Report on Symposium on Food and Nutrition Security

© Faculty of Food and Agriculture, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidadand Tobago, 2018Prepared by:Sharon Hutchinson, PhD Lecturer in Food and Resource Economics Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension Faculty of Food and Agriculture The University of the West Indies St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago [email protected] Renwick, MLIS, PhD (Agri. Extension), FCLIP Senior Librarian I/Head User Services Alma Jordan Library The University of the West Indies St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago [email protected] August 2018

Table of ContentsACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii iiiLIST OF ACRONYMS 1 2BACKGROUND 2SUMMARY OF SYMPOSIUM DISCUSSIONSPreliminaries: Welcome & Greetings 1. Dr. Wayne Ganpat, Dean, Faculty of Food and Agriculture, UWI, St. Augustine2. Professor Brian Copeland, Pro Vice-Chancellor and 2 Campus Principal, UWI, St. Augustine, Trinidad and3. Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat, Minister of Agriculture, Land and 2 Fisheries4. Professor Emeritus Michael T. Clegg (University of 3 California, Irvine), Programme Leader, IANAS Programme on Food and Nutrition Security for the AmericasPanel 1 - What Can You Afford to Put on Your Plate? 4Panel 2 - Get Up, Get Moving, Eat Well. How Do We Get on the Path of Healthy Living? 5Panel 3 - Feeding our Future Food Needs 8Panel 4 - Do We Really Need to Think About Climate Change and Global Financial Systems? 10RECOMMENDATIONS 12THE WAY FORWARD—UWI’s PERSPECTIVE 13APPENDICES 15Appendix A – Symposium Programme 15Appendix B – List of Panellists and Moderators 16Appendix C –Discussion Paper sent to Key Stakeholders in the Agricultural Sector 18 i

Acknowledgements In preparation of this report, we would like to acknowledge the support of Ms. SarojiniRagbir, Ms. Treasure Alcindor from the Communications and Publications Unit, Dean’s Office,Faculty of Food and Agriculture (FFA) and the postgraduate students who acted as rapporteurs,under the guidance of FFA Lecturer, Dr. Hazel Patterson-Andrews, namely: Mr. Ricardo Akaloo; Ms. Fareena Alladin; Ms. Tessa Barry; Ms. Tynessa Gay; Mr. Yanesh Jankie; Mr. Dwane John; Ms. Jeanelle Joseph; Ms. Patrice Prout; Mr. Keegan Slinger. We would also extend gratitude to FFA Administrative Officer, Mrs. Cheryl Layne, and her staff for their support prior to and during the symposium. ii

List of AcronymsAIP Agricultural Incentive ProgrammeASTT Agricultural Society of Trinidad and TobagoCNCDs Chronic Non-Communicable DiseasesDAEE Department of Agricultural Economics and ExtensionFAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United NationsFBDGs Food-Based Dietary GuidelinesFFA Faculty of Food and AgricultureFNS Food and Nutrition SecurityGIS Geographic Information SystemsIANAS Inter-American Network of Academies of ScienceIICA Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on AgricultureLAC Latin America and the CaribbeanMALF Ministry of Agriculture, Land and FisheriesODPM Office of Disaster Preparation and ManagementSFP School Feeding ProgrammeSTI Science, Technology and InnovationUTT University of Trinidad and TobagoUWI The University of the West IndiesWTO World Trade Organization iii

