CONGRESS OF THE CARIBBEAN FOOD CROPS SOCIETY ‘CFCS’ IN GRENADA
14-20th July 2023
The 56th annual congress of the Caribbean Food Crops Society (CFCS) took place at the Grenada Trade Centre, Grand Anse, Grenada, W.I., from July 10 to 14, 2023.(https://www.cfcs1963.org).
The theme was : “Increasing Resiliency of the Food Systems in the Caribbean by Linking and Modernizing Agricultural Extension and Research”.
The congress welcomed around a hundred participants (eue to the constraints imposed by COVID, the CFCS had not met in person since 2019. Negotiations for organizing the congress in Grenada were initiated at the beginning of 2023, leaving very little time for preparation. ) With a strong representation from across the Greater Caribbean (Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Grenada, Saint Vincent, Saint Lucia, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Florida) and other countries (South Africa, China, and Japan). All sessions were broadcast live on the CFCS Facebook page and are fully accessible for viewing.
The day of July 11 was jointly organized by the Caribbean network CAEPNet. Caribbean Agricultural Extension Providers’ Network » and CambioNet project « Caribbean and Amazonian Bioeconomic Network » Around two sessions, one in the morning with CAEPNet on agricultural extension systems, and the other in the afternoon with CambioNet on agricultural innovation systems. The introductory keynote for both sessions was delivered by Dr. Guy Faure from Cirad (UMR Innovation), addressing the necessary evolution of agricultural advisory services to better serve the inovation system in a context of major transitions related to the challenges of adapting to climate change, ensuring food security, and advancing agroecological modernization.
Two panel discussions featuring recognized figures from the Caribbean region concluded each of the two sessions. All abstracts from presentations (oral or posters) will be compiled in the Proceedings of the 56th CFCS and will be made available online very soon.
The CFCS meeting in Grenada also marked the 60th anniversary of the Society’s founding. During this event, Dr. Guy Anaïs, Research Director and retiree from the INRAE Antilles-Guyane Center, was honored, and Dr. Harry Ozier-Lafontaine, Research Director of the INRAE Antilles-Guyane Center, was appointed as the new President of the Caribbean Food Crops Society.