Caribbean agribusiness up for discussion in Washington

Mark Wenner, Lead Financial Specialist in the Capital and Financial Markets Division of the Inter-American Development Bank, will participate in the opening plenary discussion on “Emerging Trade and Investment Opportunities in the Agriculture Sector.”

WASHINGTON, United States, Thursday November 3, 2011 - Policymakers, private sector stakeholders, farmers, and program managers, will come together in Washington on November 11 to prioritize driving the development of the region through emerging investment opportunities and small business enterprises.

Conference chair and Institute of Caribbean Studies board member, Dr. Nsombi Jaja, who serves as the Managing Director at Quality Management Consultancy Co. Ltd., says that this year’s conference aims to reverse the decline of the Caribbean agribusiness sector. “Continued progress of the development of agribusiness in the Caribbean requires not only an increased development of the means of production, but also the steady coordination of that production,” she said. “The implementation of agri-food value chains that are inclusive of Caribbean smallholders is essential in this process.”

Among the key players present at 2011 Invest Caribbean Symposium 13th Annual Caribbean American Leadership Dialogue at the Renaissance Marriott Hotel will be the Inter-American Development Bank.

Senior officers at the Inter-American Development Bank and its sister agency, the Multilateral Investment Fund will participate in the opening and closing panels of the symposium convened by the Institute of Caribbean Studies on the topic “Mining The Agribusiness Value Chain”, aimed at coming up with a trusted mechanism for small businesses to learn how to access resources and leverage financing within the agribusiness sector in the Caribbean.

Mark Wenner, Lead Financial Specialist in the Capital and Financial Markets Division of the Inter-American Development Bank, will participate in the opening plenary discussion on “Emerging Trade and Investment Opportunities in the Agriculture Sector,” and Alejandro Escobar, Senior Investment and Operations Officer at the Multilateral Investment Fund, will provide key information on “Financing The Deal,” the closing panel.

Also bringing a perspective from the Caribbean will be Jamaica Exporters' Association (JEA) general manager, Jean Smith, who will participate in the opening plenary of the Invest Caribbean 2011 symposium.

Smith is expected to bring to bear JEA’s over 45 years of experience in growing Jamaica's exports to enhance national development on the day’s discussions.

Established in 1993, the Institute of Caribbean Studies is a non-partisan organization  dedicated to building bridges with Caribbean Americans and the U.S. population. Together with partner agencies from industry, government and civil society, ICS provides education, advocacy and action on issues impacting Caribbean peoples to enable their survival, growth and prosperity in the ever-changing global marketplace. Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)