BACKGROUND In 2017, as part of UWI’s 70th Anniversary Celebrations, the Faculty of Food and Agriculture(FFA) planned three major events: TechAGRI Expo for March 2018, the Food and NutritionSecurity (FNS) Public Lecture/Book Launch and a Symposium on FNS for May 2018 and aClimate Change and FNS Conference for Nov 2018. A committee, chaired by Dr. Wayne Ganpat (Dean, FFA) started planning this FNSSymposium in November 2017. Other committee members were: Dr. Marlene Attzs; Dr. GaiusEudoxie; Dr. Sharon Hutchinson (Lead Planner); Ms. Cheryl Lane; Mr. Omardath Maharaj; Dr.Hazel Patterson-Andrews; Ms. Sarojini Ragbir; Dr. Shamin Renwick; Dr. Marquitta Webb andDr. Mark Wuddivira. Over 100 persons attended the one-day FNS Symposium, representing stakeholders fromthe private sector, producer associations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), variousMinistries and offices of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, international and regionalorganisations and The University of the West Indies. The Symposium was held on May 10, 2018 from 8:30 a.m.to 3:30 p.m. (See the SymposiumProgramme in appendix A and the List of Panellists and Moderators in appendix B) After abrief welcome from the Dean, FFA, Dr. Wayne Ganpat; greetings from the Principal, St.Augustine Campus, Prof. Brian Copeland; and an address by the Minister of Agriculture, Landand Fisheries (MALF), Senator The Honourable Clarence Rambharat, there was a keynoteaddress by Prof. Emeritus Michael T. Clegg, Programme Leader, Inter American Network ofAcademics of Sciences (IANAS) Programme on FNS for the Americas. In preparation for the Symposium, FFA staff identified 10 Priority Action Areas (seeDiscussion Paper in appendix C). At the Symposium, 12 invited panellists were asked tocomment on the appropriateness of these identified Priority Action Areas and to give theirexpert opinions within the themes: Food Availability; Economic and Social Access to Food;Food Utilisation and Safety; and Securing Food Stability. This Report, prepared for the MALF and key stakeholders, identifies the key strategies andaction items that emerged from the Symposium, along with additional views of the FFA, on theway forward for the food and agriculture sector in Trinidad and Tobago, which is urgentlyneeded at this time. Symposium photos can be seen at:https://www.flickr.com/photos/142685983@N05/with/2828243 0128. 1

SUMMARY OF SYMPOSIUM DISCUSSIONS Preliminaries: Welcome & Greetings1. Dr. Wayne Ganpat, Dean, Faculty of Food and Agriculture, UWI, St. Augustine The Dean, Dr. Wayne Ganpat, welcomed everyone, noting that all present should have input into a practical plan to achieve the objective of food and nutrition security in Trinidad and Tobago. All hands were needed on deck to accomplish this. He noted that for the Symposium, the four pillars of FNS were to be addressed by four panels with the objective of identifying consensus on the Priority Action Areas and Strategies for submission to the MALF.2. Professor Brian Copeland, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal, UWI, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago The Principal noted that education was about survival and is needed when treating with different levels of food security. He emphasised that nations and households should be required to learn how to cope to maintain their food security, especially during post-disaster times. He also highlighted the necessity to reduce the external dependency of food and the nation’s focus on foreign food trends and tastes. He advised that research at the national level, especially at The UWI, therefore, has to be tailored to alleviate these existing challenges. He asked a key question, “What areas of research are needed?”3. Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat, Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries The Senator expressed his happiness and gratitude on being a part of such a Symposium. He noted that participants were to be cognizant that, while many changes were imperative to promote FNS, there are significant flaws in the institutional and governance structure of the public service, and by extension the MALF, which continuously hamper effective plan or project implementation. He highlighted the need for improved legislation. The Minister stressed that, while it is popular to speak of “reducing our food import bill”, there are a myriad of local challenges which we experience, such as a lack of land tenure, not having the ability to produce a significant portion of what we eat (e.g., wheat) and unfair trade practices. Further, the lack of legislation, as in the case of (bottom) trawling, allows this environmentally- detrimental activity to continue. He opined that, if in deliberations, there were no discussions 2

on the imperative to change the structure of the MALF and the curriculum of The UWI, then the tasks being undertaken at the Symposium would not be complete.4. Professor Emeritus Michael T. Clegg (University of California, Irvine), Programme Leader, IANAS Programme on Food and Nutrition Security for the Americas Prof. Emeritus Clegg presented on “Feeding Ten Billion: Big Challenges and Opportunities” and provided some statistics on the Americas Region. He underscored the promise and challenges of biotechnology in solving global food supply problems. He stated that the Latin American region was, in general, a net food exporter. However, the Caribbean sub-region, also a net food importer, was among the most vulnerable regions of the American hemisphere with a declining arable land inventory, a high population density and reflected negative impacts climate change, such as sea level rise and extreme weather events. In addition, the Caribbean suffers from declining levels of per-capita agricultural production. Poor Governance structures and limited public policy in the Caribbean also impedes improved levels of FNS. For the region, controlling food wastage is an opportunity to provide more food, especially with global innovations in many areas, such as better environmental management, precision agriculture, biotechnology and improved policy options. Prof. Emeritus Clegg concluded with recommendations for using science, technology and innovation (STI) to address the challenges associated with population growth, agricultural inefficiency, poor nutritional levels, environmental change and dealing with sustainability challenges of producing more healthy food without increasing agricultural acreage by adopting the circular economy model of reducing, reusing and recycling in production. He also encouraged the development of value addition for products, such as processed foods, probiotics, prebiotics, nutraceuticals, bio-energies and biomaterials, thereby strengthening and diversifying local economies. He advocated for using modern technologies, e.g., bioengineered crops and precision agriculture for dealing with existing constraints, such as inadequate irrigation systems, inadequate water and food storage capacity, insufficient transport and road systems, and inadequate investment in STI producing institutions. Regarding food and nutrition, he suggested that poverty reduction; treating with CNCDs were essential; more behavioural research on food choices and how to modify these decisions; as well as more science-based regulations to combat food-borne diseases were essential. With respect to research and education, he noted that— despite substantial diversity among national agricultural research systems, national infrastructure, investments in human capital, 3

