A General Technical Cooperation Agreement was recently signed between the International Cooperation and Development Fund (Taiwan ICDF) and Inter-American Institute for Cooperation of Agriculture (IICA) to improve Saint Lucia’s agriculture sector.
Under the four-year agreement, Saint Lucia’s agriculture, agro-processing and rural development capacity is expected to be enhanced significantly, with the ultimate goal being the promotion of a safer and more sustainable food and agricultural system.
The signing ceremony was held on Friday, November 3, 2023, at Harbor Club, Rodney Bay, Gros Islet.
The agreement was signed by H.E. Ambassador Dr. Charles Chao-Leng Li, Secretary-General of Taiwan ICDF, and Mr. Gregg Rawlins, IICA Representative in the Eastern Caribbean States. Witnessing the signing were H.E. Peter Chia-Yen Chen, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, and Hon. Alfred Prospere, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development.
Ambassador Chen said that over the past few years, the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM), under Taiwan ICDF, has been searching for the opportunity to work with different partners in order to coordinate the resources and explore the most beneficial and effective cooperation in Saint Lucia. Among these partners, he said IICA is one of the most leading and experienced organizations that we have been working in the field of agriculture.
“In Saint Lucia, we work on general technical cooperation, good agricultural practices to composting capacity building,” said Ambassador Chen. “Last year, we expanded our cooperation to help build the capacity of youth and women in producing mushrooms, hoping to empower them to become financially independent. I am glad to say that it is a remarkable milestone that Taiwan ICDF signs an agreement with IICA today, especially when we are in recognition of IICA’s 40-year anniversary.”
Ambassador Dr. Charles Chao-Cheng Li said the agreement represents yet another key milestone in an already productive partnership between Taiwan ICDF and IICA and demonstrates their shared commitment to deeper cooperation.
“Together, we can continue promoting economic development and strengthen livelihoods in Latin America and the Caribbean regions,” said Dr. Li. “As the official development aid agency of Taiwan, it’s our great pleasure to stand shoulder to shoulder with IICA, extending our partnership to address climate change, agriculture value chains, food security and smart governance. Since 2006, IICA has worked together with the Taiwan Technical Mission in Haiti, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Guatemala to hold seminars, professional training sessions and exchanges on a wide range of technical areas integral to sustainable development. In 2019, both organizations resolved to build a stronger and more comprehensive partnership and, for this reason, we signed the first inter-organizational MoU.”
Dr. Li added: “We hope this MoU facilitates not only the sharing of our best practices between Taiwan ICDF and IICA, but also enhances existing cooperation models and opens up new areas of cooperation in the future. Through this MoU, we can better understand our shared challenges in the region, and I look forward to the innovative, constructive and practical solutions we’ve developed that we build a strong foundation for long-term and comprehensive cooperation in the Latin American and Caribbean regions.”
In 2023, Taiwan ICDF and IICA collaborated on “Where Women Bloom”, a project that saw 25 women across Saint Lucia receiving comprehensive training in small-scale commercial mushroom production.
IICA Representative for the Eastern Caribbean States, Mr. Gregg Rawlins, said the latest agreement reflects the dedication of both organizations towards enhancing sustainable agriculture and improving the livelihoods of Saint Lucians and people in the wider Caribbean.
“Saint Lucia, like many other countries in the region, faces an array of challenges in the agricultural sector, such as climate change impacts, resource constraints, market access issues, and evolving consumer preferences,” stated Mr. Rawlins. “Through this partnership, we seek to harness the combined expertise and resources of IICA and Taiwan ICDF through its technical missions in Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and other countries in the Caribbean region, to address these challenges and drive forward the development of agriculture in Saint Lucia and the wider Caribbean region.”
Meanwhile, Hon. Alfred Prospere said the signing was a welcome occasion since it represents three of the most influential players in Saint Lucia’s agricultural sector, namely the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development; IICA; and Taiwan ICDF.
“This agreement ratified today is a statement to the enduring partnership between our countries and institutions and the unwavering commitment to agricultural development in our region. Last year, we attended a similar signing ceremony, and this year we have mutually agreed to strengthen the continued collaborative activities for the improvement of our farming landscape. As a Ministry, we are committed to fostering that enabling environment for our farmers, fishers, agro-processors and auxiliary service providers to thrive and continue to play their part in our nation’s food security.”
Following the signing of the agreement, the signatories toured a number of booths at the venue that displayed products from projects on which Taiwan ICDF and IICA collaborated.