Amexcid-FAO-Embassy of Mexico joint mission to Saint Lucia and Dominica

Amexcid-FAO-Embassy of Mexico joint mission to Saint Lucia and Dominica

• The visit was part of the Mexico-CARICOM-FAO Cooperation Initiative on Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience in the Caribbean.
• The visit also addressed aspects of the upcoming 5th Mexico-Caricom Summit.

A joint Amexcid-FAO mission visited Saint Lucia and Dominica from March 20-24 to hold follow-up meetings and observe the results of the Mexico-Caricom-FAO initiative on Cooperation for Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change in the Caribbean.

The delegation was made up of Laura Elena Carrillo, Executive Director of the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (Amexcid); Gloria Sandoval, Director General for Projects Abroad; José Alfredo Galván, Coordinator for Social-Human and Sustainable Development; Mexico's ambassador in Saint Lucia, Luis Manuel López; and Jacinto Buenfil, Coordinator of the FAO Resilient Caribbean Initiative.

The Mexico-Caricom-FAO initiative, "Cooperation for Adaptation and Resilience to Change Climate in the Caribbean" is one of the most important regional and international initiatives promoted by Amexcid.

It is executed at a technical level by FAO and financed by Amexcid and the Mexican Foreign Ministry's Office of the Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights. Among its South-South cooperation projects, there is the Resilient School Meal Program (PAE) - to which the National System for Integral Family Development (SNDIF) also contributes with experiences and good practices - and the Resilient Aquaculture Project for food security and well-being in the Caribbean (AR), to which the Center for Biological Research of the Northwest (Cibnor) contributes its technical experience.

A joint mission traveled to Saint Lucia and Dominica from March 20-24 to observe the progress made there by the PAE and the AR projects.

The delegation visited Saint Lucia from March 20-22, speaking with various authorities and exchanging views on the PAE and the preparations for the upcoming 5th Mexico-Caricom Summit, which will be held in Mexico.

High-level meetings were held with Saint Lucia authorities to observe, provide feedback and discuss ways to improve the results achieved by the School Meal Program, and follow-up sessions were held with the school farms and orchards and the St. Lucia Marketing Board.

The delegation then traveled to Dominica on March 23-24 to continue its program of visits and meetings, including one with Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit to discuss the AR Project and the upcoming 5th Mexico-Caricom Summit.

The delegation visited tilapia and shrimp hatcheries, saw a demonstration of aquaculture and talked with producers to learn about the challenges they face.