in financing capabilities and in the roles of public and private sectors in the provision of STIglobally— the nations of the Americas should better integrate agricultural trade and economicpolicies. He stated that many LAC countries did not have adequate databases for characterisingthe status of their agricultural systems nor sufficient statistical information on the sector, so hetherefore called for collaboration between universities and other local and internationalresearch centres for the identification and correction of the substantial weakness in the agri-foodsystems. He felt that increases in public research investment, which were below UN recommended levels, were required. He believed that effective collaboration networks between research centres and private companies were crucial and that the link between scientific research and the needs of vulnerable populations should be strengthened.Panel 1 - What Can You Afford to Put on Your Plate?Focus of this panel was Access and Affordability. The recommended discussion points were: Priority Action Areas Time for Implementation1. Sustainable agricultural practices Short-term (2018-2020)2. Facilitate public/private research and development partnerships Medium-term (2018-2025)3. Value chain development Medium-term (2018-2025)Based on the Panel Discussion and Q&A session, the following additional Priority ActionAreas (main bullet points) and Strategies (sub-bullet points) were identified:  Develop protected agriculture to reduce the per unit cost of food production via lower pest and disease management costs and better water management  Implement Social Household Vulnerability Mapping o Create an information database of the vulnerable for targeted intervention o Investigate the ability of food insecure persons to access existing safety nets o Provide opportunities for wealth creation by food producers  Promote Research & Development 4

o Create and implement adaptations to climate change o Tailor research and development in agricultural sector to focus on increasing yield of local food o Identify local research for improved tunnel ventilation system for poultry production o Identify improved systems for protected agriculture, which can make food more available  Promote the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices o Create a comprehensive national policy for sustainable agriculture and rural development  Identify and develop the agribusiness sectors in which Trinidad and Tobago has a comparable advantage  Create and enforce a land policy (spatial use policy) where the best arable lands are kept for agriculture. (This was discussed under issues of Access and Affordability, but will have a greater impact on food Availability)  Promote backyard gardening  Encourage value chain development  Facilitate public/private research partnerships  Promote import substitution Panel 2 - Get Up, Get Moving, Eat Well. How Do We Get on the Path of HealthyLiving?Focus of this panel was U t i l i s a t i o n . The r e c o m m e n d e d discussion point was:Priority Action Areas Time for Implementation1. Establish local dietary guidelines Short-term (2018-2020)Based on the Panel Discussion and Q&A session, the following ensued: Panellists all agreed that establishing local dietary guidelines were crucial in the short-term.In addition, they noted that there was a significant increase in Chronic Non- CommunicableDiseases (CNCDs) in children and the general population as a whole. There was a 400%increase (from 2.5% to 12.5%) in childhood obesity over a 10-year period, 2000– 2010, in 5

Trinidad and Tobago. This rising childhood obesity rate in young people implies that there isan urgent demand that they change their eating habits. Moreover, there was a heavy burden ofCNCDs on the general population— approximately 8.7 billion dollars (5% of GDP) spent onlyon three CNCDs.National Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs): What are they? These are practical, comprehensible, culturally-acceptable guidelines on what should beeaten and in what amounts, based on existing and emerging local dietary patterns. All thepanellists supported this Priority Action Area. However, surveys of household consumptionpatterns have not been conducted for the last 40 years. Steps already taken The Ministry of Health launched its National Strategic Plan for the control of CNCDs anddrafted a Nutrition Standard for food offered to children in schools in collaboration withseveral stakeholders including Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Pan-AmericanHealth Organization (PAHO), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), UWI, University ofSouthern Caribbean (USC) and National Dietary Service in relation to promoting healthy foodoffered to children at school. The plan includes a six-point policy package approved by theCaribbean Community (CARICOM) with a strategic aim of improving food environments inschools. This was done in collaboration with other regional governments, and in keeping withthe World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. This plan is evidence- based and informedby key stakeholders and private researchers. An evaluation of school food options led to a draftpolicy on the nutrition standards for foods offered and sold in school. This policy is multisectorand includes seven standards which seek to reduce availability and access to unhealthy foodoptions and increase the availability of healthy food. Steps were taken to reduce the availabilityof unhealthy foods in schools, which resulted in a ban on Sweet and Sugary Beverages.Suggested strategies to assist the development of theFBDGs are: o Conduct research on consumption patterns, that is, a Food Consumption Survey for evidence-based decision making o Ensure guidelines treat with high salt and fat as well as sugar o Utilise a technical working group of local experts, including those at tertiary level institutions 6

