FAO builds monitoring, evaluation system for Caribbean food security

Recognising the importance of monitoring and evaluating the impact of the water-energy-food nexus (WEF) interventions on food security and resource use in agriculture, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has signed a letter of agreement with Dutch institution, Free University Amsterdam to build a framework tailored to the unique context of the Caribbean.

To ensure its practical implementation, representatives from Free University conducted a series of one-day trainings with beneficiary farmers, extension staff and technical officers of the ministries of agriculture in each of the participating countries of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica, and St Kitts and Nevis.

Delivered by Dr Lia van Wesenbeeck and Dr Ben Sonneveld, director and deputy director of the Amsterdam Centre for World Food Studies, respectively, the training guided participants through the framework in the context of increasing resilience to climate-change.

Participants acquired the fundamental concepts of monitoring and evaluation, gaining an in-depth understanding of the Theory of Change, key performance indicators (KPIs), and rubrics. This information allowed attendees to be equipped with the skills to evaluate WEF interventions and business cases. The workshops served as a valuable platform for the sharing of feedback by farmers and ministry staff, ensuring that the monitoring and evaluation tool continually evolves and improves in alignment with the countries’ needs.

Training ‘extremely valuable’

Princess Lee, national project coordinator, said, “This training is extremely valuable for our project beneficiaries. It will ensure that we are tracking the impact of the project’s activities and gives us the information needed to ensure we are meeting targets.”

Karine Smith, project beneficiary, indicated, “This training made me understand the reason for the questions in the first survey. I see why the information and monitoring and evaluation is important to crop production and food security in my country.”

The ‘Mexico-CARICOM-FAO Initiative Cooperation for Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change in the Caribbean’ or ‘Resilient Caribbean Initiative’ aims at improving the resilience and adaptation to climate change of agriculture, food systems and vulnerable communities in Caribbean countries. The initiative advances water resource management to increase agricultural productivity. The project will also address the challenge of the low productivity of small-scale farming by providing technological innovation to agricultural producers.