Local officials have taken another step toward transforming its agricultural sector with the arrival of a high-level delegation from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE), as the government moves to modernize farming, strengthen climate resilience, and improve national food security.
The mission brings together regional and local stakeholders to align technical expertise with the government’s Green Revolution agenda, a 10-pillar strategy designed to position agriculture as a key driver of economic growth and national development.
Minister for Agriculture Lisa Jawahir welcomed the delegation, describing its visit as a strong endorsement of the government’s vision for the sector.
“Your presence here today really sends a powerful message that agriculture is no longer viewed simply as a traditional sector, but as a strategic pillar of national development, economic resilience, and regional prosperity,” Jawahir said.
She stressed that the success of the Green Revolution will depend not only on government policies, but also on collaboration among institutions, experts and development partners.
“Ladies and gentlemen, there is a saying that leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about bringing together the right people to build them. And this mission is exactly that.”
The minister outlined the government’s long-term vision for agriculture, describing it as both ambitious and attainable.
“Our government has articulated an ambitious but achievable vision through the Green Revolution, which is our 10-pillar blueprint for transforming agriculture into a modern, climate-resilient, technology-driven, and investment-ready sector,” she said. “Investment-ready, keep that in the back of your mind.”
Jawahir explained that the strategy encompasses a wide range of priorities aimed at creating a more productive and sustainable agricultural industry.
“This vision, of course, is built on innovation, climate resilience, fisheries modernization, crop expansion, livestock development, youth and women empowerment, food production, and ultimately reducing our dependence on imported food.”
Referring to the country’s substantial food import bill, she added, “564 million, I hear that number every single day.”
However, the minister cautioned that policy alone would not be sufficient to deliver meaningful transformation.
“But our policies alone will not transform our nation. Institutions will do that, people will do that, and partnerships will do that. And that is why this mission is so important.”
Gregg Rawlins, IICA Representative for the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), said the joint mission with the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) comes at a crucial time and is intended to ensure that technical assistance is fully aligned with the government’s priorities.
“These areas include institutional strengthening, climate resilience and sustainability, crop expansion through innovation and technology, and human resource development and training,” Rawlins said.
He noted that the delegation’s work will focus on supporting the objectives outlined in the Green Revolution programme.
“For us in the IICA delegation in Saint Lucia, this mission by IICA and CATIE is extremely timely and provides an excellent opportunity for us to revisit our technical cooperation agenda to ensure that our actions are closely aligned with the priorities established by the minister and the ministry within the Green Revolution pillars.”
According to Rawlins, this coordinated approach will strengthen the relationship between the organizations and the Ministry of Agriculture while delivering greater benefits to the sector.
“This alignment will ensure that our work is well integrated with that of the ministry and contributes to improved cooperation, enhanced collaboration and achieves greater impact on the performance of the agriculture sector.”
The mission marks another milestone in Saint Lucia’s efforts to modernize agriculture through innovation, strategic partnerships and climate-smart practices, while reducing the country’s reliance on imported food and creating new opportunities for farmers, women and young people.