In a historical moment for agriculture in the OECS, youth and women in agriculture not only participated but actively influenced key policy decisions in the Second Special Meeting of the OECS Council of Ministers for Agriculture.
This historic meeting was held at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) Headquarters in San José, Costa Rica.
The young farmers and women in agriculture outlined some critical challenges and presented solutions aimed at ensuring long-term success for youth and women in the industry.
Some key points raised were:
- Limited access to finance
- Restricted land access
- Inadequate infrastructure and facilities
- High costs for livestock farming
- inconsistent feed availability
- climate-related difficulties
- Difficulty in accessing essential equipment
Proposed Solutions & Initiatives:
- Establishing mentorship programs to connect youth with experienced
- farmers and agri-business leaders.
- Incorporating agriculture education into primary schools and offering summer programs.
- Promoting agro-processing facilities, subsidised transport, and infrastructure improvements.
- Supporting youth access to low-interest loans and grant programs for agribusiness development.
- Encouraging government collaboration with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to improve sector support.
The Costa Rica Study Tour has impelled emerging youth and women in agriculture to become active decision-makers through collaboration with ministers on issues that affect the sector in the OECS.