Other Priority Action Areas and Strategies identified were:  Promotion of healthy and safe food options o Create food safety policy legislation to ensure that healthy food is on the market o Prohibit ingredients in locally-available food that have been banned in developed countries, where health and safety concerns have been expressed o Mandate adequate health and nutrition labels on locally-available food products. One example is the ‘Nutritional Traffic Light’ approach now being used in several countries, such as Chile and Peru, where green, orange and red labels are used to indicate if a food item is low, moderate or high in ingredients, such as sugar, sodium and fat. An example is shown in figure 1.Figure 1: Example of Food “Traffic Lights” Nutrition LabelSource: Triggle, Nick. 2012. “Food labelling: Consistent System ‘to start next year.” BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health- 20050420. o Tax high-sugar beverages o Increase nutrition education programmes focused on children and their parents, especially via Parent- Teacher Associations (PTAs) o Promote the use of traditional food diets (breadfruit, etc.). Research conducted shows that the nutrient content in the Breadfruit Ma’afala variety has a higher protein content than soy bean. This variety, found extensively throughout Trinidad and Tobago, could be incorporated into a local healthy diet and its use enhanced with 7

the distribution of plants to households o Promote the design of healthy recipes using locally-grown foods, including local fruit in season and the sale of such fruits in schools o Review the existing ban on sale of sugar-sweetened beverages in schools. There is evidence to suggest that students are still easily accessing these beverages from venues within close proximity to schools o Set up food-testing laboratories to prevent food fraud and ensure minimum food quality is maintained for imported and locally-produced food Accelerate utilisation of locally-produced foods o Promote school gardening to encourage use of local foods o Mandate a minimum content of local foods be part of the School Nutrition Programme (SNP), even though limited budgets for this programme may force the use of cheaper imported itemsPanel 3 - Feeding our Future Food NeedsFocus of this panel was Availability of food. The recommended discussion pointswere:Priority Action Areas Time for Implementation1. Long (2018-2030) Infrastructure, including roads, water storage2. Water for production Medium (2018-2025)3. Spatial use policy Medium (2018-2025)Based on the Panel Discussion and Q&A session, the following Priority Action Areas (mainbullet points) and Strategies (sub-bullet points) were identified:  Spatial Use Policy o Determine spatial land-use approaches to restrict encroaching/prohibit building on hillsides above certain levels o Reduction on the usage of land close to areas that are increasingly vulnerable due to climate change  Create new food markets and new food products o Value addition using local ingredients that meets consumer taste preferences 8

o Reduce food costs and increase availability by farmers forming cooperatives to enter into the market for school feeding o Integrate more local food into the SFP to assist in changing the culture of food choices from an early age to traditional nutritious foods o Explore the introduction of new crops— currently grown in other tropical countries, such as cereals (e.g., teff and fornio in Africa)— to widen food options o Undertake primary agricultural production in Guyana and import into Trinidad and Tobago for value addition. (The MALF Panellist noted this had been tried in the past without success, due to phyto-sanitary concerns of imported products regarding the standards of overseas slaughter houses and the risk of importing diseases.) Further discussion is necessary if minimally-processed foods could be imported for further local processing o Encourage culinary-based tourism o Tool younger people to use new technologies o Provide ongoing human capacity building for all stakeholders o Increase the role of the National Agricultural Marketing and Development Corporation (NAMDEVCO) as a facilitator and not anentity which competes directly with the private sector Plan for water for production o Design water management to mitigate adverse effects on catchment areas, primarily via water conservation, water extraction and reduced water pollution Establish a non-Governmental coordinating mechanism for agricultural sector development Appoint a national agriculture coordinator (non- governmental) to promote linkages between key stakeholders in policy implementation Improve land tenure Reduce praedial larceny Reduce food wastage in the SFP Promote dairy production o Set up model dairy farm to train farmers o Enhancing dairy industry through value addition o Improve the dairy production and training facility at the University Field Station, Mt. Hope Review and reform of MALF incentives/concessions o Tailor incentives for adoption of protected agriculture, germplasm development, more competitive farming systems 9

