainable Trade (FAST)
Conclusion—Moderator provides concluding remarks focusing on agreed future actions.
14h00-16h15 Panel 2: Promoting agribusiness through value addition and product diversification in priority industries. Strategies for scaling up
Moderator: Keith Amiel, CABA Director, Jamaica
Opportunities in the Roots and Tubers industry
The cassava industry is considered to hold tremendous opportunities for agribusiness development in the Region. Presenters will focus on opportunities in the bakery, feed and beverage industries and strategies been implemented by the development agencies in creating the environment for the private sector to exploit these opportunities.
– Vassel Stewart, Trinidad & Tobago Agribusiness Association
– R.Deep Ford, FAO Subregional Coordinator for the Caribbean
– Janelle Fletcher, Production/ Product Development Manager, Armag Manufacturing, Armag Farms Ltd, Barbados
– Jethro Greene, Chief Coordinator, Caribbean Farmers Network (CAFAN)
Opportunities in Herbs and Spices
The Caribbean has always had a reputation for producing world class herbs and spices products. The herbs and spices industry has been identified as another industry for development in the region led CABA which offers renewed opportunities in added-value markets in regional and international markets.
– Winston Stona, Co-Founder/Managing Director, Busha Browne/Walkers Wood Caribbean Foods, Jamaica
– Riyad Mohammed, Manager, Baron Foods Ltd, St Lucia
– David Picking, Researcher, Natural Products Institute, University of the West Indies
Conclusion—Moderator provides concluding remarks focusing on agreed future actions
16h30-18h15 Panel 3: Promoting agribusiness through value addition and product diversification in tourism-related markets.
Opportunities for agrifood in tourism-related markets
Moderator: Ena Harvey, IICA Representative, Barbados, Agritourism Expert
This panel will review business successes and opportunities in tourist-related markets in quality products, branding and value creation. They will highlight the model and next steps to expand the business.
– Ian McNeel, Director, Slow Food Barbados
– Terry Addlington, Managing Director, Tanna coffee, Vanuatu
– Shadel Nyack Compton, Managing Director, Belmont Estate, Grenada
– Sylvie Salanoa, Mailelani Samoa
– Keith Amiel, CABA Director, Jamaica
Conclusion—Moderator provides concluding remarks focusing on agreed future actions
Friday 6th November 2015
8h30-9h00 Media Briefing
9h00-10h30 Panel 3: Promoting agribusiness through value addition and product diversification in tourist-related markets (cont’d).
Opportunities for fisheries in tourism-related markets
This session will show various models and new opportunities of linkages between the fisheries and tourism sectors based on successes in export and regional markets. It will highlight new markets and innovative products with value added.
Moderator: Milton Haughton, Executive Director, Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism
– Keith Andre, Business owner and Skipper/fisherman, Seychelles
– Jimi Jones, Jimsan Aquaponice Farm, Belize
– James Ince, Spice Isle Seafood, Grenada
– Paul Christian Ryan, Managing Director/ Owner at Vate Ocean Gardens Ltd., Pacific
– Bernard Monnaie, Head of Business Program, University of Seychelles
– Iris Monnereau, Centre for Resource Management and Environment Studies, University of West Indies, Barbados
10h45-13h00 Panel 4: Chefs for Development: The link between agriculture & cuisine
There is a need to upgrade farmers supply chains to larger hotels and resorts, stimulate demand of local products and its use by chefs who can promote ways to more creatively utilize local produce by the hospitality sector. Experience of Chefs from the Caribbean, the Pacific and the Indian Ocean in sourcing with local farmers and promoting local cuisine will be presented. The food tourism industry will also be discussed as a major economic sector worldwide and for the region.
Moderator: Isolina Boto, Manager, CTA Brussels Office
– Trends and opportunities in food tourism and gastronomy
Erik Wolff, President, World Food Travel Association (WFTA)
Panel:
– Robert Oliver, Chef, author and television presenter of Real Pasifik, Pacific
– Dora Rossi, Paddles Restaurant, Samoa
– Alberta Vitale, Associate Director, Women in Business Dev. (WIBDI), Samoa
– Stephan Berrouet Durand, Executive Chef, President, Haitian Culinary Alliance
– Dane Saddler, Executive Chef, Caribbean Villa Chefs, Barbados
– Chef Henderson Butcher, DIVI Southwinds, Barbados Culinary Team
– Chef Peter Edey, Barbados
– Richard Mathiot, Executive Chef, Seychelles
Conclusion—Moderator provides concluding remarks focusing on agreed future actions
14h00-15h30 Panel 5: Data-driven agribusiness and maximizing use of ICTs
This panel will discuss business data needed and used by producers, SMEs and agribusiness and the use of new opportunities offered by ICTs. Some insights on the role of open data and new technologies to acquire data will be shared as well as linking to the role of mobile applications to use and build new data sources.
Moderator: Chris Addison, Senior Coordinator, Knowledge Management
– Vassel Stewart, President, CABA
– Alison DeGraff, Participatory GIS, University of West Indies
– Bheshem Ramlal, Open Data, University of West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago
– Matthew Mc Naughton, Slashroots, Trinidad and Tobago
– Leonard Seale, Secretary and Marketing Officer, Addis Alem cooperative, Barbados
– Guy Morel, Principal Consultant, SGM and Partners Consulting and Jose Guerreio, Deputy Director Extension Services, Seychelles
– Alisi Tuqa, Programme Officer, Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO), Fiji
Conclusion—Moderator provides concluding remarks focusing on agreed future actions
15h45-17h00 Scaling Up Session
|This final session will look at realizing the potential of PPPs and agribusiness development through a common agenda for action and exploit the opportunities which would have been identified.
– Vassel Stewart, President, CABA
– Ena Harvey, IICA Representative, Barbados, Agritourism Expert
– Chris Addison, Senior Coordinator, Knowledge Management
– Ken Lohento, Coordinator, Youth and ICTs
17h00 Closure
– Diego Montenegro, Director of Management and Regional Integration, IICA
– Dorian Filote, International Relations Officer, European Commission/DG Agriculture and Rural Development, ACP Countries and Development Issues
– Isolina Boto, Manager, CTA Brussels Office
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