The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission, in collaboration with the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), and the World University Service of Canada (WUSC), convened a three‑day subregional workshop aimed at strengthening white potato production and marketing across the Eastern Caribbean.

The workshop, held from December 1-3, 2025, brought together approximately fifty technical officers, policymakers, researchers, farmers, and development partners from six participating countries and territories: the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

White potato remains a major staple in the Eastern Caribbean, with the subregion importing 8,842 tonnes valued at USD $7.56 million in 2024. The workshop forms part of a broader regional effort to reduce import dependence, enhance food and nutrition security, and advance the OECS Food and Agriculture Systems Transformation (FAST) Strategy and the CARICOM “25 by 2025 plus five” initiative.

At the Second Special Meeting of the Council of Ministers: Agriculture (COM:AG) on 27 May 2025 in Costa Rica, a request was made to the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) to support a training workshop in white potato production earmarked for the Commonwealth of Dominica.

In her remarks at the opening ceremony, Dr Renata Clarke, Sub‑regional Coordinator of the FAO, underscored the broader significance of the initiative stating:

Representing IICA, Mr Gregg Rawlins highlighted the strategic value of the workshop for regional collaboration, noting:

Delivering remarks on behalf of the OECS Commission, Dr Didacus Jules, Director General of the OECS Comission, emphasised the urgency of reducing external food dependence and accelerating agricultural transformation:

Dominica, the only OECS Member State with over forty years of commercial white potato production experience, continues to play a leading role in regional capacity building. In his feature address, Honourable Jullan Defoe, Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy, stated:

The workshop concluded with a commitment to advance a coordinated regional approach to white potato development, strengthen technical capacity, and support Member States in scaling production to meet domestic demand.

The outcomes of the workshop will contribute to the development of a regional strategic framework for white potato production, aligned with national priorities and the broader FAST Strategy. This collaborative effort marks a significant step toward reducing food import dependence, enhancing resilience, and building a modern, competitive agricultural sector across the Eastern Caribbean.