Canadian HC urges more youth involvement in agro-industries

Canada’s High Commissioner to Jamaica Emma Tudakovic has noted an urgent need for action to address the ongoing devastating impact of climate change in Jamaica, especially in coastal communities, and has stressed the importance of youth involvement in the search for solutions to challenges which the agriculture and fisheries sectors face.

Tudakovic was speaking during Thursday’s launch of the ‘Strengthening the Adaptive Capacity of Young Farmers and Fisherfolk in Jamaica’ at the Denbigh 4-H Training and Production Centre in May Pen, Clarendon.

The pilot project targets young male and female farmers in select communities across the parishes of Clarendon, Manchester, St Elizabeth, Westmoreland and St Thomas for training in financial literacy, while providing inputs to start or strengthen farming, fisheries or agro-processing enterprises. The pilot will run for six months.

It is being funded by Global Affairs Canada and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom.

Tudakovic said the project, which is being duplicated in the Caribbean states of Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname, is consistent with Canada’s development efforts which place emphasis on gender equality and the empowerment of woman and girls, as well as other vulnerable groups.

“Gender equality is the most effective way to reduce poverty and to build a more inclusive, peaceful and prosperous world. Governments must continue to prioritise sectors where the most vulnerable remain in the forefront,” she urged.

The urgency of the need for action is being manifested in fishing communities in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, which are experiencing rapid negative changes in their coastal ecosystems that underpin livelihood, according to the high commissioner.

“In Jamaica, these changes are partially reflected in the collapse of the local capture fishery which has exacerbated ecological, social and food security challenges. We all know that climate change matters, we all know we are not heading in a great direction either. So things that keep me up at night, climate change is one of them, food security is one of them,” she admitted.

“It is our hope that with this support, more young persons will become involved in these important industries and the project will provide a supportive framework for ongoing development of the fisheries sector. It is incredibly important that youth be engaged in developing solutions for the challenges faced by the agriculture sector and the need for climate-smart agriculture.”

Declaring that the pandemic had underscored how interconnected developed and developing countries are, she questioned the educational value of that experience.

“Did we learn our lesson? I hope so. I know that some of the people here did; certainly we did. It is incredibly important for us to continue to invest in our ability to prepare to respond and recover. No one else is gonna do it, unless we do it together.”

Meanwhile, head of the political and development team at the British High Commission, Oliver Blake, noted that he had been involved in a lot of talk about climate change in international fora, but this needed to translate into positive, concrete action for those who are most affected, given that they have few practical options.

“A lot of things are talked about in these big meetings, but it very important that we make sure that all these fine words actually mean something for people on the ground, who are on the frontline of climate change, such as farmers and fishers. Some people around the world have the resources to adapt easily or to move their families or businesses elsewhere; but on small islands, in farming and fishing communities, that is not so easy.

“We know that small island developing states didn’t contribute to climate change, but are among the first to suffer its effects; and the people who suffer its effects most, and immediately, are people in poorer communities.”

The high commission, he said, has in fact been working with Jamaica, through the Ministry of Finance, on improving the country’s resilience in terms of its finances and infrastructure, and the impact of climate change.

“But all that must translate to the impact in supporting people on the ground,” Blake reiterated.