Panel 4 - Do We Really Need to Think About Climate Change and Global Financial Systems?Focus of this panel was food Stability. The recommended discussion points were: Priority Action Areas Time for Implementation Medium-term 2018-2025)1. Climate-smart agriculture2. Short-term (2018-2020) Medium-term (2018-2025) Data collection and early warning systems3. Disaster preparednessBackground Climate is changing due to human actions. The threats are becoming very extreme and, atthe moment, actions necessary to address the effects and impacts of climate change are notbeing undertaken. Therefore, we should implement policies locally to address the challengesthat climate change presents. Food stability would require citizens to break old habits and re-shape research agendas to adapt to new and emerging challenges. Some suggested that TheUWI be more involved in commercial production and provide model farming systems. Ournational FNS plans should be aligned with the regional FNS plans, with a focus on foodsovereignty and enhanced value chains Trinidad and Tobago should have a National Agricultural Policy that works in tandemwith its FNS goals. Furthermore, the FNS policy should focus on using prices and economicincentives to change how people think and make better food choices. Stability also requiresinter-agency coordination. For example, who is ultimately responsible for food safety?Different Ministries contribute to different aspects of production, imports, storage and foodpreparation, but who coordinates these actions?Based on the Panel Discussion and Q&A session, the following Priority Action Areas (mainbullet points) and Strategies (sub-bullet points) were identified:  Better coordination between ODPM and the MALF for pre- and post-disaster management o Ensure secure seed supply via seed banks for post-disaster management10

o Build capacity to use modern technology to assess damage, etc. o Plan to manage food stores (FAO has relevant guidelines) for post-disaster recovery is essential Promote more on-farm investments by farmers to promote on-farm research and increased technology use Rationalise land tenure issues (State takes long periods to grant leases, hence, hesitation in investing) o Too many restrictions on what can be constructed on state lands – e.g., farmers only allowed to construct 12 ‘x 12’ sheds Climate-smart agriculture o Germplasm development, including heat- tolerant crops o Develop incentives to adopt technology to reduce the impact of climate change on farms o Provide capacity building for farmers to better use climate information in decision making o Inclusion of climate change in school curriculum is required o Use modern tools, e.g., Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping to see saline intrusion o Implement systems for pest and disease forecasting o Improve irrigation systems o Development of early warning systems and programmes to monitor changes is critical o Focus on efficiency in the area of production Facilitate training of youth in new technologies, e.g., GIS, drones Improve coordination with external market information systems (MIS) from Latin America Survey a wide cross-section of people on the state of the environment and their perceptions, to inform policy on public education and behaviour and climate change adaptation. 11

RECOMMENDATIONS The following are main ideas emerging from the FNS symposium for the way forward inthe short-term. There is an urgent need for policy creation and reform to guide the future of thesector. Upon completion of polices, implementationand education are necessary to ensure thatTrinidad and Tobago meets its goal of being a food secure nation. The following are suggested:  Stronger implementing mechanism and partnerships among the government, the private sector, academia and NGOs in developing and implementing projects and strategies to foster greater inter-agency coordination  Greater emphasis on reducing food wastes and losses to increase food availability  Enhancing the use of environmental management and biotechnology to increase local productivity, especially in areas, such as precision agriculture, protected agriculture and biotechnology  Urgent adoption of National Food-Based Dietary Guidelines  Strengthening governance within the food sector via a National Coordinating Agency, which is housed outside the Ministry of Agriculture with cross-industry participation for strategic thinking and coordination  Establish a comprehensive national policy framework for sustainable and agriculture rural development  Draft and implement a land policy to ensure that the best arable land for agriculture is kept for cultivation  Utilise the ‘Nutritional Traffic Light’ approach, initially as a voluntary standard, to alert consumers of relative food values  Promote value added production of items that can be used in the School Nutrition Programme (SNP)  Focus on identification and use of appropriate adaptation options for production and marketing, to climate change. 12

