CWA 2026 Technical Session Highlights: Protecting and Utilizing Regional Germplasm Resources

Regional agricultural scientists and institutions came together during CWA 2026 in Trelawny, Jamaica, to discuss strategies for building resilience through the conservation and commercial utilization of Caribbean crop genetics.

The session featured technical presentations and policy discussions aimed at strengthening regional seed sovereignty, improving plant breeding capacity, and enhancing research collaboration across Member States.

Key Discussion Points:

• Commercial Potential of Caribbean Hot Peppers: Presenters detailed the rich genetic diversity of indigenous Capsicum chinense species across regional collections. Transitioning toward structured hybrid breeding programs offers high-yielding, uniform varieties that can strengthen regional production and succeed in global export markets.
• Preserving Genetic Assets & Infrastructure: The forum highlighted the urgent need for harmonized regional seed policies, upgraded cold storage facilities, digital inventory tracking, and synchronized field trials across islands to ensure crop collections survive natural disasters and climate shocks.
• Reducing Seed Import Dependence: Technical updates from Belize illustrated multi-year evaluation trials for open-pollinated tomato and pepper varieties, demonstrating how locally adapted seed lines can lower production costs for smallholder farmers.