Brussels Briefing n. 31 Geography of food: reconnecting with origin in the food system 15 th May The Caribbean experience in protecting agricultural agrifood products John Malcom Spence, CARICOM Secretariat

The Caribbean experience in protecting specialty agricultural products “ The challenges of being very small ” Malcolm Spence Brussels, May2013

The Caribbean experience in protecting specialty agricultural products Overview The Caribbean – small, vulnerable, diverse Some Caribbean specialty products Small production volumes, limited market power The location link and its value The IP framework and strategies The Way Forward

What do we mean by “the Caribbean”? Source: caribbean-on-line.com

Defining the Caribbean The 16 CARIFORUM States – Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago

Size, vulnerability and diversity of the Caribbean Small States scattered over a large area Small populations; small internal markets; and small economies High levels of government and public debt Narrow production base and narrow range of exports Hurricane belt and earthquake zone Climate change and sea level rise Cross-roads for people, cultures and cultural expression

Some well-known Caribbean specialty agricultural products Cane sugars, rums and molasses – Barbados sugar (Muscovado) and rum – Demerara sugar and molasses – Dominican Macoucherie rum Bananas – Banano Dominicano, Gros Michel bananas Cocoa and cocoa products – Trinitario beans, Cocoa Ramones, Grenada chocolate

Some well-known Caribbean specialty agricultural products Coffees – Café Valdesia, Café Barahona Peppers and condiments – Scotch Bonnet, Scorpion, Jerk seasoning Tobacco and cigars – Habanos, Cigarro Dominicano Cotton – Sea Island Cotton

Some well-known Caribbean specialty agricultural products Oils and spices – Nutmeg, mace, Bahamas Cascarilla Bark, Grenada Nutmeg Oil, Dominican Bay Oil Fine Starches – St. Vincent Arrowroot Starch Decorative and Craft products – Belizean Xate leaves, Dominican Kalinago handicraft, Guyanese Tibisiri straw products,

Some well-known Caribbean specialty agricultural products In spite of such a diversity of specialty products, few contribute significantly to Caribbean competitiveness and economic growth What are the challenges highlighted by our limited experience?

The Caribbean experience in protecting specialty agricultural products Volumes and markets Most Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee supplied to Japan Most Sea Island Cotton supplied to Italy Demerara sugar supplied to several markets Cuban and Dominican high-end cigars supplied to diverse markets Trinitario cocoa beans supplied to global commodity market

The Caribbean experience in protecting specialty agricultural products The luxury goods market The effect of global recession – Falling prices as consumers switch down (or switch to fast fashion) – Small, marginal producers cease production – Increase in pest and diseases harboured in abandoned areas. – Increasing production input costs (fertilizers, pest control methods)

The Caribbean experience in protecting specialty agricultural products Producer organisations Strong organisation and Government support – All Jamaica Coffee Growers and the Coffee Industry Board; West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association; Guyana Sugar Company; Cuban growers Weak organisation with some Government (or inter-governmental) support – West Indies Sea Island Cotton Association

The Caribbean experience in protecting specialty agricultural products Understanding the location link Abandoning the comfort of the industrial revolution mindset Seeing through the eyes of global consumers Appreciating our cultural and agricultural knowledge and environment Recombining science and the arts to define the terroir

The Caribbean experience in protecting specialty agricultural products Forecasting value differential Defining value chains Finding the contribution of location in the value chain Understanding strategies for ‘value capture’ to move value along the chain back to producers Valuing the spill-over effects

The Caribbean experience in protecting specialty agricultural products The IP Framework and Strategies Inertia of the commercial legislative and regulatory change process Over-reliance on Government action by the private sector Limited understanding of the use of IP as component of competitive strategy

The Caribbean experience in protecting specialty agricultural products The Way Forward 1.Refine procedures for valuing specialty products 2.Strengthen producer organisations and product definitions with location links 3.Develop marketing and distribution strategies 4.Develop defensive strategies using IP system

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The Caribbean experience in protecting specialty agricultural products Thank you for your attention