An overview of agricultural information services in the

Caribbean

Presented by:Kathryn Duncan

Information & Communications SpecialistIICA Office in Trinidad and Tobago

The Caribbean Region

Antigua & BarbudaThe BahamasBarbadosDominicaThe Dominican RepublicGrenadaGuyana

HaitiJamaicaSt. Kitts & NevisSaint LuciaSt. Vincent & the GreandinesSurinameTrinidad & Tobago

CARICOM (Caribbean Common Market) and IICA

Member States

Agriculture in the CaribbeanAgriculture had fallen in stature as a mainstay of the

economy and way of life however, with the effects of globalization, agriculture is once again being seen as a key contributor to or a source of: Food securityExport earningsPoverty alleviationSustainable development

Regional studies on agricultural information needs

Needs assessment of agricultural information needs in the Caribbean. CTA/CARDI. 2005.Available on www.anancy.net

Inventory and assessment of agricultural information systems in the Caribbean region. IICA. 2007 Introduces the rationale and framework for an M&E system

that will try to pull all types of information together in a common framework to provide a more holistic analysis of the “situation in agriculture” in the Caribbean.

Inventory of information sources and resources by country.

General Statement

Inspite of several national and regional efforts, current information and intelligence systems in agriculture are weak, incomplete, non-integrated, with poor linkages between their various components. ‘Information’ one of the major binding constraints in the

Jagdeo Initiative; MoAs still have underdeveloped capacity for building

and managing information systems; Regional organisations still experience difficulties in

sustaining regional information systems.

Issues and ChallengesNon-existent or weak information policiesFailure to sustain regional information networksCoordination and reactivation of national networks has varying

success:Dom. Rep; Guyana; Jamaica; Suriname; Trinidad and

TobagoGaps in information Lack of qualified professionals in information unitsUnderstaffed “one-person” unitsSome limitations on ICT infrastructureThere is still a lack of understanding and appreciation of

‘what’ and ‘why’ information is needed

General Statement

Actors in the agri-food chain engage in a continuous search for information. That information must be credible, timely and must add value to the knowledge, experience and sometimes ‘gut feelings’ of policy makers, entrepreneurs, input and service suppliers and other actors in the chain.

Agricultural information needs as defined by sector1

Science of agriculture and food production Trade market information & market intelligenceBusiness finance & risk managementSocio-economic informationEnvironment impact and intensive natural resource

useAudience targeted information – conferences,

training, trade fairs, etc.

1 Inventory and Assessment of Agricultural Information Systems in the Caribbean Region - 2007

The UsersPolicy makersResearchersExtension personnelInformation professionalsProducersConsumersThe Media

The Providers Ministries of AgricultureNational Libraries/Documentation CentresResearch OrganizationsAcademic InstitutionsAgricultural agencies (international, regional and

national)Networks, Industry Associations, Farmer OrganizationsThe Media

Ministries of Agriculture Information Units, Communications and PR

Departments, Extension & Training Divisions, Planning Division

Typically - traditional library, or ‘documentation centre’ Strong in collection of information, generation of information products, history of service, personnel and ICT equipment.

Capacity for training and audio-visual documentation and presentation of information.

Ministries of Agriculture Other smaller libraries may also exist in specialised

organisations: research stations; commodity specific research and extension organisations such as sugar, coffee and cocoa; banana; dairy; cattle or small ruminants.

Generally, these units have operated under human and financial resource limitations.

Qualified staff, if present, are generally persons with information and library science background.

Repackaging of information to meet the specific needs of the various consumers of agricultural information is done outside of this system.

Academic Libraries

Well-established university libraries -Barbados, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica,

Suriname, Trinidad and TobagoResearchers, students, other libraries

Loans, inter-library loans, document delivery services, OPAC, library instruction, research consultations, reference services, reprographic services, etc. online databases, websites, public education

Regional/International Agencies Strong presence of regional and international agriculture

organizations in most Member States, e.g.Caribbean Agricultural Research & Development Institute

(CARDI)Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)

Researchers, consultants; students; farmers; other organizations; general public

Access to a wealth of information sources and resources – local, regional and international

Training and technical cooperation activities

Market Information SystemsGrenada: Marketing and National Importing Board (MNIB)Jamaica: Agri-Business Information System (ABIS)Trinidad and Tobago: National Agricultural Marketing

Information System (NAMIS)Participate in the Marketing Information Organization of the

Americas (MIOA)The National Agricultural Marketing and Development

Corporation (NAMDEVCO – NAMIS) is the current Chair of the MIOA

www.namistt.com

www.abisjamaica.com.jm

www.radajamaica.com.jm

Directory of SourcesDirectory of Caribbean Agricultural Information

Sources. 2009Association of Caribbean University, Research and

Institutional LibrariesCoverage: English, French, Spanish and Dutch-

speaking CaribbeanScope: Local offices of international and regional

organizations; Ministries of Agriculture; Chambers of Commerce; Development Banks; Foundations; Farmers Associations; Rural NGOs, Libraries and Documentation Centres; Statistical Offices

Limited print run – available on UWI website in November 2009

The MediaPlays a key role as an information provider

TV, radio and newspapers – first and only point of information for many agri producers and general consumers

Media-Agriculture sector relationship varies from country to countryMost report an increased coverage of agriculture

stories by the media from issues/challenges to Government projects and agribusiness success stories

Efforts to strengthen this relationship:Workshops – Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago, Brussels…

ICTsInfrastructure

Generally very good access in MoAs, most institutions, homes and Internet cafes. Some countries still have problems of access – e.g. in rural areas.

Usage Internet, TV, Radio widely used for disseminating and

accessing information and news.Heavy use of cell phones – formal and informal information

networksContent generation

Websites – present – but not always current Web 2.0 tools increasing in popularity and use for

developmental, professional and personal use (formal and informal) LinkedIn, Ning, Facebook, Blogger

SIDALC in the Caribbean?10 years behind?

Need to fit the pieces of the puzzle together!

SIDALC in the Caribbean?Dominican Republic

Red de Documentación e Información Agropecuaria y Forestal-REDIAF 2000

Jamaica Agricultural Documentation and Information Network

(JADIN) - 1999Trinidad & Tobago

Agricultural Library and Information Network of Trinidad and Tobago (ALINTT) – 2009 revitalisation

SIDALC in the Caribbean? Need to revisit the creation/reactivation of national networks – no matter

how small; Increase communication and interaction among national networks

Share experiences Build capacities

Increase collaboration to address problems of scarce resources Forge linkages with other stakeholders and the media to have access to

a wider range of information that exists Forge partnerships with some of our ‘traditional users’ who are now

sources of information themselves Need to be more innovative and creative as to how we gather, create

and store information and how we disseminate this to users – beAring in mind the technogogies now widely available and accessible.

THANK YOU.