The Bahamas Becomes the First Caribbean Country to Join the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate Initiative – US Embassy in The Bahamas

U.S. Embassy Nassau and the Government of The Bahamas are pleased to announce the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs decision to join the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) initiative. The Bahamas is the first country in the Caribbean to take this bold step to address climate change through agriculture.

AIM for Climate is a joint initiative of the United States and the United Arab Emirates. U.S. President Biden previewed the initiative at his Leaders Summit on Climate in April 2021. It was advanced at the recent UN Food Systems Summit 2021 and will be officially launched at COP-26 in November 2021. Once launched, AIM for Climate will catalyze greater investment in agricultural research, and encourage transformative climate action in the agricultural sector.

During the UN Food Systems Summit, the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs presented its five-year strategic plan. The plan supports greater diversification in the Blue and Green Economies, as well as long-term sustainable development in The Bahamas. In addition, the Ministry will work with innovative, local partners to increase investment in climate smart agriculture in The Bahamas. Together, innovation and investment can sustainably increase agricultural productivity, improve livelihoods, conserve nature, build resilience to climate change, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

As a Small Island Developing State, the urgency for The Bahamas to join AIM for Climate became clear after the devastating impact of Hurricane Dorian. The Bahamas needs to take bold steps to strengthen the countrys resilience to natural disasters, and committing to the AIM for Climate initiative will accelerate innovation in the research and development of sustainable agriculture and food systems.

The shared success of AIM for Climate will depend largely on equitable representation from all stakeholders. The Inter-American Institute on Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the University of The Bahamas, Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Research Centre have committed to being knowledge partners for this initiative. Likewise, the U.S. Embassy and the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs will work together and invite others to join in efforts to combat climate change and transform The Bahamas food systems.

For more details on this initiative, please email: foodsystems@bahamas.gov.bs

By U.S. Embassy Nassau | 26 October, 2021 | Topics: News, Press Releases

Read the original:

The Bahamas Becomes the First Caribbean Country to Join the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate Initiative - US Embassy in The Bahamas