Caribbean: Strategic review of the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency

With the support of COLEACP, the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA) is undergoing significant changes to ensure that it fulfils its mandate and maximises the value it offers to member countries. CAHFSA’s role is particularly important in the current context of a global pandemic; the increasing importance of non-tariff barriers and agricultural nationalism; threats to food security; and the need to rapidly diversify and expand exports from the Caribbean region.

For CAHFSA to contribute effectively to addressing these issues, an updated strategic direction was needed, to ensure that the agency’s mandate and actions are aligned with the needs of its members and its medium-term objectives, while setting ambitious but realistic high-level goals. An online strategic review working session took place on 7 September with CAHFSA’s main stakeholders, to capture the needs and ambitions of the plan, and to shape the future of the agency in an appropriate way. The objective was to lay the foundations for a new strategic direction for the organisation, focusing on creating value for members and ensuring the financial and operational sustainability of the agency.

A group of 16 participants shared their views on the effect of the environment on the agency, to identify opportunities and threats. They discussed internal strengths and weaknesses and concluded by defining the agency’s ambition.
This virtual session was the first opportunity in over five years for stakeholders to discuss CAHFSA’s strategic direction. COLEACP expert Miguel Camacho, emphasised the value of the highly engaged and active dialogue between participants and the importance of such activities for CAHFSA’s future.

This activity is supported by the Fit For Market SPS programme, implemented by COLEACP within the Framework of Development Cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union.