The Caribbean region is at a critical junction where it must endeavour to undertake crucial steps towards realising access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food for all regional citizens all year round. Over the years progress toward this end has been slow. According to the Caribbean Food Security & Livelihoods Survey, approximately 43% (i.e. 3 million out of 7.1 million people) of the English and Dutch Speaking Caribbean are food insecure as of April 2024. While this is an improvement representing a 17% reduction over May 2023 figures it still is a crucial area of concern as this represents a 78% increase when compared to figures at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Food security concerns for CARIFORUM Member States emanate, inter alia, from high levels of poverty, and an underperforming agri-food system. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB/the Bank) and FAO in 2019 identified the main reasons for the underperformance of the agrifood sector in the Caribbean as:

1. low productivity/productivity growth – reflected in low/stagnant yield development
2. weak market linkages – inability to supply quality products on a consistent basis for the Region to take advantage of opportunities for intra-regional trade
3. in agricultural products high vulnerability to natural hazards and climate change.

In a response to these challenges the European Union (EU) has mobilised EUR 7 million to strengthen the food security systems across the Caribbean region. This contribution is part of a wider envelope of EUR 600 million to develop sustainable and resilient food systems across the ACP Countries. The Caribbean Development Bank in partnering with the EU has contributed USD 3 million (approximately EUR2.84 million) towards this initiative and jointly tailored the following call to action.