Barbados joins CARICOM call to Trump to safeguard IICA farm aid

Barbados has joined a coalition of business, political, diplomatic, academic and social leaders from across the Americas appealing to the Donald Trump administration not to withdraw vital funding from the hemisphere’s key agricultural agency, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), warning such a move could undermine food security for millions.

In a letter recently signed by Barbados and leaders from 11 other IICA member nations, they highlighted the efforts undertaken by IICA to drive agricultural production and trade, support farmers, and guarantee food security in the region.

The leaders were prompted to write to Washington, fearing that decades of technical assistance in Barbados and the rest of the Caribbean and Latin America could fall victim to Trump’s sweeping funding cuts to international organisations such as IICA.

The Trump administration has made clear its disdain for the multilateral system as it reviews US participation.

Washington has already pulled out of, or dramatically cut funding for, several bodies pursuing what it deems undesirable agendas.

Barbadian Dr Chelston Brathwaite, Director General Emeritus of IICA, who was among the signatories supporting the call for continued American funding, highlighted the agency’s contribution to the development of Barbados.

“IICA has been, over the years, a very important part in the development of agriculture in Barbados,” Dr Brathwaite told Barbados TODAY. “We hope that the institutions and the countries collaborate with us, and continue to support our efforts. After all, given the reality that has been expressed by the Heads of Government that we need to reduce our food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025, which has now been extended to 2030, institutions like IICA that provide technical support to these efforts become vitally important.”

He added: “We would hope that the geopolitical environment does not disrupt the progress and the work that this institution provides throughout the hemisphere. And that is one of the reasons why we as professionals decided to write this letter… to support this letter, which seeks to bring to the political directorate of the hemisphere the importance of continuing to support the institution that has 80 years of continued technical support for the countries of the region.

“This letter will be submitted to the various governments, but I must admit to you that its primary focus is the countries of the north, who are clearly sending a signal of questioning the relevance of the multilateral cooperation system. And therefore, we hope that in the process of review that they would see IICA as a very important pillar of agricultural development, and continue to support it.”  

The letter underscores the importance and achievements of IICA’s actions. It also recounts the institute’s history promoting scientific and technological advancements since its creation in 1942 at the Inter-American Conference of Agriculture in the American state of Maryland, held to discuss the repercussions of the Second World War on trade and production.

It goes on to note that IICA has consistently advocated for science-based trade practices to counter non-tariff barriers that limit agricultural exports from the Americas.

The correspondence explains that the Institute also supports countries in implementing scientifically grounded standards and systems to combat animal and plant diseases in the Americas, as exemplified by its efforts to mitigate the transboundary movement of the New World screwworm (NWS) between Mexico and the United States.

Barbados, which has been working with the Costa Rica-based IICA since 1976, is home to one of its offices. Dr Brathwaite served as director general from 2002 to 2010. 

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb