Regional Farmers met at the Royal St. Kitts Hotel in St. Kitts and Nevis to dialogue and share best practices in support of a grass roots approach to climate change mitigation and adaptation in the Farming community across the Caribbean Region. The main objectives of this workshop were to discuss challenges, best practices, explore opportunities and networking for a farmers driven agenda to address climate change in the agricultural sector.
The aim of the workshop was to sensitize farmers across the Caribbean Region of the Farmers Driven Climate Change Agenda. The Farmers Driven Climate Change Agenda (The Climakers) is an initiative of the World Farmers Organisation (WFO) “to enhance the position of the farmers in the global political discussion on climate change”.
The Climakers Workshop was supported by Hon. Eugene Hamilton, Minister of Agriculture, Health, National Health Insurance, Human Settlement, Gender Affairs, Social Services, Cooperatives and Lands for St. Kitts and Nevis, Mr. Dave Velde, Vice President of the World Farmers Organisation (WFO), Mr. Alex L. J. Shyy, Deputy Secretary General for the International Cooperation and Development Fund (Taiwan ICDF).
The workshop was organized by the Agricultural Alliance of the Caribbean (AACARI), with funding from Taiwan (ICDF). The workshop was chaired by Mr. Solomon Morton, Regional Director and Coordinator of the St. Kitts Chapter of AACARI.
The following International Organizations made presentations on opportunities and services offered to farmers: WFO, ICDF, Taiwan National University, PROCASUR, a Chilean based International Organization, and Cambio Climatico, Agricultura y Seguridad Alimentaria (CCAFS).
The representation from across the Caribbean Region consisted of Farmers and Agricultural Extension from the following islands: Belize, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Jamaica and St. Kitts Nevis.
Topics discussed include water resource management, soil conservation, relevant technology transfer, appropriate policies for agriculture improvement, risk management and networking amongst the Caribbean Region.
The farmers expressed appreciation to the sponsors and partners, for the opportunity to participate in this relevant and timely dialogue. Participants committed to bringing awareness in their respective countries and agencies on The Climakers – Farmers Driven Climate Change Agenda.