The development of a Climate — Smart Agriculture Knowledge and Information Platform (CSAKIP) is being created to increase digital approaches to agricultural production across the Caribbean.

The platform is being designed in collaboration with major stakeholders involved in the regional agricultural landscape, including universities, commodity groups, agriculture development institutions and regional coordinating mechanisms. Scheduled for roll-out over a three-year period, CSAKIP is to also forge strong linkages between vital sectors such as health and tourism.

Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA), which a Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report said was not to be seen as “a new production system or a one-size-fits all set of practices”, comprises an action-based approach which can help to identify existing production systems that can best respond to the impacts of climate change.

With food security concerns now heightened as a result of current climate change patterns, the establishment of CSAKIP will, therefore, provide the means to help stakeholders at local, national or international levels to choose agricultural strategies that are most adaptable to specific climate conditions.

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), in allocating funds of over US$400,000 towards a new project which is to pilot initial studies that will lead the development and testing of the platform, said the portal’s ultimate launch will enable borrowing member countries (BMCs) to facilitate innovative approaches to agricultural production.

Dr Martin Baptiste, chief of the bank’s social sector division, said that with the Caribbean being in a favourable position to improve the productivity of its agriculture sector, the region through the platform will also have the opportunity to promote more sustainable practices while strengthening market connections.

“A knowledge and information platform can increase stakeholders’ access to climate-smart agriculture technologies, data and practices, which is particularly important as the region remains heavily reliant on food imports, leading to global supply and price shock vulnerabilities,” Baptiste said.

“The project will [therefore] seek to determine the feasibility of such a platform and its potential to enhance agriculture human capital by, among other things, serving as a teaching tool and a mechanism for the multi-directional flow of vital information,” he added.

Envisioned as a catalyst for rural advancement, CSAKIP will be particularly beneficial for key demographics, including farmers, agriculture entrepreneurs and students, who will be equipped with a platform that can identify information gaps, enhance skill sets and elevate the region’s capacity to produce safe and sustainable food.

Taking an inclusive approach to development, the project is to also take a gender-responsive approach ensuring that women — who have a significant presence in the agriculture industry and are primarily responsible for meeting the dietary and nutritional needs of households — are not disadvantaged by factors that could give rise to gender-based inequality, but are instead duly factored in the offerings.