Executive Director meets new Barbados Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development

The Executive Director of the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), Dr Arlington Chesney, on January 23, 2008 met with the recently appointed Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator, the Hon Haynesley Benn. He extended the Institute’s well wishes to the Government and People of Barbados, and also extended sincerest congratulations to Minister Benn on his appointment which automatically made him a Member of CARDI’s Board of Governors (BOG).

At the meeting, Dr Chesney updated the Minister on the Institute’s new approach of conducting business by way of consultative process with stakeholders and clients, to ensure that they contribute to the development of CARDI’s Medium Term Plan (MTP) 2008-2010 and Annual Work Programme (AWP). This would ensure that they are consistent with national programs of Member Countries. He emphasised that this new approach by the Institute is guided by three pillars; namely ‘bottom-up’ or client-led, working together, and transparency and accountability.

To his end, CARDI has been actively hosting National Consultations in all of its Member Countries on Agricultural R&D with all stakeholders led by the Ministers of Agriculture. The aim of this initiative by CARDI is to ensure stakeholders and clients are proactively involved in the development and ownership of the Institute’s MTP and AWP. This will allow CARDI to have a more aggressive, and proactive programme for working with its Strategic Partners through the development of research chains, greater integration of programmes during implementation, and make greater use of our physical presence in each Member Country.

This approach is intended to enhance CARDI’s contribution to increased production and productivity in the agricultural sector with consequential reduction in food prices.

The Executive Director also took the opportunity to brief the Minister on the decisions taken by the BOG with respect to liabilities to staff for the period 2002-2004, in the context of the capacity of Member Countries to finance CARDI, and the time required by the very Institute to become and Institute of Excellence that could readily obtain external funding.

The Minister noted these matters and indicated that he has agreed in good faith to address the situation. Other issues discussed, included World Food Plan of FAO, the Agro Plan, 2003-2015, at the Hemispheric level and the ‘Jagdeo Initiative’ at the Regional level.

In concluding, Dr Chesney thanked Minister Benn for meeting with him at this very early time. He assured the Minister that CARDI has embarked on the journey to build an Institute of Excellence to serve the needs of the Member Countries and the Region.

For more information please contact:
Mr. Selwyn E. King
Public Relations and Communications Manager
CARDI.

29 January 2008

(02/2008)