Presentation from day 1 of: "Policy setting for improved linkages between agriculture, trade and tourism: Strengthening the local agrifood sector and promoting healthy food in agritourism" Workshop organised by the Government of Vanuatu and CTA in collaboration with IICA and PIPSO, Port-Vila, Vanuatu, 25-27 May 2016

1. Ena Harvey
IICA Representative, Barbados
& Agrotourism Specialist
Linking Agriculture and Tourism through Policy Setting
Caribbean-Pacific Forum, May 25-28, 2016 Vanuatu
Global trends and the
Caribbean Experience:
Sharing Policy
Initiatives with
Vanuatu

2. Some Key Messages
 We are at RISK with respect to our food
supply and Chronic Non-Communicable
Diseases (related to changes in our FOOD
CULTURE)
 Small farmers and fisherfolk are critical to
ensuring community food and nutrition
security and sustainable community tourism
based enterprises
 Tourism Ministers must work closely with
Ministers of Agriculture to ensure
sustainability of tourism product, increase
tourism demand through food tourism and
reduce foreign exchange expenditure on
imported food

3. 3
• Food security exists
when all people, at all
times, have access to
sufficient, safe and
nutritious food to
meet their dietary
needs and food
preferences for an
active and healthy life.

6. Tourism Value Chain
Farm to Table & Gift Shop & Spa
Tourism – local and export market for products and services of
agriculture and rural sector

7. Global Travel & Tourism
Statistics (Ref: WTTC)
 Travel & Tourism generated US$7.6 trillion (10%
of global GDP) and 277 million jobs (1 in 11 jobs)
for the global economy in 2014.
 Travel & Tourism growing at a faster rate than
both the wider economy and other significant
sectors such as automotive, financial services and
health care.
 In 2015, international tourist arrivals also surged,
reaching nearly 1.14billion and visitor spending
more than matched that growth.

8. Global Trends in Agritourism
 Agritourism has exploded everywhere in the world and it
represents a viable source of employment and income for
smallholders and estate owners in many countries, in all
continents.
 Italy: Agritourism has become a mass phenomenon,
involving thousands of farms and moving millions of
tourists, and agritourism operators have net farm incomes
and returns to family labour higher than the normal farmers

9. IICA Agrotourism Initiatives (with
partners)
 Regional Strategy for Agrotourism (approved at CWA by
Ministers of the Alliance and COTED)
 OECS Regional Strategy – IICA responsible for
Agrotourism activities
 Regional Food Tourism Strategy (with CTO and OAS
funding)
 CWA 2013: Seminar on Investment in Agrotourism
 Annual Agribusiness Forum (CTA) – Grenada, 2014
 Caribbean Pacific Forum – Barbados, 2015
 Policy Setting Session
 Chefs’ Development Network
 Knowledge Sharing Platform

10. Benefits of AgroTourism
• Retention of a higher percentage of income by rural
people
• Direct transfer of foreign exchange (poverty
reduction)
• Diversification of farm income while keeping land in
production
• Investment and income earning opportunties for
SMEs - employment of women, families, youth and
indigenous communities
• Value added and retention of origin in rural areas

11. SURINAME- Community Based
Enterprise Development
Sustainable Travel International –
IICA Suriname

12. BRASSO SECO, Trinidad
Creates employment
Brought the
community closer
Attracted the
attention of the
youths and gave
them the opportunity
to be involved in
agro-tourism
development.

13. How do we capitalize on the opportunities
from linkages between Agriculture &
Tourism ?
The facilitation, coordination and growth of
agritourism as a distinct economic activity
requires the emergence of institutions and
partnerships that can coordinate strategic
planning, event management, joint
promotion, advertising campaigns and
information management.

