Lisa Jawahir has officially assumed office as Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Climate Change, and wasted no time getting to work.
Briefing the public on the discussions held during her first few days, the newly appointed minister moved straight from the swearing-in ceremony into a meeting with senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, setting the tone for an active and hands-on start.
Speaking after the meeting, Minister Jawahir described her initial engagement with the ministry as both insightful and encouraging, as she familiarised herself with the scope of her portfolio.
“It has certainly been very interesting orienting into the ministry and understanding the various departments, their roles, where they have been able to achieve their goals, the challenges they have, where I come in to help streamline a lot of the departments and to address some of their challenges,” she said.
Jawahir emphasized that a central priority of her tenure will be strengthening national food security while embracing innovation within the agricultural sector.
“Really to share the vision of the government as it relates to strengthening our systems for food security in addition to introducing innovation or innovative techniques in agriculture,” she stated. “When I speak of introducing, I know that technology has been a serious part of agriculture over the last few years, however getting a bit more serious in it.”
The minister said she was encouraged by what she has seen so far, noting that much of the groundwork has already been laid by the ministry.
“What I am comforted in learning is that a good foundation has been set. And right now it’s for us to take things to the next level,” Jawahir explained.
She also addressed her appointment, pointing to alignment between her approach and the Prime Minister’s broader vision for the sector.
“We can all try to understand the Prime Minister’s wisdom in placing me in this ministry. I understand it, he understands it, in terms of my approach to things, his mandate, what he would like to see and how he wants these things actioned,” she said.
Looking ahead, Jawahir outlined an ambitious schedule of stakeholder engagement early in the new year, underscoring her commitment to inclusive decision-making.
“Very early in the new year, we are going to be on the ground,” she said. “When I say on the ground, I am meeting with stakeholders from across our departments, January, February, maybe even into March, to meet with our stakeholders, our groups, our farmers, our fishers, allowing them to have a feel of their minister, their new minister.”
She stressed that these consultations will be as much about listening as leading. “More importantly, learning from them what their challenges are and what their intentions are in terms of supporting the sector,” Jawahir added.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Bradley St Ange, welcomed the new minister and expressed confidence in her leadership.
“The Ministry of Agriculture will continue to accelerate its food security efforts as well as modernize the agriculture sector,” St Ange said. “We are very optimistic that Minister Jawahir will excel in her new role as Minister of Agriculture, and we are also confident that she will be very instrumental in helping us achieve our mandate.”
With an early focus on food security, innovation, and stakeholder engagement, Minister Jawahir’s first day signals an energetic start to what is expected to be a pivotal period for agriculture, fisheries, and climate resilience in Saint Lucia.