By| Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — The Ministry of Agriculture of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, in partnership with the Federative Republic of Brazil and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), officially launched the Caribbean Sustainable Agriculture Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Hub on Tuesday.
The launch took place at the Ministry of Agriculture’s head office on Regent and Vlissengen Roads in Georgetown. The regional initiative is designed as a strategic response to mounting structural vulnerabilities within Caribbean agrifood networks, including low crop yields, heavy food import dependencies, severe climate risks, and deficient regional technical innovation.
Guyanese Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha delivered the feature address, framing the hub as a major evolutionary step for regional food systems.
“This is a historic step in promoting innovation, applied research, and agricultural modernization in the region,” Minister Mustapha said. “Innovation is no longer optional… it is essential.”
Mustapha highlighted that the compounding pressures of global supply chain disruptions and volatile food inflation require unified, science-driven, and data-backed strategies. He added that the era of minor, incremental adjustments has passed, necessitating bold structural shifts across the region.
Providing the keynote address, Dr. Cleber Soares, Executive Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil, detailed his country’s massive agricultural transformation as a blueprint for the Caribbean. Dr. Soares noted that 50 years ago, Brazil was a net food importer, relying on foreign markets for 85% of its domestic food supply. Through aggressive investments in technical infrastructure, innovation, and research, Brazil evolved into an agricultural superpower.
“Now, on average, we export 25% of the agricultural and livestock products that we produce,” Dr. Soares stated. He emphasized that Brazil’s extensive expertise is positioned to assist neighbor countries in eliminating food insecurity and mitigating agricultural shortages.
Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim, Director General of IICA, noted that the STI Hub represents a vital mechanism for Caribbean nations seeking to accomplish the regional “25 by 2025” target (referenced locally as the 25 plus 5 framework), which aims to reduce the regional food import bill by 25%.
Dr. Ibrahim explained that IICA operates across 34 countries, managing varied socioeconomic and diverse agricultural terrains. He asserted that targeted technological investment is vital to achieving regional targets.
“Our medium-term plan is focusing on four key programs, one looking at science, technology, and innovation, because we need a new generation—a new frontier of science and tools,” Dr. Ibrahim stated.
He concluded that modern scientific tools are crucial to accelerating the execution of updated agrifood practices and fortifying regional climate resilience, especially as the Caribbean faces increasingly destructive cycles of droughts and hurricanes.
