The Caribbean’s flagship agricultural industry gathering is gearing up to mark its 20th iteration this year, with an official hybrid launch ceremony scheduled to kick off Thursday, May 21, 2026, from Kingston, Jamaica — the selected host city for 2026’s series of regional agricultural events.
Organized under the framework of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) has established itself as the region’s premier gathering for agriculture-focused collaboration. The event consistently brings cross-sector stakeholders together to advance collective progress on Caribbean food systems and agricultural growth, through a packed schedule of collaborative sessions, industry exhibitions, and strategic dialogues.
This year’s full week of programming will run from September 27 to October 2, with organizers projecting attendance from hundreds of stakeholders across the Caribbean. Attendees will include small-scale and commercial farmers, youth agricultural groups, agri-business entrepreneurs, tech innovators, regional policymakers, international development partners, and other key industry representatives, all converging in Jamaica for the event.
The 2026 agenda includes a diverse range of activities designed to address pressing regional priorities: interactive seminars highlighting emerging best practices, technical showcases showcasing new agricultural tools and solutions, industry trade exhibitions connecting producers to buyers, statutory business meetings for leading regional agricultural bodies, and multiple high-level policy forums. A centerpiece of the week’s official business will be a special convening of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), CARICOM’s key decision-making body for trade and economic coordination.
Event organizers have unveiled 2026’s overarching theme: “The New FACE of Caribbean Food Systems.” The acronym was intentionally crafted to center four non-negotiable priority areas for the region’s agricultural sector: Food Security, Agri-Business development, Climate-Smart Technologies adoption, and Export Expansion for Caribbean agricultural producers.
A diverse lineup of senior regional and international officials is confirmed to take part in next week’s launch ceremony, with featured speakers representing leading Caribbean and global agricultural institutions. Notable confirmed speakers include Floyd Green, Jamaica’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining; Zulfikar Mustapha, Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture and Chair of the Special Ministerial Task Force on Food Security and Food Production; and Carla Barnett, Secretary-General of CARICOM.
Additional participating speakers include Muhammad Ibrahim, Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture; Rene Orellana Halkyer, representing the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; Patrick Antoine, head of the CARICOM Private Sector Organisation; and David Prendergast of the CARICOM Secretariat.