00:00Supporting Farmers Organization has long been part of the Inter-American Institute for Corporation on Agriculture's mission dating back to
00:08the 1990s.
00:10Today, that support continues with the focus on strengthening agricultural systems and improving market access,
00:17according to Diane Francis, a representative from the Inter-American Institute for Corporation on Agriculture in Trinidad and Tobago.
00:25Our support covers some key areas within our mandate, which includes first and foremost, agricultural training.
00:32That's what we do along the whole spectrum from production to marketing.
00:36Linking farmers to markets because we have the capacity to connect farmers to buyers, to distributors and so forth.
00:42The organization says its role is now shifting towards supporting groups already taking the initiative.
00:48Our role now is to help the organizations who are already started, who are already self-mobilized,
00:53who have their own internal drive and who are willing to manage their own collective.
00:57Our goal is to help you to do your agribusiness much better as an individual member of a collective and
01:04as a collective as a whole.
01:06Dr. Andre Vincent Henry, director of the Sipirani College of Labour and Corporative Studies,
01:12says strengthening these systems is critical to achieving long-term food security across the Caribbean.
01:18In this context, food sovereignty becomes a central development priority.
01:24It is about our ability as Caribbean societies to produce what we consume, to control our food systems,
01:32and to ensure that our people have access to nutritious, affordable, and culturally appropriate food.
01:40As global challenges continue to impact food supply chains, stakeholders say collaboration, innovation, and local empowerment
01:49will be key to building a more sustainable agricultural future.
01:54Charlotte Kisto, TV6 News.
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