A Presentation made with Avinash Singh

1. Towards Zero
Hunger
in Trinidad &
Tobago
A look at Agriculture and
Sustainable Development
Abdullah Mohammed & Avinash Singh
15 October, 2016

2. Our Objective
Look at the SDGs,
Look at the Caribbean Context
Look at T&T’s Situation
Provide some broad Recommendations from the literature

3. As the world’s population is
expected to approach 9 billion by
the end of this century, with most of
this population growth likely to take
place in the developing world…
Akihiko Tanaka
President, Japan International Cooperation Agency
...are we prepared?

4. End of the Century = 2100 (83 yrs)..
What about in 15 years? (2030)

7. Global Goals (2030)

8. ...in 15 years?
x

9. Zero Hunger Goal
End all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030, making
sure all people – especially children – have access to
sufficient and nutritious food all year round.
This involves promoting sustainable agricultural practices: supporting small scale
farmers and allowing equal access to land, technology and markets.
It also requires international cooperation to ensure investment in infrastructure and
technology to improve agricultural productivity. Together with the other goals
set out here, we can end hunger by 2030.

10. Zero Hunger Challenges
Population Growth
Staggered Economic Growth (Country / Govt Failures)
Staggered Agri Productivity
Environmental Sustainability, Climate Challenges
Resource Misalignment

11. World Food Day 2016
Did you know that World Food Day is 16th October, 2016. (FAO)
The theme, “Climate is changing, Food and agriculture must too.”
The FAO identifies that one of the biggest issues with climate change is Food Security
FAO Director-General, Mr. Jose Graziano da Silva states that
"Where food security can be a force for stability, we have to look to food and
agriculture as pathways to peace and security. This is a great challenge, but
one that we can meet together as we embark on achieving the 2030
Development Agenda."
On the global agenda Food security is high priority and it is seen as highly multifaceted having
overarching reach to other goals.

12. Agriculture in
the Caribbean

13. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the
United Nations and CARICOM
FAO is calling on countries to address food and agriculture in their climate action
plans and invest more in rural development.
CARICOM -
Agriculture is a major economic sector in the Caribbean. In CARICOM, it
continues to generate significant income; facilitate food supply and food and
nutrition sovereignty; contribute to physical and infrastructural development; and
reduce poverty and hunger. It provides significant employment opportunities in a
region where high levels of unemployment continue to be a major concern.

14. Agriculture on the decline in the Caribbean
...compared with Industry
and Services
(tourism, etc)

15. Caribbean Food Insecurity Challenges
Beckford and Campbell (2013):
1. Declines in productivity of land, labor, and management in the agricultural sector resulting in a
weakening capacity to supply food competitively;
2. Decline in earnings from traditional export crops resulting in a reduced ability to purchase food;
3. Erosion and threatened loss of trade preferences for traditional export crops, the earnings of
which are used to buy imported food;
4. Very high dependence on imported food and the uncertainty of food arrival associated with
external shocks;
5. Increasing incidents of pockets of poverty, which affects peoples’ access to food;
6. Concerns over the association of the high use of imported foods and growing incidents of

16. Agriculture in
Trinidad and Tobago

17. T&T in trouble: high dependence on oil/gas; on the decline;
“Trinidad and Tobago is currently rated by three rating agencies, Moody’s Investors Service (Moody’s),
Standard and Poor’s (S&P) Global Ratings and the Caribbean based Caribbean Information and Credit
Rating Services Limited (CariCRIS). The economy faced downgrades by all three agencies in fiscal
2016; with key factors cited as suppressed oil and gas prices and the implied linkages between the
economy’s high dependence on oil and gas revenue for public finances.”
Source: Ministry of Finance, Review of the Economy (2016)

18. Makeup of the TT economy relatively unchanged

19. Agriculture in T&T
The Oxford Business Group Report (2015) states that the agricultural sector
accounts for a tiny portion of Trinidad and Tobago’s overall economy.
It contributes to an estimated 0.5% of GDP in 2014 (FAO), while agricultural
exports contributed just 0.01% of GDP. In labour terms, the sector accounted for
3.5% of total employment in 2013, or some 22,000 jobs (Central Bank) (Oxford
Business Group, 2015).

