“Green Resilience”: WIIN Program Teams Up with NAREI to Launch National Climate-Smart Agriculture Training
By: Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — In a major expansion of the government’s flagship empowerment project, the Women’s Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN) is now pivoting toward the soil. Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, has announced a strategic collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture to provide free, countrywide training in Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA).
The initiative, to be executed by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), aims to transform traditional farming into a resilient, high-productivity sector that can withstand the increasingly unpredictable weather patterns affecting the Caribbean.
Beyond the Kitchen: A Multi-Sectoral Approach
While the WIIN program was initially designed to foster female entrepreneurship, Minister Persaud emphasized that this new agricultural module is open to both women and men aged 16 and older.
- The NAREI Partnership: Technical experts from NAREI will lead instruction, ensuring participants learn science-based methods tailored to Guyana’s specific soil and coastal conditions.
- National Reach: The program is being rolled out countrywide, with a focus on ensuring that residents in rural and hinterland communities have equal access to these specialized skills.
- Certification to Employment: Like all WIIN courses, the CSA program provides a formal certification, intended to help participants secure employment in the expanding agricultural sector or launch their own “green” businesses.
What is Climate-Smart Agriculture?
The training focuses on three main “pillars” designed to fix the current vulnerabilities in the food supply chain:
- Increased Productivity: Learning how to sustainably grow more food on less land using modern techniques.
- Enhanced Resilience: Adapting to climate change by reducing vulnerability to extreme heat, flooding, and shifting rainy seasons.
- Emission Reduction: Implementing practices that reduce the carbon footprint of farming, contributing to Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).
Skills for the Future Entrepreneur
Minister Persaud noted that the course is not just about “planting seeds,” but about building a sustainable business model. Key techniques included in the curriculum are:
- Water Management: Implementing drip irrigation and rainwater harvesting to combat drought.
- Agroforestry: Integrating trees and shrubs into crop and livestock systems to improve biodiversity.
- Conservation Agriculture: Minimizing soil disturbance and using organic cover to maintain nutrient levels and moisture.
- Pest Management: Using biological controls to reduce the reliance on expensive and harmful chemicals.
Growing Food Security
As Guyana leads the CARICOM “25 by 25” food security mandate, Dr. Persaud is banking on the idea that “Every citizen is a farmer.” By equipping the workforce with climate-smart skills, the government is moving to ensure that the nation’s food supply is not just abundant, but “climate-proof.” For the hundreds expected to sign up, this program represents an opportunity to turn a backyard plot into a profitable, resilient enterprise.
