Local, international experts meet to discuss food security and sovereignty | News
Local and international experts, policymakers, and farmers are meeting to discuss solutions to some of the most pressing food and agricultural challenges facing Jamaica and the wider world, at the 10th International Food Security and Sovereignty Conference.
The two-day event, which got under way on Wednesday at Sandals Dunn’s River in Mammee Bay, St Ann, is being hosted by the Food Hygiene Bureau (FHB) under the theme ‘Building Resilience in Food Systems: Enhancing Food Security and Sovereignty’.
Speakers are from the United Kingdom, United States, Asia, Jamaica and Guyana.
Addressing the recent press launch at Sandals Dunn’s River, Conference Chair and Managing Director of the FHB, Dr Marva Hewitt, highlighted the need to strengthen Jamaica’s food systems and advance food security and sovereignty, given the country’s vulnerability to climate change.
“Climate change is affecting food security, demanding new innovative ways to produce food instead of relying on imports,” she said.
The conference provides a vital platform to share technical solutions, explore sustainable agribusiness models, and establish strategic partnerships.
It will feature more than 75 technical sessions, uniting international thought leaders, policymakers, researchers, innovators, farmers, entrepreneurs, students, and development partners.
The conference will focus on developing resilient, sustainable solutions for driving locally produced food systems capable of withstanding environmental, economic, and social pressures.
It will also examine innovative approaches to increase locally grown foods, policy reforms, climate-smart agriculture, urban farming, indigenous crops, supply chain resilience and youth engagement.
The FHB is dedicated to institutionalising international food-safety standards, public health preservation, and agricultural resilience across the Caribbean.
Through specialised training, certification programmes, and advocacy, the bureau empowers local food systems to achieve sustainable self-reliance.
– JIS
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