Chairperson
Representatives of the: Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN; Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA); United States Department of Agriculture/Animal and Plant Health International Services (USDA/APHIS)
Senior Officials of Member States and Associate Members of the Caribbean Community
Representatives from the DR, Aruba, Martinique and Guadeloupe;
French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD);
CARDI, UWI, UG, CABI

Good morning.

On behalf of the Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the CARICOM Secretariat and to this Second Meeting of the Caribbean Plant Health Directors. I recall one year ago you met with the intent of establishing a plant health forum in which policy and technical issues can be discussed in a cohesive manner and from which you would formulate recommendations which could facilitate trade through the safeguarding of agriculture and the environment from the threat of pests and diseases.

The global environment in which you first met has deteriorated and, in the Region, we have been increasingly witnessing the impact triggered by the escalations of food, agricultural inputs and fuel prices. Exacerbating this situation is the fact that we are yet to determine and cannot predict with certainty the true impact of the global and national financial crisis now unfolding before us. What we can say with certainty is that there is greater need for us to produce an increasing share of the food we consume and we must ensure that our people have access to that food we produce. In short, we must address our national and regional food security goals amidst these unfurling globally worrisome events.

Today’s and tomorrow’s challenges for food production and specifically for plant health relate to the rate of introduction and establishment of new, economically or environmentally damaging plant pests, diseases and invasive species. There is a steady increase in the volume and diversity of trade in plant material and therefore the possibility for the development of many more pest pathways inclusive of the impact of climate change, which may also increase the ability of some pests to establish and spread throughout our Region.

In the context of increasing globalisation of trade in plants and plant products, and the paucity of national resources in the phytosanitary area, plant health policy-makers, inspection services, scientists and researchers face significant challenges in defining the right mix of legislation and technical and financial resources that allows for the protection at their borders, and the efficient management of exotic and quarantine plant pests and invasive species within our borders.

The key to protection and management is science and research and science as they provide support in a range of activities. Plant health legislation requires sound scientific justification. There is thus the need for research which provides the data to determine the levels of risk that plant pest may pose. And as products move from border to border there is need for surveillance and monitoring data which allows us to comply with legislation. Laboratory and field research should provide the detection and identification necessary for early containment, eradication or prevention.

Research in itself is expensive. The pool of expertise is small and national budgets for agricultural research is typically low in the Region. Hence cooperation among Member States, and between and among funding agencies which operate within the Region must be a priority if we are to meet the shared goals of addressing current and future plant health challenges.

As I look at the agenda you have set for this Meeting I am reassured that this forum has kept its momentum and achieved much over the last year towards the objective of coherence and coordination in our approach to addressing the issues of plant health and its policy. The coordinated efforts (technical and financial) of the Regional and international organizations have allowed you to establish a series of technical working groups, The working groups have focused on the collection and compilation of data which will provide for the analyses needed for making the relevant recommendations for improving policy regulations, and the sharing of information as we facilitate production and trade across our borders.

Your challenge therefore is to continue to: 1. Assess the international, regional and national environment 2. Strategize on how to minimize the threats posed by thousands of plant pests and diseases which impact on food security 3. Make recommendations for adoption of regional and national policies in coordinating common approaches to manage the existing and emerging threats in the context of intra and extra regional trade. 4. Improve on the approaches to ensuring the sustainability of this forum.

In closing, the Caribbean Community expresses its sincerest thanks for the continued partnership of the USDA/APHIS, the FAO and IICA in this initiative.

I also want to recognize the work being done by Ms. Margaret Kalloo.

Thank you all and may I wish you success in your deliberations.