The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has unveiled an ambitious educational initiative designed to transform agricultural practices across member states. A comprehensive three-level Crop Protection training program will launch on January 26, marking a significant step toward enhancing food security and sustainable farming methods throughout the region.
Developed through a strategic partnership between the CARICOM Secretariat, the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), and COLEAD—a non-profit organization dedicated to sustainable agriculture—this six-week online course offers self-directed learning for agricultural professionals. The program specifically targets farm supervisors, horticulturists, production managers, crop protection specialists, and packhouse supervisors seeking to advance their expertise.
The curriculum follows a progressive structure that begins with fundamental crop protection concepts, introducing participants to essential plant pest and disease identification alongside chemical control methods. Intermediate modules delve deeper into pest organism behavior, disease epidemiology, weed competition dynamics, and herbicide resistance management, with practical applications for both field and post-harvest scenarios. The advanced tier focuses on sophisticated integrated pest management (IPM) techniques, including observational methods, intervention threshold establishment, and case study-based solution development.
This initiative directly supports CARICOM’s Vision 25 x 2025 + 5 strategy, which aims to reduce the region’s food import expenditures by 25% through enhanced local agricultural production, improved trade mechanisms, and climate-resilient farming practices. The program represents a critical capacity-building component within broader infrastructure investments targeting transportation and storage systems.
Agricultural stakeholders throughout the food production and processing sectors are encouraged to enroll in this transformative educational opportunity, which promises to elevate pest management standards while promoting environmental sustainability and economic development across the Caribbean region.