2015年-世界发展银行全球_Linking_Farmers_and_Agro-processors_to_the_Tourism_Industry_in_the_Eastern_Caribbean_78页_37mb

Summary of "Linking Farmers and Agro-processors to the Tourism Industry in the Eastern Caribbean"

Core Content

This report, published by the World Bank in October 2015, explores opportunities to strengthen linkages between agriculture and the tourism industry in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). It highlights the potential for a more dynamic and entrepreneurial agricultural sector to drive sustainable development, especially through better integration with tourism demand and local markets. The report outlines key findings and recommendations aimed at improving the competitiveness of the agricultural sector by enhancing supply chain linkages, promoting youth involvement, and supporting agro-processing.

Main Findings

• Tourism as a Driver of Agricultural Demand: Tourism is a significant driver of food demand in OECS countries, with hotels accounting for about 60% of fresh food purchases. However, most fresh food is imported, and local production has limited capacity to meet this demand.

• Potential for Local Substitution: Locally produced fruits and vegetables have the greatest potential to substitute for imported produce due to high local demand, competitive costs, and suitability for small-scale farming. Some fish and seafood also show promise, while meat, poultry, and dairy products have limited short-term potential.

• Challenges in Agricultural Supply Chains:

  • Small-scale farms lack the infrastructure, equipment, and management skills needed to supply hotels consistently and competitively.
  • Poor market information and weak aggregation mechanisms (e.g., contract farming, outgrower schemes) lead to suboptimal market performance.
  • Marketing boards in OECS countries often operate at a loss and fail to provide remunerative prices to farmers, limiting private sector involvement.

• High Food Losses: Due to lack of storage and logistics infrastructure, food losses are significant, especially during periods of surplus, which drive down prices and revenues for farmers.

• Economic and Social Context:

  • OECS countries face high poverty and youth unemployment rates.
  • Agriculture remains a key employer, particularly in rural areas.
  • The sector is underdeveloped and faces challenges such as small farm sizes, climate change, limited water supply, and weak institutional support.

• Tourism Seasonality: The tourism industry is highly seasonal, with peak demand during the winter months (December to April) and a significant drop during the summer. This affects the availability and price of local agricultural products, as supply is more limited during the dry season, which coincides with the high tourist season.

• Agro-processing Underdeveloped: The agro-processing industry is in its infancy, with entrepreneurs needing better skills, knowledge, and access to financing to develop viable businesses and link with farmers and markets.

Key Recommendations

1. Private Sector-Led Aggregation of Smallholder Produce

• Promote Contract Farming: Establish a combined production-marketing system where private sector off-takers purchase from small producers, offering input supply, financing, and technical assistance.
• Support Producer Organizations: Encourage the best-performing farmer groups to act as aggregators, while also inviting other private actors (e.g., traders, agro-processors) to play this role.
• Use of ICT Platforms: Develop ICT platforms to match supply and demand by collecting data on hotel requirements and agricultural production.
• Matching Grant Mechanism: Implement a matching grant system to finance viable aggregation schemes and provide technical assistance to both aggregators and producers.

2. Advancing Farming Through Young Entrepreneurial Farmers

• Capacity Building and Vocational Training: Launch a competitive vocational training program for young individuals (16–35) to develop skills in modern agricultural techniques, horticulture, business, and ICT.
• Enterprise Start-up Program: Provide financing, technical advice, and mentorship to young farmers to establish innovative agricultural enterprises. Preference is given to those using climate-smart practices and producing high-value or perishable goods.
• Local and Regional Marketing Support: Assist participants in marketing their products within the region and beyond.

3. Promoting Agro-processing

• Skills Development: Focus on training in financial literacy, marketing, food safety, quality control, and packaging to improve the competitiveness of agro-processing.
• Investments and Alliances: Encourage alliances between agro-processors and farmers, as well as with technical and financial partners. Formal contracts are essential to ensure consistent supply and quality.

4. Laying the Ground for Concrete Interventions

• Additional Analysis Needed: Conduct studies on key products, market scoping, intra- and extra-regional market potential, logistics constraints, and the yachting industry's food supply chain.
• Policy and Institutional Reforms: Strengthen institutional support, improve agricultural extension services, and create a more favorable investment climate to support the sector's development.

Conclusion

The report emphasizes the need for a strategic approach to enhance agricultural competitiveness in the OECS by leveraging the tourism industry. It advocates for private sector-led solutions, youth empowerment, and improved agro-processing to create a more resilient and sustainable agricultural sector. The proposed interventions aim to reduce reliance on food imports, improve market access, and support local economic growth through better linkages between agriculture and tourism.