14. AGRO
TOURISM
RURAL &
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
AGRI-FOOD
SYSTEMS
TRADE AND
COMMERCE
FINANCE AND
ECONOMIC
AFFAIRS
ENERGY
AND
ENVIRONMENT
HEALTH
TOURISM
A MULTI-SECTORAL APPROACH

15. Policies and
Supporting
Institutions
Studies, Research &
Development
Initiatives,
Best Practices
and
investments
GAPS still exist in:
• Sustainable Trade Linkages
• Removal of intra-regional barriers
• Investment in production and agro-
industry
• Incentives to source locally and
intra-regionally
• Skills development, training and
institutional strengthening
• Certification and accreditation
• Investment promotion in new
events, sites and attractions
• Risk management and insurance
• Linking of Innovation to Trade
Policy across the Value Chain
Current Status of Caribbean AT

16. Other Initiatives
 OECS Regional Plan of Action for Agriculture 2012 – 2022
 CAFAN-CABA: Regional Farmers Association and Regional
Agribusiness Association: CASSAVA products
 Healthy Caribbean Coalition: HealthyCaribbean.org
 Prime Ministers 2008 – Port of Spain Declaration
 National Commission for CNCDs
 Heart & Stroke Foundation- Barbados
 Barbados: BAS-BHTA-BMA: MoU
 Barbados: IDB-MIF $4 million project to link SMEs with tourism

17. SLHTP
 Infrastructure development
 Funding mechanism
 Product development on traditional
activity
 Multi-stakeholder design and planning
& Institutional support
 Use of common property resources
 Participatory planning
 Capacity building and skills
development
 Community leadership
 Local economic linkages – multiplier
effects
 Tourism impact management
Anse La Raye Fish Fry, St. Lucia

18. We take the traditional recipes for making cassava
bread and update them for modern tastes.
Source: http://www.plaskassav.com

19. L to R: Raw grated cassava, cassava wedges,
cassava chunks, cassava crinkle-cut fries
Dasheen and frozen
dasheen chunks Sweet Potato chunks, crinkle-
cut fries and waffle fries
TTABA

20. Convenient forms of Cassava in
Latin America
Pollo
Tropical
RostiPollo

21. Caribbean Culinary Festivals,
Tours and Events
 Antigua – Mango Festival
 Bahamas – Pineapple festival, Seafood and
Wine (NEW!)
 Barbados – Taste of Barbados, Oistins Fish
Garden, AgroFest Plantation Breakfast
 Belize – Taste of Belize, Toledo Cacao
Festival
 Dominica – Creole Festival, Kalinago (NEW!)
 Dominican Republic – Mango Festival
 Guyana – Rockstone Fish Festival

22. ... More Food Festivals

23. ...More Food Festivals

24. Farm Tours
Anguilla
Suriname
Dominican
Republic

25. Agrotourism Participatory Model
Mango Valley, Jamaica
Ten women cultivate fresh vegetables in
greenhouses to supply the hotels and
restaurants within a five mile radius of
the community,

26. Mango Valley, Jamaica
Another ten women work in the
factory producing jams, wines,
banana flour and condiments.
Visitors come this community-
based cottage industry which also
serves as community tourism

27. Cooking School, Dominica
JTAS Tours
Cooking Caribbean
flavours and lifestyles:
an open-air culinary
adventure, where
tourists learn about
Dominican flavours and
traditions, Caribbean
delicacies

28. Farm to Table - Goodfellow Farms,
Bahamas

29. Argentina

30. Recent Developments
Jamaica: Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment: Tourism Linkages Hub
 Approved by Cabinet decision and established in June 2013 to fulfill
the ministry’s mandate to create and sustain linkages throughout
productive industries. The hub is funded by the Ministry of Tourism
and Entertainment’s Tourism Enhancement Fund
 ‘Agro-Tourism Farmers Market’ in the resort area of Negril, aimed at
boosting the link between tourism and agriculture and promoting
the consumption of local produce.
 “We have provided a livelihood for 35 farmers who otherwise, would
not have been selling at a market. The first market we reported, J$14
million was exchanged”

31. Jamaica Tourism Linkages Hub
 Support, facilitate and monitor the
development of efficient marketing and
distribution systems for local products
and services required by tourism
entities
 Increase market awareness and
intelligence of the targeted sectors
through research and analysis
 Facilitate and monitor the development
of more effective and efficient
information and communication
systems to support relationship
building and trade between local
suppliers of goods and services, and
tourism entities

32. Jamaica Tourism Linkages Hub
 Harness and harmonize existing mechanisms and
initiatives being undertaken by business associations,
ministries and agencies in an effort to improve the
business environment for buyers and suppliers
 Contribute and provide support to the development
of viable economic and fiscal policies across industries
and sectors to strengthen and facilitate linkages
 Create opportunities for deeper facilitation of linkages
between the Entertainment and Tourism sectors
 Facilitate opportunities for better networking,
information-sharing and communication across
sectors