The 121st Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED – Agriculture) has been hailed a success, with regional leaders agreeing to three landmark measures designed to transform intra-regional trade and strengthen food security across the Caribbean.
Chairman of the meeting, Barbados’ Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Indar Weir, said the decisions taken would empower farmers, agribusinesses, and regional supply chains.
Among the agreements reached were: a pre-clearance mechanism for goods, aimed at simplifying and harmonising customs processes to allow freer movement of goods within CARICOM; a regional risk analysis framework, ensuring clarity, transparency, and consistency in how agricultural risk assessments are conducted, reducing barriers to trade; and an e-agriculture strategy, enabling electronic sharing of market information and the online marketing of agricultural goods, creating more efficient regional markets.