NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The nonprofit organization World Central Kitchen (WCK), which uses the power of food to nourish communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond, announced the panel discussion “Creating Resilient Food Systems in the Caribbean”, which was held on Monday, July 19, 2021 at 3pm (AST).
This virtual event, convened by WCK, was free to attend and featured leaders in the industry and region, including Bahamas Minister of Agriculture and Maritime Resources Michael Pintard; Commissioner of Agriculture of the US Virgin Islands Positive Nelson; and Secretary of Agriculture in Puerto Rico Ramón “Pirul” González.
It was moderated by Uriyoán Colón-Ramos, associate professor at George Washington University and a public health nutrition investigator with expertise working in Latin America and the Caribbean. The panel was hosted online in English with simultaneous translation in Spanish.
Through its Food Producer Network, WCK partners with and supports smallholder farmers, fishers and small food-related businesses that produce or distribute food at a local level by providing funding, training and networking opportunities.
The Food Producer Network was established in Puerto Rico in 2018 in response to the 2017 hurricanes that devastated the island and has since awarded over $3.4 million in grants to food producers affected by natural disasters in the Caribbean and Latin America. In 2020, the program expanded its efforts in the USVI, The Bahamas and Guatemala and continues working to support food security throughout the region.
The “Creating Resilient Food Systems” panel brought together key leaders in Puerto Rico, The Bahamas and the USVI to discuss preparedness ahead of this year’s hurricane season. The panelists also discussed how regional governments and organizations can work together to respond to a crisis and to facilitate the recovery process.
“For the last four years, we have been supporting food producers across the region and have connected with each of the panelists in unique ways. In our conversations, we learned there is a great opportunity to learn and cooperate amongst the Caribbean islands,” explained Mikol Hoffman, director of WCK’s Food Producer Network.
“Community is at the heart of everything we do, and we wanted to convene some of our incredible partners to exchange ideas and create a space for collaboration.”
For more information about this event, the Food Producer Network and WCK, visit the Facebook page WCK Food Producer Network or the website wck.org.
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