AGRI-Invest Country Profiles

Agri Investment Forum & Expo, 2022

WHY INVEST IN VISION 25 BY 2025?

The “25 by 2025 Initiative” of CARICOM is aimed at reducing the extra-regional agri- food import bill by 25% by the year 2025. Additionally, the initiative addresses cross- cutting issues, such as, barriers to trade, financing, developing insurance, market facilitation and transportation, all of which are necessary to ensure a favourable investment climate in the region. “We hope that the private sector will also come to the table ready tomake the decisions for investments that will allow us to achieve this target of 25 by 25.” - Her Excellency, Mia Amor Mottley, Barbados Prime Minister To achieve ‘Vision 25 by 2025’ , member states have been working to create an environment for large private sector investments in cross-border production and trade in key commodities. It is against this background that the premier Agri-Investment Forum and Expo was conceptualized. Being the first expo of its kind, the Agri- Investment Forum and Expo will be hosted in Georgetown, Guyana from May 19 to 21, and will also provide a platform for the promotion of agriculture opportunities in the region, as

well as engagements, and informed dialogue among key stakeholders along the agri-food valuechainsuchaspolicymakers,development partners, foreign and local private sector bodies, investors, farmers and distributors on how to achieve the goal of reducing food imports and foster accelerated and targeted investment in food and agriculture. This catalogue was compiled to provide potential investors with clear and concise information on the agriculture sector and investment opportunity climate for each CARICOM Member State. Investing in CARICOM’s agriculture sector is investing in the food and nutrition security of the region. A recent survey conducted by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United NationsWorld Food Programme (WFP) indicated that an estimated 2.8 million people or nearly 40 per cent of the population in the English-speaking Caribbean is food insecure. “25 by 2025 is not a dream. It is not an objective. But is a reality. That has been reinforced …by the urgency of the situation driven by our own actions or own inactions, but also driven by global challenges.” - His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana and Lead for Agriculture in CARICOM.

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