-as STI hub launched in Guyana
-by David Clarke
Guyana is set to become a regional center for agricultural innovation following the launch of the Caribbean Sustainable Agriculture Science, Technology and Innovation Hub. The initiative was officially launched today when Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha signed a letter of intent with Brazil and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
The hub is expected to facilitate joint research, strengthen scientific capacity and accelerate the adoption of technologies tailored to tropical agricultural systems. Speaking at the launch, Minister Mustapha underscored the importance of the initiative in advancing food security and agricultural modernisation across the region.
“This is a historic step in promoting innovation, applied research and agricultural modernisation in the region. Innovation is no longer optional. It is essential for our agri-food system and food security,” the minister emphasised.
The initiative is being developed to collaboration between Guyana, Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, and it will focus on priority areas, including tropical crop and livestock systems, climate-smart agriculture and sustainable land-use management.
Minister Mustapha noted that the hub is a major milestone for agricultural development and innovation in the Caribbean.
“Guyana’s role as the lead country for the CARICOM Ministerial Task Force on food production and food security places us at the center of the region’s agricultural transformation. Hosting this hub is a natural extension of our leadership,” he said.
Operations are expected to begin during the second half of the year, with the initiative expected to strengthen regional collaboration and position the Caribbean as a leader in sustainable tropical agricultural innovation.
