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Sub-Regional Capacity Building in Sustainable Food Systems & Value Chain Development - TCP/SLC/3703

Copyright licence

Year of publication 2021

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 9

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Project

Category Factsheet

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) According to the Caribbean Community ( a revitalized agricultural sector could play a central role in promoting sustainable rural development and food security in the Caribbean, moving away from an export oriented approach to promote resilience and innovation in the region’s smallholder based agricultural systems In order to tap this potential, individual efforts by single value chain actors would fail to generate the impact required across the region A more holistic and collaborative and integrated approach would on the contrary promote long term sustainable impacts and lead to cost effective, healthy and safe products for all, ensuring the inclusion and integration of smallholder producers, vulnerable consumer groups and rural populations The active participation of the private sector, from farmers and small and medium sized enterprises to multinational food companies, would attract the investments needed to improve productivity, create employment opportunities, reduce food imports and drive industry transformation To achieve these goals, the Governments of Barbados, Belize and Jamaica are committed to developing the agricultural sector by strengthening the performance of agricultural value chains However, the initiatives adopted in this field have often relied on external expertise As a consequence, the three countries requested FAO’s support to improve their institutional capacity to promote inclusive food systems and value chain initiatives strengthen the capacity of ministerial staff to design, implement and evaluate value chain development ( methodologies, stimulate cross departmental collaboration, local ownership, learning, innovation, sustainability and a greater impact on agricultural development The proposed project was therefore aimed at strengthening existing institutional arrangements, the skills of senior management and human resources, collaboration with other departments and the private sector, the training of VCD teams in the skills and methodologies required, and gender empowerment.

Language English

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