Thanks to technical and business development support of an initial USD 118 000  contribution from FAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme, Jamaica secured funding from the United States Department of Agriculture for The Food for Progress Jamaica Spices programme which aimed to increase the quality of Jamaican ginger, turmeric and pimento to meet international standards and increase trade opportunities.  

This five-year US funded project (2022–2027) was implemented by Agricultural Cooperative Development International and Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (ACDI/VOCA) and was fully aligned with FAO’s Strategic Framework and Programme Priority Areas. It was supported by a USD 20 million grant. Up to March 2025, the project reported secured clean planting for spice cultivation, increased sales target achieving USD 3.9 million in sales, conducted training and organizational support for 14 farmer-based organizations made up of 15  farmers each, and helped farmers reduce damage from Hurricane Beryl by 40 percent compared to others in the spice sector.  

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