Against a backdrop of growing regional economic vulnerability from heavy reliance on costly foreign food imports, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission and the Government of Grenada have issued a urgent collective call to channel greater investment into youth and women within the agricultural sector, a move designed to strengthen local food sovereignty and cut the region’s massive dependence on imported goods.
This call was formally launched during the second iteration of the Youth and Women in Agriculture Symposium, which convened from September 1 to 3, 2026, at the Radisson Grenada Beach Resort located in St George’s, the capital of Grenada. Over 150 stakeholders from across OECS member states participated in the three-day gathering, including young farmers, female agricultural workers, and producers living with disabilities. Unlike previous policy-focused dialogues, this year’s event centered on translating discussions into tangible, actionable commitments for cross-regional agricultural development and streamlined intra-regional trade.
Held under the thematic banner “Youth and Women Driving Agricultural Transformation: Sowing Resilience, Reaping Prosperity,” the symposium opened with a frank assessment of deep-rooted structural challenges weakening the Caribbean’s food systems. The urgency of the gathering was underscored by the region’s existing economic reality: Eastern Caribbean nations currently spend an estimated US$658 million on food imports every year, a drain on foreign currency that has left communities exposed to global market volatility and supply chain disruptions. Attendees uniformly emphasized that scaling up local agricultural output has become a non-negotiable priority for advancing both regional resilience and national sovereignty.
In his keynote address to delegates, Lennox J. Andrews, Grenada’s Minister for Economic Development, Planning, Cooperatives, Agriculture, Lands and Forestry, the Blue Economy and Marine Affairs, pushed for a fundamental shift in how agriculture is perceived across the region. “Agriculture must no longer be viewed as an option of last resort for those who cannot find other work,” Andrews noted, pointing to a wave of emerging opportunities across the sector that have yet to be fully tapped. These include modern agribusiness models, climate-smart protected agriculture, precision farming technologies such as drones, artificial intelligence applications for crop management, and digital marketing strategies that allow smallholder producers to reach global niche markets. He also highlighted two ongoing national initiatives designed to break down barriers for young farmers: the Youth Enterprise in Agriculture pilot project, developed in partnership with the CARICOM Development Fund, and the national Land Bank Project, which leases publicly held agricultural land to young and new entrants to the sector.
OECS Director General Dr. Didacus Jules echoed Andrews’ call to action, noting that recent global shocks have laid bare the urgent need for systemic change. Recurring global supply chain disruptions, spiking international shipping costs, and growing frequency of climate-driven extreme weather events — including the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Ivan and Beryl across the region — have made agricultural resilience a matter of national and regional security. Jules argued that incremental change will not be enough, calling for structural policy action on longstanding barriers including insecure land tenure, limited access to affordable credit, and fragmented regional markets. He emphasized that the region must move beyond token inclusion of youth and women in agricultural dialogues, and center these groups in decision-making and resourcing.
The European Union, a key development partner for the region, reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to supporting the transformation of Eastern Caribbean agriculture. Chiara Tardivo, a representative of the EU delegation to the region, stated the bloc remains committed to advancing climate-resilient agricultural development and placing youth and women at the core of the sector’s transition. Delegates also acknowledged the EU’s critical financial support through the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) RIGHT programme, which has funded the majority of the OECS’s ongoing agricultural development initiatives.
Grenada’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Forestry, Natalie Williams, highlighted a demographic reality that makes investment in youth and women unavoidable: the region’s current farming population is rapidly aging, and new entrants are needed to replace retiring producers and maintain productive output. “Women and young people are not just stakeholders to include — they are the only solution to securing the future of our agricultural sector,” Williams noted.
The symposium concluded with agreement on four clear, actionable priorities that will guide regional action over the coming years. First, delegates committed to establishing a formal, permanent OECS Agriculture Forum for Youth and Women to sustain ongoing dialogue and advocacy. Second, participants agreed to develop a co-managed information portal between OECS and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) that will centralize access to information on available land markets, agricultural grant opportunities, and technical guidance for smallholders. Third, the gathering secured commitments from regional governments to make crown lands available to new producers through transparent, long-term lease arrangements that can be recognized as collateral by commercial lending institutions, addressing one of the most common barriers to credit for new farmers. Finally, delegates committed to redesigning agricultural training programs, financing products, and technology access schemes to ensure full inclusion of producers living with disabilities, who have historically been excluded from many agricultural development initiatives.