The Covid-19 crisis has exposed the vulnerabilities of the economies of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Saint Lucia and other small, tourism-dependent Caribbean countries. These economies typically must contend with a limited availability of arable land, small and often scattered populations, fragile natural environments, an energy import dependency, extreme vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters, as well as high rates of diet-related illnesses. In recent years, these countries have also experienced high levels of external and internal debt.
The grave situation for these small economies was further heightened with the recent eruption of La Soufrière volcano in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The eruption on April 9 at 8:41 in the morning released a column of ashfall that drifted towards the Atlantic Ocean. Since then, subsequent eruptions continued to aggravate the situation. Approximately 20,000 people in St. Vincent had to be evacuated and will not be able to return to their homes for at least three or four months. There has been a disruption in the drinking water supply to most of the island and the presence of smoke and ash has forced the closure of the airspace.
This disaster has multiple implications for St. Vincent, from an economic, health, social and safety perspective. The natural phenomenon is having a particularly detrimental effect on agriculture, as farmers in the affected zone had to be evacuated, abandoning their crops and leaving their animals unattended. The fall-off in agricultural production in the short-term will be severe.
Since the 1950s, the economy of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has been based on agriculture, primarily banana production. In recent times, tourism, industry and financial services have become important sectors of the economy.
Regular income generated by banana exports fueled the economic growth of the 80s and the start of the 90s. However, given that the crop is vulnerable to hurricanes, drought and pests, it has weathered serious challenges. Recently, the country has aimed for agricultural diversification and today St. Vincent exports a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to the United Kingdom and livestock to the Caribbean market. The fishing industry also generates significant income.
The eruption of the volcano will aggravate the situation of the tourism-dependent economies of the Eastern Caribbean, given that its effects have spread to Barbados, Saint Lucia and other neighboring islands. Agriculture in most of these countries has been negatively affected by the ash fall. This scenario foreshadows an even greater reduction in tourism and systemic daunting challenges for regional food security caused by and aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic respectively.
Caribbean countries are also extremely vulnerable to natural disasters. Hurricanes are common in the region – the passage of hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 and Dorian in 2019 are stark reminders of this. Consequently, it is important for countries to be prepared to face potential similar events in 2021. In the Caribbean, a single hurricane can wipe out a small island’s annual GDP, with the poor often taking the hardest blow. Preventive measures must be implemented to protect people’s lives and income.
Within the context of the volcano eruption, the pandemic and a looming hurricane season from June to November, there is an opportunity to reposition the agrifood sector of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The first step involves solidifying the strategic role of the Caribbean agriculture sector in guaranteeing food security, generating employment and addressing the high incidence of chronic non-communicable diseases.
The time has come to engage in joint, collaborative work based on the Regional Food and Nutrition Security Policy approved in 2010 and the Regional Food and Nutrition Security Action Plan 2012-2026, and in response to the call to create a Caribbean Food Plan and a Caribbean Food Security Development Fund. It is not by chance that, at the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Summit in February 2020, Barbados Prime Minister, Honorable Mia Amor Mottley, then chair of the regional organization, asserted that food security is a key issue for the region and invited the private sector to submit proposals aimed at reducing food imports by 25% by 2025.
Deepening regional integration by means of a single, common market and an economic union would be key pillars of economic reconstruction. Consequently, the Caribbean Food Plan must foster joint actions aimed at capitalizing on national comparative advantages such as land, water and markets, as well as drive strategic partnerships between governments and the private sector.
The actions that would allow for repositioning Caribbean agriculture include reducing dependence on extra-regional agrifood imports; strengthening linkages between the agrifood, tourism and health sectors; establishing public-private partnerships in local food production and processing; implementing climate-smart technologies; transitioning towards digital agriculture; building awareness among Caribbean societies of the importance of producing and consuming healthy food; and implementing the Regional Food and Nutrition Security Policy approved in 2010.
Implementing this agenda will require coordination among national, regional and international agencies. The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) stands ready to serve a bridge for cooperation and as a unifying force in this broad partnership, working side by side with national and international partners to lay the foundation for a “new” agriculture sector in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and by extension the Caribbean region as a whole.
IICA conveys its solidarity to the government and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and all Caribbean nations, reaffirming its commitment to align forces and working towards a more sustainable, diversified and resilient agriculture.
L.C.Matthew, great response. What we need now is to get This failed incompetent immature Skerrit out of our government ASAP. Skerrit is NOT at political level nor posses the required leadership skills to be Prime Minister and worse of to be in this prestigious position of our ailing Dominica. What we hear and see is Nonsensical ridiculous thoughts of “We love our PM Wi”. …and the obvious failure and incompetence of this On going Pappyshow fanfare Clownish 🤡 Labour Pappyshow government. We absolutely have no obvious Foreseeable future genuine plans to make that happen under this failed incompetent inmature failed Skerrit Labour Government, ably supported by his Immature oversized Labour government ministers while our people are jobless, unemployed and in need of Socioeconomic development concepts to elevate our people out of begging through Skerrit’s outrageous devious Insulting Red Bobolistic LABOUR Clinic.”Love our PM?
We need our visionary competent Hon Lennox Linton Team UWP…
Caricom Is a s..h…t
Too late shall be the cry! Well said and well espoused but nothing new here. Caribbean thinkers, academics, artistes have been articulating this view since the demise of Federation. However, no visionary leader and leadership have emerged in the Caribbean to bring us together. The Caribbean political leadership have failed the region!
