Regional Briefing on Enhancing regional trade and adding value to Caribbean agrifood products

The CTA, in collaboration with the IICA , is organising a Regional Caribbean Briefing from 16 – 18 of November in Grenada. The Briefing, in the format of an Agribusiness Forum, will consider “Enhancing regional trade and adding value to Caribbean agrifood products“

Building upon previous work of IICA and CTA and developing recommendations made at the agritourism  investment seminar held at the Caribbean Week of Agriculture in October 2013 in Guyana, the Agribusiness Forum will highlight successes in strengthening links between agriculture and tourism industries.

Objectives:

• Analyse the drivers of success through analysing some successful business models
• Identify further opportunities for linking small-scale farmers to the tourism industry in the Caribbean and increase market linkages
• Generate ideas for a regional project on sustainable sourcing by the tourism industry / supermarkets from small-scale farmers.

The two day meeting will analyse and discuss a few selected successes in linking agriculture and tourism industry for improved market access and regional trade. The key players these successes will be invited. The drivers of success and their replicability will be analysed.

You can follow the Caribbean Agribusiness Forum live on Monday 17 November 2014 at 2pm CET or 9am Eastern Caribbean Time with the following webstream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENb46oEBlqE

Monday 17th November 2014

Chair: Shadel Nyack Compton, Managing Director, Belmont Estate

Opening remarks
- Ena Harvey, IICA Representative in Barbados & Management Coordinator for Caribbean region;
- Chris Addison, Senior Coordinator, Knowledge Management, CTA;
- Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Tourism

 Introductory Session : Adding value to Caribbean agrifood products
- Ena Harvey, Representative in Barbados & Management Coordinator for Caribbean region IICA;
- Juan Cheaz, Senior Programme Co-ordinator Agricultural Policy & Value Chains

Session 1: Opportunities for Caribbean farmers in processed foods for tourism-related markets
Moderator: Jethro Greene, CAFAN
Panelists:
- The Caribbean as a food tourism destination
Gail Henry, Sustainable Tourism product Specialist, Caribbean Tourism Organisation
- Challenges and opportunities in the agribusiness sector in the region
Vassel Stewart, President, Caribbean AgriBusiness Association (CABA)
- Opportunities in agri-processed foods for the region
Samuel Kruiner, Special Advisor on Export Development, Caribbean Export Development Agency
- Transport, warehousing and pricing
Beverly Johnson, JLB International Ltd, Jamaica and United Kingdom
- Challenges and opportunities from the supplying industry
Donald Keith Amiel, Corporate Affairs Manager, Caribbean Broilers (Ja.) Ltd, Sylburn Thomas Regional Export and Marketing Manager, Jamaica
- Developing market opportunities for Jamaican products and promoting trade shows |
Berletta Henlon Forrester, Manager, Market Development, Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO)
- Agribusiness and agritourism: support from UNIDO
Dessima Williams, Senior advisor, UNIDO

Session 2: Linking agriculture and tourism: Learning from successes

Case 1: Antigua and Barbuda: TFPC-CaFAN Bridging the Gap Project

Panelists:
- Acres Stowe, Private Sector Marketing
- Caudley Ge‎orge, Agro-tourism Officer, Ministry of Tourism
- Damion Barrette, Purchasing and Warehouse Officer at Galley Bay Resort & Spa
- Pamella Thomas, Farmer, Director and Agriculture Coordinator, CaFAN
- Richie Richards, Youth Farmer

Moderator: Vassel Stewart, CABA

 Case 2: Belmont Estate, Grenada: From a plantation to an agritourism business

Panelists:
- Shadel Nyack Compton, Managing Director, Belmont Estate
- Magarita McDonald, Grenada Chocolate Company
- Christine Curry, Dairy Goat producers

Case 3: Sandals Foundation, Jamaica

Panelists:
- Sydney Henry, Projects Manager Sandals Foundation
- Xavier Charvis Marketing Extension Officer (Westmoreland) Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA)
- Mikhail Josephs, Procurement manager, Sandals La Source

Case 4: De La Grenade, Grenada: Linking agro-food products to tourism markets

Panelists:
- Monique Noel , Manager, De La Grenade Industries, Grenada-Agro processor
- Airline Caterer – Managing Director Goddards Catering, Joe Simon
- Farmer- Fanilla Benjamin supplier of Nutmeg pods to De La Grenade Industries
- Hotelier – Barry Collymore, Marketing Director, Mt. Cinnamon Resort

 Feedback from the field visit
This session will allow participants to give feedback on the field trips and interact with the owners and managers of the business visited.

Shadel Nyack Compton, Managing Director, Belmont Estate
Monique Noel , Manager, De La Grenade Industries, Grenada
Simon Greene, General Manager, Public Relations & Communications

Top Chef’s Dinner : From farm to table
Chef Dane Saddler, Chef Dennis McIntosh and Chef Shereen Holas will prepare a fabulous dinner at Sail restaurant in St. Georges.
Chefs are a critical actors in the agrifood chain. Succeeding in upgrading farmers supply chains to larger hotels and resorts and increasing demand for local products will be done largely through support from chefs who can creatively utilize local food in the top restaurants and hotels in the region and promote traditional cuisine.