The United States Government will provide US$28 million to boost food security in the region under a Zero Hunger Caribbean Plan, said a White House statement on Thursday.
“As follow-up to commitments at the Summit of the Americas, the US Government is providing the Caribbean with $28 million in assistance to address urgent food security needs.”
This came just after the Prime Minister and other Caricom leaders met US Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington DC, to discuss energy, finance and food security.
The White House listed near-term actions on food security (to be followed by medium-long-term actions.)
“This Fall (September-November), USAID will deploy five advisers to the Caribbean region. Consultants will be mobilized in the following areas: efficient use of fertilizer, bio-fertilizer production, nutrient management, crop insurance feasibility, and to develop an operational logistics and supply chain model to streamline intraregional trade.”
The US Environmental Protection Agency will conduct three training sessions on pesticide management and food security.
The US Government wants to expand access to US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) financing for Caribbean private sector projects.
The US Treasury Department will explore US membership in the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).
The Treasury will ask multilateral development banks (MDBs) to expand access to development finance for Caribbean countries by three ways. These are by possibly giving temporary access to World Bank Group resources for climate-vulnerable countries after extreme events, expanding MDB debt deferment, and doubling capital for the Inter-American Development Bank’s private sector arm.
On energy security, the US Government will send a delegation to the region in October to develop technical assistance packages and prepare viable energy projects.
The US Trade and Development Agency will host an energy procurement orientation visit for Caribbean officials in October 2022 to support the region’s energy infrastructure development goals.
