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The Caribbean Agriculture Research & Development Institute is hosting a five- workshop in Belize. The subject is something called ASTI – the Agriculture, Scientific, Technology and Innovation systems. Now Belize is not a place necessarily known for agricultural innovation – but according to Juliet Francis at the Technical Center for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation – like all countries in the African Caribbean and Pacific – Belize is failing to compete so it must get the science.

Juliet Franics,
“Whether it is in Africa, whether it as in the Caribbean, whether it was in the Pacific it was the same thing. Little innovation is taking place within the agriculture section. The ACP region is losing their traditional markets. Our focus is on empowerment of the scientific community.”

Norman Gibson, CARDI
“This entire workshop is focused on a system of thinking that is referred to as agriculture science and technology innovation systems and varies from what people in science and agriculture have been working on over the years which is essentially that researchers sit in one place, they come up with technologies and scientific innovations and through the process of extension, they bring those things to the farmers. What we recognize is that over the years that has not worked and what is required is everybody should really sit together and learn from each other.”

The facilitators from CTA and CARDI are expected to conduct a case study in Belize on a specific agriculture component following the trainers workshop.