CARICOM Secretariat Competitiveness of agro-industrial value chain 3 rd LAC Expert Group Meeting

1. CARICOM Secretariat Competitiveness of agro-industrial value chain 3rd LAC Expert Group Meeting San Jose, Costa Rica Sergio Garcia

2. The Caribbean Community • The Treaty establishing the Caribbean Community, at Chaguaramas, Trinidad was signed on 4th July 1973. • In 1989, the Heads of Government made the decision to transform the Common Market into a single market and economy. • The Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas Establishing the Caribbean Community, including the CARICOM Single Market and Economy was finalized in 2000.

3. The Caribbean Community • CARICOM MEMBER STATES:  Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat , Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, • CARICOM ASSOCIATE MEMBERS: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands

4. AGRICULTURE • Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry Treaty of Chaguaramas • Objective: The fundamental transformation of the agricultural sector towards market-oriented, internationally competitive and environmentally sound production of agricultural products;

5. Governance Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) - Ministerial level Agencies: CARDI – Agric Research CCCCC – Climate Change CROSQ – Standards and Quality CAHFSA – SPS CRFM

6. POLICY FRAMEWORK • Community Agricultural Policy • Regional Food and Nutrition Security Policy • Draft Community Industrial Policy • Common Fisheries Policy CONTEXT – Common Single Market and Economy Production Integration Cross border investments

7. Institutional Arrangements CARICOM - Policy advocacy and fund raising for regional initiatives • Guidance and monitoring of Policy implementation in the Member States • Coordination of CARICOM institutions (CARDI, CAHFSA, CFNI, CFRM, CDEMA, CROSQ,) • Liaison with key associated institutions (UWI, UG, OECS) • Liaison with key private sector stakeholders (CABA, CAFAN) • Information exchange and monitoring

8. Value chain Networking and Coordination Current efforts: • FAO – onion, root crops, hot peppers, pineapples • CDE – sweet potatoes • IICA - • Member States

9. Priority Themes 1. Credit - affordable 2. Capacity building and Institutional strenghtening along the value chain 3. Trade policies and international trade agreements for agriculture 4. Private food chain standards (HACCP, Global Gap) 5. Market information

10. sgarcia@caricom.org www.caricom.org Thank you!