CARICOM Extends Agriculture Mandate to 2030 to Combat Food Insecurity
July 6, 2026 — Regional self-reliance and economic resilience took center stage at the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in St. Lucia, as regional leaders officially extended their flagship agricultural food production mandate to 2030.
Confronting the compounded pressures of global supply chain disruptions, extreme weather shocks, and escalating food import costs, heads of government reaffirmed their commitment under the expanded Vision 25 by 2030 (formerly Vision 25 by 2025). The strategic framework seeks to slash the Caribbean’s multibillion-dollar food import bill by 25 percent through targeted intra-regional trade expansion, de-risked agricultural financing, and climate-resilient farming systems. Consolidating Agricultural Gains and Driving Regional Self-Sufficiency
The summit highlighted critical policy priorities to insulate member states against international market volatility:
Expanding Intra-Regional Agri-Trade: Member states are dismantling non-tariff sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) barriers while scaling dedicated sub-regional cargo and maritime transport routes to ensure seamless farm-to-market distribution across the archipelago.
Climate-Smart Investments & De-Risking: CARICOM’s Special Ministerial Task Force on Food Production continues deploying concessional credit lines, regional parametric agricultural insurance, and drought- and flood-resistant infrastructure to protect primary producers.
Empowering Agribusiness and Youth: The 2030 roadmap prioritizes public-private partnerships via the CARICOM Private Sector Organization (CPSO), modern cold-chain logistics, and youth/female entrepreneurship in hydroponics, shade-house farming, and agro-processing.
Reporter Jewel Greene-George has the full story on the deliberations in St. Lucia and CARICOM’s agricultural roadmap toward 2030.
