Straughn – Barbados continues to create economic opportunities for vulnerable

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic Government introduced initiatives to help improve and transform the agricultural sector in Barbados and to make it more inclusive.

Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Affairs and Investment Ryan Straughn made the point today while speaking on a panel discussing Human Security Approach, Policy and Small Women Farmers in the Eastern Caribbean and hosted by the UNDP and UN Women.

Straughn said all of this was possible due to the implementation of the Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) Programme in 2018.

“It is critically important to recognize that as most of our societies, certainly Barbados is no different in the Caribbean context, most of our households are headed by women and therefore, opportunities to ensure that whether it is training, access to financing as well as being able to have access to land and water, we’ve gone about in a very deliberate manner to ensure that vulnerable groups, clearly identified, can have the opportunity to be able to become more resilient; and given the significant investment that is required, certainly not just within agriculture but across the base of the economy, that we are able under the BERT to deliver that,” Straughn said.

“Naturally, COVID has had a significant impact over the past two years but that has not stopped us from responding very deliberately with respect to enhanced social protection given the significant displacement of labour, of which a portion would have been in females and women in the economy. Therefore, the Government responded immediately to ensure that we can enhance as far as possible with respect to making provisions for social protection.

“It was already a part of the BERT programme which is supported by the IMF…and as we move into a post-COVID environment we intend to continue to support the efforts we have already started within agriculture, to accelerate with the introduction of new legislation, new infrastructure supported by the Barbados Industrial Development Corporation (BIDC) to be able to put the agriculture sector as well as women and young people to help to drive the export potential for Barbados as well as any of the agribusinesses that exists on the island and to be able to collaborate cross border…” (RB)