THE WAY FORWARD—UWI’s PERSPECTIVE Re-designing the food sector needs a new look at maximising the value of the sector overthe long-term, while ensuring short- and medium-term gains. Such an approach focuses onmaintaining the welfare of all the actors who partner in the system, from producers, tomarketers, to consumers. Re-designing means that there should be acceptance of putting newsystems in place that allows gains for all. For small economies like Trinidad and Tobago—with limited land resources, other naturalresources, a small population and limited financial capital—the most successful model ofpropelling the sector to high levels of modernisation and wealth is through value-addition.Our local production systems cannot easily compete due primarily to small scales of production(small farm sizes), old technology and high labour costs. Newer, capital- intensive systems thathave been tailored to fit the vagaries of our climate and agro-ecological systems offer analternative way to offer price-competitive goods. However, while field-based productionsystems cannot be ignored because they are systems which support our local outputs, meetingthe need to increase food production requires focus on increasing our level of competitivenessthrough: improved genetic breeds and cultivars; improved soil, water and fertilitymanagement; reduced food losses (pre-and post-harvest); and improved marketing systemswhich provide a pull of agricultural products. A disturbingly high portion of the country’s Food Import Bill is due to value-addedproducts—ready-to-cook or pre-cooked meals. There is therefore an obvious disconnectbetween the agricultural and food sector, given the gaps in meeting the needs for theseincreasingly popular convenience foods. Significant numbers of food manufacturers importraw materials. Locally-sourced raw materials often cannot be used unless the price and qualitycan be matched. Actors in the food system can be coerced into voluntary compliance withquality standards, but this approach is unlikely to succeed. Compliance needs to be mandatedwith the goal of improving wealth for those who comply, while ensuring minimum standardsfor consumers and intermediaries. The Agricultural Incentive Programme (AIP) shouldtherefore be re-designed to effect the needed changes, only allowing the payment of subsidiesto those who comply with minimum quality standards throughout the value chain.Furthermore, the AIP should include and focus more on developing value-added processes,such as commodity auctions, online marketing, branding, distribution and other marketingactivities, where gaps currently exist. This would also allow youths a newer space to enter thefood sector. In terms of value added products, there is anecdotal evidence that there are low-hangingfruits for investment. Given the increasing importation of smoked and salted fish in the region, 13

there is ample opportunity for import substitution in these and related markets. Theseopportunities exist at different scales – from small-scale community options to largecommercial opportunities using solar dryers and indoor drying. Coordination in the agricultural and food sector is a key pillar in ensuring goodgovernance. Given the success in other Caribbean countries, such as Jamaica and Belize, anInter-Ministerial Food and Nutrition Security Committee is proposed to provide a strategicand coordinating function for the nation’s food security for the long-term. This will allowcoordination and harmonisation among all the ministries who affect food security, withrotating leadership. Finally, all the goals and objectives for the sector cannot be achieved without adequate datacollection and analyses. The effective staffing of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Statistical Unitand staffing of the Central Statistical Office are urgently needed to provide more targeted,regular, accurate and broadly disseminated data to support the various market actors to makebetter decisions. Without this, many decisions taken are far less than ideal. These bold initiatives will require funding, some of which may come from the privatesector. However, we have to look at using existing resources or targeted grant funding. Manyof the initiatives suggested have much needed positive spill-over and cumulative effects whichwill reduce our long term burdens. The University of the West Indies stands ready and willing to work with all the nationalstakeholders for the development of our nation. 14

APPENDICESAppendix A – Symposium Programme 15

Appendix B – List of Panellists and ModeratorsPANELLISTS: PANEL 1 JOB TITLEMr. Omardath Maharaj Instructor, Dept. of Agricultural Economics and Extension, FFA, UWI, St. AugustineMr. Ronald Chan Director, Agricultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago PANEL 2 Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Agricultural Economics andDr. Sa'eed Bawa Extension, FFA, UWI, St. AugustineMs. Vanesa Martina Programme Manager, Nutrition Services, Ministry of Health, Trinidad and Tobago Ms. Yvonne Lewis PANEL 3 Director, Health Education Division, Ministry of Health, Trinidad and TobagoDr. Puran Bridgemohan Associate Professor, Crop Sciences, UTTMs. Dhano Sookoo President, Agricultural Society of Trinidad and TobagoDr. Simone Titus Chief Technical Office, MALF, Trinidad and Tobago PANEL 4 Advisor, Pro Vice Chancellor and Campus Principal OfficeDr. Marlene Attzs of the Campus Principal, UWI, St. Augustine 16