20. T&T not on Global Food Security Index (GFSI)

21. Implementing the Triple Bottom line at MFLMA
The strategic plan as identified by the Ministry of Food Production, Land and Marine Affairs, indicated
that by 2015, it is expected that the agriculture and food production system of Trinidad and Tobago will
exhibit characteristics consistent with a diversified, profitable and sustainable agriculture and agribusiness
system that contributes to food and nutrition security, generates viable livelihoods and preserves the
nation’s biodiversity and environmental resources.
This vision of agriculture is built on three inter-locking elements of development,
1. contribute to secure, reliable and resilient food and nutrition security;
2. generate economic activity and incomes that contribute to growth and poverty reduction;
3. preserve the natural resource base and enhance environmental and biodiversity conservation
and protection and build resilience to climate change impacts;

22. Weak Objectives & Implementation Language
Development Pillar Strategic Goals
People centred development Respect for agriculture and the environment, empowerment of
stakeholders and building of social capital for sustainable agriculture
and rural development
Poverty Reduction and Social Justice Expanded opportunities for productive employment and
improved social conditions for small-scale producers, including
women and youth
A More Diversified, Knowledge Intensive
Economy
Efficient, profitable and competitive agri-business enterprises and
industries
Good Governance Transparent, coordinated and results-driven agricultural institutional
framework
Foreign Policy Securing the interest of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Production

23. As outlined by Tewarie (2015).... Agriculture and Food Security... are top
priorities for Trinidad and Tobago as the government aligned itself to
the world sustainable development goals pre-2015.
This coupled by the UNDP’s statistics that 795 million people are estimated to
be chronically undernourished as of 2014. Links that the country has
identified a need to improve its position on sustainable development of the
agriculture sector.
A recent achievement through the ministry of Agriculture is the revitalization of
the Caroni Plains - Rice Production and the public-private sector
relationships. Small farm owners are engaging entrepreneurial opportunities
while supplying a local demand on a staple commodity to offset the
Import/Export Bill

24. Public Sector Investment Program (PSIP 2016)
The Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP), which constitutes the
capital expenditure component of the National Budget, is used by the
Government as a strategic tool to effectively execute its policies and
achieve its national development objectives.
Essentially, the 2016 PSIP is an amalgamation of the high priority
investments of the Government in areas of strategic importance to
the long-term development of the country. Through the 2016 PSIP,
the Government will manage closely the allocation of resources to, and
the execution of, these high priority investments in the form of projects
and programmes, which are geared collectively towards stimulating
economic growth and achieving high human development.

25. PSIP 2016 considers the SDGs

26. PSIP for 2016: Main Agriculture Initiatives
The Agriculture Sector received an original allocation of $97.8 million in PY 2015.
A reduction in the allocation was effected, in the amount of $54.9 million.
• Establishment of Small Scale Packing Houses in Agricultural Production
Clusters ($9m)
• Agri Land Mgt (Food Basket Programme)
• Water Management and Flood Control ($3m)
• National Adaptation Strategy for the Sugar Industry
• Development of Fish Processing Industry ($2m)
• Research and Development Programmes (~$3m remaining)

27. Social Sector Investment Program (SSIP 2017)
Food Security - Three internationally established dimensions (WHO,
1996)
1. Food Access: having sufficient resources to obtain appropriate
foods for a nutritious diet.
2. Food Availability: sufficient quantities of food available on a
consistent basis.
3. Food Use: appropriate use based on knowledge of basic nutrition
and care, as well as adequate water and sanitation.
Adopt the SIDS accelerated modalities of Action (S.A.M.O.A) Pathway
(2014), objectives 59-63.

