Sustainable agriculture, free of hazardous chemicals, is essential for the preservation of the environment and the production of safe and nutritious food in small islands developing states (SIDS). With funding from GEF, FAO is supporting nine SIDS in the Caribbean, transitioning towards sustainable agriculture.

The five-year project “Implementing Sustainable Low and Non-Chemical Development in Small Island Developing States - ISLANDS” will bring together governments and other stakeholders from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. ISLANDS will work on the development and implementation of regional legislations on chemicals and waste management, including technical tools and awareness raising materials with a combination of global, regional and national solutions to prevent new HHPs stocks and improve management of waste and pollutants. It will also eliminate persistent organic pollutants and highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) stocks; the project seeks to reduce by 220 metric tons the use of HHPs during its implementation. 

SIDS are an important focus of FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022-2031 and FAO has prioritized its commitment to SIDS through a number of initiatives: 

• The Promotion of Alternatives and Strengthening Pesticides Management in the Caribbean.
• The Hand-in-Hand Initiative, aimed at accelerating agri-food systems transformation and sustainable rural development to eradicate poverty.
• The 1,000 Digital Villages Initiatives, to transform villages into digital hubs to support agri-food systems transformation.
• The SIDS Solutions Forum in agriculture, a biennial event to foster the exchange of ideas, methodologies and technologies among SIDS. The high level meeting focused on how increased innovation and digitalization can help to achieve the SDGs and the SAMOA Pathway priorities. 

With the ISLANDS project and these initiatives, FAO supports SIDS to transform towards Sustainable Low and Non-Chemical Development contributing to the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems for better production, better nutrition, better environment and a better life for all, leaving no one behind.

FAO will work closely with the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for the Caribbean (BCRC-Caribbean). A new operational partnership agreement was signed between the two organizations to manage and eliminate toxic chemicals and waste in agriculture.

A meeting between the Director of FAO Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP), Mr Jingyuan Xia and the Director of the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for the Caribbean, Ms Jewel Batchasingh took place on March 2, 2023. The meeting provided a good opportunity to discuss ongoing FAO support to Caribbean countries and ensure successful implementation of ISLANDs project in the future. The discussions also surrounded the exchange of knowledge on the NSP and the BCRC-Caribbean’s operations, and opportunities for collaboration.