Prof. Michael T. Clegg Professor Emeritus, University of California, Irvine & Programme Leader, IANAS for FNS for the AmericasMr. Gregg Rawlins IICA Representative in Trinidad and Tobago and Coordinator- Regional Integration, Caribbean RegionDr. Dave Seerattan Lecturer/Coordinator, MSc Global Studies Programme Institute of International Relations, UWI, St. AugustineMODERATORS:PANEL NAME JOB TITLE 1 Mr. Winston Rudder Consultant2 Dr. Marquitta Webb Lecturer, Dept. of Agricultural Economics and Extension, FFA, UWI, St. Augustine3 Dr. Lynda Wickham Former Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Food Production, FFA, UWI, St. Augustine4 Dr. Sharon Hutchinson Lecturer, Dept. of Agricultural Economics and Extension, FFA, UWI, St. Augustine 17

Appendix C –Discussion Paper sent to Key Stakeholders in the Agricultural Sector Faculty of Food and Agriculture Symposium on Food and Nutrition Security May 10, 2018, UWI St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago Discussion Paper The Faculty of Food and Agriculture (FFA) plans to host a 1-day Symposium to identify key strategies to improve the country’s Food and Nutrition Security (FNS). You are invited to review the details of the upcoming Symposium on Food and Nutrition Security, its rationale, and the identified Priority Actions Areas, which will form the basis for the discussions on the day of the Symposium. Please discuss these Priority Actions Areas with the members of your organisation, in terms of if you agree with the suggested rankings in Table 1 and whether you think each Action should be implemented over the short, medium or long- term. You may add your own priority areas and provide some indication of its implementation term.1. Background The current economic recession in Trinidad and Tobago is creating significant challenges in the country’s agricultural and food sectors. Among the most pressing issues that hinder the sectors are: (1) poor food safety standards, (2) lack of institutional coordination across sectors, (3) insufficient human and capital investment, (4) low levels of competitiveness and innovation and (5) poor agricultural practices. All these factors result in an overall low level of FNS. Furthermore, even when Trinidad and Tobago experienced increasing wealth in the past, economic growth was occurring alongside declining FNS. In addition, with lower incomes, we continue to experience declining FNS levels. This paradox of pursuing development while having declining FNS has to be reversed or development will be stymied in the long run. While food, in terms of calories, is generally in abundant supply for the majority of households, most of what we eat is imported. Furthermore, based on anecdotal evidence, the share of imported food on the average plate has been increasing over time. This over-reliance on foreign sources of food weakens our food security level and, also, presents a national security challenge as well as a burden on foreign exchange availability. In addition, changing consumer tastes and preferences, poor lifestyle choices and high incidence of overweight and obesity (relative to global averages) has led to extremely high levels of chronic non- communicable diseases (CNCDs). This worsening FNS status will no doubt be detrimental to our development in the long- term. 18

2. ObjectivesBased on Vision 2030: National Development Strategy and, given Trinidad and Tobago’sdecreasing levels of Food and Nutrition Security (FNS), in the face of current decliningnational revenue due in part to lower levels of oil and gas receipts, the FFA is engaging keystakeholders from all sectors, which impact on our FNS, to further national dialogue on theurgent next steps that are needed in the short, medium and long-run.Vision 2030 identified 56 national goals, over cross-cutting themes. There is a focus in thisVision on: placing the health of the physical environment at the centre of social and economicdevelopment; promoting innovation and entrepreneurship; improving productivity; creatinghigh-value products; having healthy citizens; and building global competitiveness. Theproposed Faculty of Food and Agriculture Symposium on Food and Nutrition Security is notmeant to deliberate on problems, but to devise actionable strategies and activities that willresult in meaningful outcomes. The focus will be on:i. Identifying areas of urgent priority, as we need to allocate scare funds to solve a myriad of problems. Prioritisation will allow critical areas of success to be identified, from which other areas of focus can better develop.ii. Informing the immediate upcoming national plans, including the next fiscal budget.iii. Providing a forum for engagement of key stakeholders (traditional and non-traditional) in agreeing on identified Priority Action Areas as for too long, many key stakeholders have not been able to communicate effectively in the same space.iv. Highlighting the interconnectedness of the four main themes of FNS and the potential roles for a wide range of stakeholders in making advances in creating and improving institutions, processes and outcomes. In addition, the Symposium is expected to support broader long- term goals. By 2030, Trinidad and Tobago also strives to attain the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (see Figure 1), all of which impact on the country’s FNS, to varying degrees. 19