That is the problem we have in Dominica.Our own people trying to bring down the country,because of jelousy,greed,lies and a high level of stupidity.Take the comments of LC Mathew and watchdog,pure BS.Dominica was wiped off the face of the map,we were given 20yrs to recover.Listening to these overeducated ….. one will believe Dominica is still off the the map.TRAITORS.
Lin, your favourite word seems to be TRAITOR. You challenged me re my contributions to Dominica. I mentioned a few and asked the same of you. No response. Would it be unreasonable of me to consider you a COWARD? It’s still not too late to say what you did even if it is a little bit you know 🤗🤭. Want to defend wrongdoing of others but can’t defend yourself 🙄🤔😡
HOTEP!
YOUR comments are full of greed, lies and ignorance. But these 3 are the hallmark of Skerrit supporters in general.
You are well late. If it is that what it takes to realize it displays the lack of vision we have in our leaders. The biggest threat to the region is the self serving leaders who go to CARICOM meeting for photo ups and BS. Policy there seems to be non binding because i do not remember the last time an action from CARICOM was implemented in parliament. People with vision see the need and do what needs to be done on behalf of the people. Dominica PM busy getting rich and seeking protection from China trying to make Dominica a one party state. I blame our people’s passive culture.
L.C.Matthew, great response. What we need now is to get This failed incompetent immature Skerrit out of our government ASAP. Skerrit is NOT at political level nor posses the required leadership skills to be Prime Minister and worse of to be in this prestigious position of our ailing Dominica. What we hear and see is Nonsensical ridiculous thoughts of “We love our PM Wi”. …and the obvious failure and incompetence of this On going Pappyshow fanfare Clownish 🤡 Labour Pappyshow government. We absolutely have no obvious Foreseeable future genuine plans to make that happen under this failed incompetent inmature failed Skerrit Labour Government, ably supported by his Immature oversized Labour government ministers while our people are jobless, unemployed and in need of Socioeconomic development concepts to elevate our people out of begging through Skerrit’s outrageous devious Insulting Red Bobolistic LABOUR Clinic.”Love our PM?
We need our visionary competent Hon Lennox Linton Team UWP…
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. The Caribbean ‘leaders’ should have engaged in strategic planning decades ago.
Most of the territories are endowed with fertile soil, adequate water, an abundance of sunlight and intelligent human resources. It’s shortsightedness, entrenched political polarization, avarice, indolence that have stymied our progress and pre-
vented us from realizing our optimal potential.
What we need more than ever are these: social cohesion (unity of purpose), equitable sharing of state resources, strategic planning, visionary and astute leadership, and virtues of honesty, empathy and love for one another.
Our greatest challenge is not these so-called disasters. It rests squarely at the feet of our leaders and ourselves. Insincerity and stupidity. We are only concerned when something disastrous occurs. Too reactive.
Why is it that Cuba, for example, despite the blockade of over 60 years, is still able to produce so many doctors and educators that it can send worldwide in times of need?? They made and stuck to it!! Let me say however, that I don’t support the regime there, but hate a dog and admit it’s teeth are white. The country can mobilize its population (10 million) within hours in the event of impending danger. The simple fact is that the government is THINKING about the interests of its citizens.
The others are thinking of THEMSELVES. We start preparations for the hurricane season after its commencement. Dominica has NINE volcanoes yet we have never had a simulation exercise. Probably we would be better if we too were “embargoed”.
HOTEP!
What defines us as a people and also determines our likelihood of success in any goal that we may set, is not what we do during times of Crises but what we do in times of No crisis, i.e; the Preparation Period. That is what builds resilience and sustainability.
The Eruptions and Hurricanes occur in a matter of hours or days, so we can’t simply get all chummy during these hard times and then each one return to his merry way after the storm.
My first thesis examined a critical criteria for Caribbean integration, the premise of this study was exploring Comparative advantage of each of the islands and having all others cater to develop and improve on this advantage which will serve all the islands well. Example Dominica is clearly Water and Food (Herbs, Spices etc.), Including Fish. Wellness Tourism, Adventure Tourism. Antigua, B’dos, SLU to certain extent, Sand, Sun, Sea etc. etc..
Our primary issue is protecting each “independence” vs. interdependence. Too many Big Heads…
This article is very instructive. If the Caribbean countries are to weather the natural, manmade and pending economic storms, the article has laid out a template in this regard.
The Caribbean is presently a place of heightened criminal activity, perennial indebtedness, escalating joblessness, rampant corruption, deepened insularity and stubborn poverty among other things.
To effect a paradigm change, firstly, and the single most important thing that has to be done, is to rid the region of all these dishonest, corrupt, narrow minded, visionless, uncaring, grossly incompetent, egotistical gluttons at the apex of government. That would certainly be a great start.
These Caribbean leaders are too stupid for their own good. After Dr. Eric Williams echoed his famous statement of “One from ten leaves naught.” In Jamaica, Bustamante played his role as well. Now we are here.
The Caribbean islands biggest vulnerability is corruption and mismanagement, some to lesser others to a greater extent. External and internal debt is huge and in particular in the case of Dominica, the island has nothing to show for it.