THE BOTTOM - Saba signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding with the other Dutch Caribbean islands during the second annual DCALFA Conference in Sint Maarten, held from May 25 to 29. More than eighty participants attended the five-day event focused on agriculture, livestock, and fisheries.
Commissioner of Agriculture Bruce Zagers signed the agreement on behalf of Saba. The renewed MoU reaffirms the commitment of all six islands to share best practices and strengthen regional self-reliance in food production.
Saba delegation
The Public Entity was represented by Commissioner Zagers, Department Head of Agriculture Randall Johnson, and Project Leader Food Security Niké Dekkers. Funding from the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZ) enabled four additional participants to attend: fisherman Ryan Hassell, livestock farmers Matthew Barnes and Shawn Williams, and youth representative Darryl Barnes.
Hassell participated in a panel discussion on inter-island trade connectivity and food security. All sponsored participants also attended a training session on the development of cooperatives.
Conference programme
The conference opened with speeches by Sint Maarten Minister Grisha Heyliger-Marten and DCALFA Vice President Shervin Frederick, both stressing the urgency of food security given climate change, import dependency, and the current geopolitical situation.
On the third day, delegates visited several initiatives in Sint Maarten’s primary sector, including hydroponic systems installed at local schools and Arrowroot Farm, an organic livestock and crop operation. Workshops covered topics including inter-island trade, data collection, and best practices in fisheries and animal husbandry.