Figure 1: Sustainable Development GoalsSource: United Nations. 2018. Accessed April 10, 2018.http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2015/12/s Sustainable-development-goals-kick-off-with-start-of-new- year.3. Conceptual FrameworkFNS assumes the existence of available food, which persons can afford to access. Food mustbe safe and consumed in a nutritious way. The ability to provide this food locally and havephysical access to safe food has to be sustained over time. These overarching concepts areshown in Figure 2 below.•Food production •Economic access,•Net trade including prices and market operations,•Food stocks incomes •Physical access Availability Access•Energy and Utilization Stability •Unemployment nutrient intake •Trade disruptions•Food safety •Climate change•Food preparation impacts and diet •Global economic crises 20

Figure 2: The Four Pillars of Food and Nutrition Security Source: Modified from FAO 2018 “An Introduction to the Basic Concepts of Food Security” http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/al936e/al936e00.pdfIn addition to building on the national goals identified in the Vision 2030, the Symposium alsodraws on recommendations of the CARICOM Regional Food and Nutrition Security Policyand Action Plan, adopted regionally in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Member States areexpected to design national agricultural as well as food and nutrition policies, which areharmonised with the CARICOM agenda. 4. Key ChallengesThere are several challenges which exist in achieving FNS, but the FFA has identified severalkey areas based on previous stakeholder engagement and sector plans. These are: i. Poor water management (severe water shortages alongside flooding) ii. Poorlinks between production and value-added production iii. Lack of good agricultural practices (limitations on trade) iv. Lack of political will in coordination of agencies to improve FNS v. Low levels of research and development in industry to drive use of local produce vi. Low technology use and low productivity (including use of marginal lands for agriculture) vii. Praedial larceny viii. Poor data collection and analysis ix. No coordinating body on FNS x. Lack of insurance, except at the national level for weather –related disasters 5. Recommendations for ActionBased on feedback from staff of the FFA, the Priority Action Areas in Table 1 were identified,together with whether the action should take place over: (i) Short-Term (2018 to 2020), (ii)Medium-Term (2018-2025), or (iii) Long-Term (2018-2030). These timelines are synced withthose of the Vision 2030 plan for Trinidad and Tobago. 21

Table 1: Suggested Priority Action Areas for Implementation in Trinidad and Tobago Theme Ranked Priority Action Areas Time for (1 = Highest Rank) Implementation Affordability (Short, Medium or (Theme 1) Long-Term) Affordability (Theme 1) 1. Sustainable agricultural practices ShortChanging Systems 2. Facilitate public/private research Medium (Theme 4) and development partnerships MediumFeeding the Future 3. Climate-smart agriculture Long (Theme 3) 4. Infrastructure, including ShortChanging Systems roads, water storage Medium (Theme 4) 5. Data collection and early warning MediumFeeding the Future systems (Theme 3) 6. Water for production Affordability 7. Value chain development (Theme 1) 8. Disaster preparedness MediumChanging Systems (Theme 4) 9. Establish local dietary guidelines Short Healthy Living 10. Spatial use policy Medium (Theme 2)Feeding the Future (Theme 3)In addition, other suggested priority areas include: (1) Food quality and safety; (2) Inter-ministerial committee on FNS; (3) Insurance and credit; (4) Export competitiveness and capacitybuilding; (5) Modernising extension services; and (6) Chronic disease prevention, which mayform part of the overall discussion. These identified Priority Action Areas, as well as ones youmay propose, will be discussed within the following themes: Theme 1: What Can You Afford to Put on Your Plate? This discussion focuses on the “Access” pillar and what persons can afford, physically and economically. This focuses on food prices as well as backyard and peri-urban gardens. Theme 2: Get Up, Get Moving, Eat Well – How Do We Get on the Path of Healthy Living? This discussion focuses on the “Utilization” pillar, and what can be done at the 22

government and private sector level to promote healthy lifestyles.Theme 3: Feeding our Future Food Needs This discussion focuses on the “Availability” pillar, and what general Priority Action Area is needed to generate an increased local production. We already have too much food, too many calories, but we are trying to have more local production and reduce the reliance on imports.Theme 4: Do We Really Need to Think About Climate Change and Global Financial Systems? This discussion focuses on the “Stability” pillar, and what Priority Action Areas are needed to reduce impacts from climate change as well as economic impacts from changing and volatile global financial sectors that impact on the availability of aid, remittances and our income and expense streams.We look forward to your participation in the Symposium. Thank you very much for yourcooperation and response. 23