28. Moving Forward
with Zero Hunger & Food Security

29. General Recommendation “SMART” Objectives for Agriculture,
Food Security & Zero Hunger

30. SAMOA Pathway Recommendations
SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action
(a) To promote the further use of sustainable practices relating to agriculture, crops,
livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture to improve food and nutrition security
while ensuring the sustainable management of the required water resources;
(b) To promote open and efficient international and domestic markets to support
economic development and optimize food security and nutrition;
(c) To enhance international cooperation to maintain access to global food markets,
particularly during periods of higher volatility in commodity markets;
(d) To increase rural income and jobs, with a focus on the empowerment of smallholders
and small-scale food producers, especially women;

31. SSIP Recommendations (continued)
e) To end malnutrition in all its forms, including by securing year-
round access to sufficient, safe, affordable, diverse and nutritious
food;
(f) To enhance the resilience of agriculture and fisheries to the
adverse impacts of climate change, ocean acidification and natural
disasters;
(g) To maintain natural ecological processes that support
sustainable food production systems through international technical
cooperation.

32. Further Recommendations
Beckford and Campbell (2013)
1. Empower Small-Scale Farming initiatives
2. Better Policies (esp small-scale farming)
3. Closer stakeholder engagement (public-private sector/ civil society)
4. Policy Focus on Food Security (and Agri Exports)
5. Research Farmer-Adoption mechanisms & Spend on Agri Innovation
6. Increase productivity through ICTs
7. Develop Marketing & Distribution (& Export) Infrastructures

33. Incentivize R&D in Agriculture & Food Security
Hosono et al. (2016):
“Today, Brazil is one of the world’s major grain-
producing countries, and in 2011 exported the
world’s largest volume of soybeans.
Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, who received the
Nobel Peace Prize for his work in connection
with the Green Revolution, rated the
development of agriculture in the Cerrado as
“one of the great achievements of agricultural
science in the 20th century.” Crops grown in the
Cerrado contribute substantially to global food
security.”

34. Bibliography
Beckford, C., and D. Campbell. Domestic food production and food security in the Caribbean: Building capacity and strengthening local food production
systems. Springer, 2013.
Caribbean Community; Our Work; Agriculture (n.d) Retreived October 14, 2016, from http://www.caricom.org/our-work/agriculture
Da Silva, J.G., (2016) United Nations Security Council, Arria-formula Meeting on Food Security, Nutrition and Peace. Retrieved October 14, 2016, from
http://www.fao.org/nobel-for-foodsecurity-peace/en/
Food and Agreiculture Organisation of the United Nations: World Food Day, October 2016 (n.d) Retrieved October 14, 2016, from: http://www.fao.org/world-
food-day/2016/theme/en/
Garnett, T., Appleby, M.C., Balmford, A., Bateman, L.J., Benton, T.G., Bloomer, P., Burlingame, B., Dawkings, M., Dolan., L., Fraser, D., Herrero, M.,
Hoffman, I., Smith, P., Thornton, P.K.,Toulmin, C., Vermulean, S.J., Godfray, H.C.J., (2014) Sustainable Intensification in Agriculture: Premises and
Policy, Science - Policy forum 341 (pp33-34).
Goal 2: Zero hunger. (n.d.). Retrieved October 14, 2016, from http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals/goal-2-zero-
hunger.html
GoRTT Ministry of Finance (2016) Review of the Economy 2016, from http://www.finance.gov.tt/review-of-the-economy-2016/
Hosono, Akio, Carlos Magno Campos da Rocha, and Yutaka Hongo, eds.Development for Sustainable Agriculture: The Brazilian Cerrado. Springer, 2016.
Tewarie, B., (2015) A new Approach to Sustainable Development governance: Is it happening? Sustainable Development: Thinking it Through; Making it
Happen. (pp 257-268)Hansib: London