Grenada’s agricultural sector has entered a new era of institutional collaboration with the inauguration of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture’s (IICA) shared office space with the Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management (PISLM). The ceremony, attended by senior government officials and regional representatives, marks a significant advancement in Caribbean agricultural cooperation.
Minister of Agriculture, Lands and Forestry Honorable Lennox Andrews emphasized the strategic importance of physical presence for international partners during his address. “When our partners are here, accessible and integrated, collaboration becomes easier, coordination improves, and implementation is accelerated,” Andrews stated. The minister explicitly rejected viewing international organizations as external actors, instead characterizing them as “integral partners in achieving our national agricultural objectives.”
The minister articulated a vision of regional self-reliance, noting that while international partnerships remain valuable, Caribbean nations must increasingly “look within – to our own institutions, our own technical capacity, and our own regional networks – to craft solutions that are suited to our realities.” This approach comes at a time when geopolitical pressures make regional strategies increasingly necessary.
Three concrete projects demonstrate the practical implementation of this partnership:
The Water Resource Management and Improved Irrigation initiative, developed with Global Water Partnership-Caribbean, will provide water access to 25 farmers managing 75 acres in La Poterie through dam construction and four miles of pipeline infrastructure.
A Seamoss Drying Facility and Packaging House in La Calome, primarily funded by the Food and Agriculture Organization, will establish three drying structures and include grinding equipment for powdered seamoss production.
A planned Memorandum of Understanding between IICA Grenada, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Rural Development Unit aims to strengthen organizational and technical capabilities within the apiculture sector through the Grenada Association of Beekeepers.
Gregg Rawlins, IICA’s Eastern Caribbean States representative, characterized the office opening as “a new chapter in the story of IICA in Grenada” that builds upon 45 years of service to the agricultural sector. The organization’s technical cooperation has consistently focused on enhancing agricultural resilience, competitiveness, and sustainability through strategic institutional partnerships.
Technical Specialist Gregory Delsol detailed IICA’s comprehensive approach, encompassing capacity building, value chain strengthening, and initiatives in agricultural health and food safety. These include African Swine Fever preparedness programs, EU-funded SPS projects, support for MSME trade readiness, territorial development programs, family farming initiatives, and research in white potato cultivation.
The new facility at #594 Concordia House, Archibald Avenue, St. George’s also serves as PISLM headquarters, reinforcing institutional commitment to environmental sustainability and climate resilience across the Caribbean region.
Dr. Ronen Francis, PISLM Executive Director, framed the inauguration as representing “institutional maturity, political confidence and a decisive step forward for Caribbean cooperation on land, soil and climate resilience,” signaling a transformative moment in regional agricultural development.