Government has signed a Letter of Understanding (LoU) with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), aimed at improving the region’s food security and nutrition by 2030.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kerrie Symmonds, signed the LoU on behalf of the Government, while Caribbean Country Director, Brian Bogart, signed on behalf of the WFP.
In February 2022, the WFP approved the Caribbean Multi-Country Strategic Plan for 2022-2026 (MCSP 2022-2026). This US$69.5 million financial envelope is targeted at improving the region’s food security and nutrition by 2030.
It correlates directly to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. Two – Zero Hunger, reinforces SDG 17 on Partnerships, and will positively impact SDGs one, five, 10, and 13.
Following the signing today at the Ministry’s Culloden Road, St. Michael location, Minister Symmonds noted that the assistance provided would help Barbados, and by extension the Caribbean region, in its efforts towards CARICOM’s 25 by 2025 initiative, which seeks to reduce the region’s rising food import bill, improve intra-regional trade, and create wealth and economic opportunities for the members of the Caribbean Community.
“We can do a lot in terms of making sure we have appropriate balance and payments if we can substitute and move away from the reliance on imports that allows us to build out a stronger regional capacity, which is really the effort being driven under the 25 by 2025 initiative…. I think it is the most wonderful and generous contribution to our effort that we can now get US$69.5 million towards this region’s effort in that direction….
“So again, partnership with the World Food Programme, in terms of security and sustainability, is really fundamental to our developmental effort. So, I just wanted to say thank you,” Minister Symmonds stated.
Mr. Bogart noted that through MCSP 2022-2026, the WFP will continue to leverage its expertise and experience to provide technical assistance and capacity strengthening to national governments and regional institutions, to strengthen the resilience of national and regional food systems to ensure food and nutrition security; predict, assess, plan, and finance the impact of shocks with a focus on end-to-end supply chain management and emergency telecommunications.
In addition, through the MCSP 2022-2026, the WFP will assist the region to better respond to shocks through existing social protection systems and programmes, and contribute to climate change adaptation and risk financing mechanisms, particularly through links to social protection.
