The conference officially opened with speeches by Sint Maarten Minister Mrs. Grisha S. Heyliger-Marten, Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunications, and DCALFA Vice President Mr. Shervin Frederick. Both speakers emphasized the importance of food security for the islands, particularly in light of climate change, the region’s high dependence on imports, and the current geopolitical landscape.
Saba Representation
Representing Saba from the Public Entity were Commissioner of Agriculture Bruce Zagers, Department Head of Agriculture Randall Johnson, and Project Leader Food Security Niké Dekkers. Funding was provided by the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZ), allowing Saba to bring representatives from the local primary sector to the conference.
Through this sponsorship, local fisherman Ryan Hassell, livestock farmers Matthew Barnes and Shawn Williams, and youth representative in the primary sector Darryl Barnes attended the conference. Their participation allowed them to contribute to discussions on agriculture, livestock, and fisheries from the perspective of active practitioners in the field.
The sponsored participants also attended a training session on the workings and development of cooperatives. Fisherman Ryan Hassell took part in a panel discussion on trade connectivity and food security between the islands.
Conference Activities
The third day of the conference consisted of field visits, giving attendees the opportunity to observe several initiatives currently underway in Sint Maarten’s primary sector. Participants visited school projects featuring hydroponic systems that have been installed at multiple schools, where teachers have also received training to integrate these systems into education programs.
Attendees also toured the organic livestock and crop operation, Arrowroot Farm. In addition, the Saba delegation participated in several workshops focused on topics such as bringing Dutch regional agricultural expertise to the Dutch Caribbean, improving data collection, food security in the current geopolitical landscape, inter-island trade, and sharing best practices in fisheries, agriculture, and animal husbandry across the six Dutch Caribbean islands.
Signing of MoU and Collaboration Declaration
A major milestone highlighted during the conference was the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the six Dutch Caribbean islands. The renewed agreement reaffirms the commitment of all participating islands to continue collaborating and sharing best practices in order to strengthen regional self-reliance.
Commissioner Bruce Zagers signed the MoU on behalf of Saba alongside dignitaries from the other Dutch Caribbean islands.
