AS the Caribbean Task Force on Food Safety (CTFS) met for its 2025 Annual Meeting at the Sir Frank Stockdale Building at The University of the West Indies (The UWI), St Augustine on June 3 and 4, member organisations of the CTFS—including The UWI—committed themselves to continue strengthening food safety systems in the Caribbean.
Established by Caricom in 2021 as a technical advisory body under the guidance of the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA), the CTFS is tasked with harmonising food safety measures across the Caribbean. To achieve this, the CTFS works closely with regional and international food safety authorities to identify current and emerging food risks. Once risks are identified, the CTFS coordinates responses and intervention methods by carrying out necessary tests, investing in the resources needed to respond to the identified risks and to fund training programmes for stakeholders identified in the response.
UWI dean of food and agriculture prof mark wuddivira with participants.
As The UWI is a member of the CTFS, Prof Mark Wuddivira, the Faculty of Food and Agriculture (FFA) dean, said The UWI would continue to make its research, testing and human resources capabilities available to support the mission of the CTFS.
Emphasising the importance The UWI has placed on this, Prof Wuddivira stated, “We have an MSc in Agri-Food Safety and Quality Assurance because we know that if food is not safe, it cannot be nutritious and it is not food.”
The Faculty of Food and Agriculture says its postgraduate diploma and MSc programmes in Agri-Food Safety and Quality Assurance serve to educate, train, and do research in food safety and quality for stakeholders who want to upgrade their skills—including farm managers, food processors, food service managers, nutritionists, regulators, public health inspectors, policy makers, importers and exporters. With the CTFS mandate in mind, The UWI says graduates of these programmes are equipped to manage food safety from farm to table, undertake risk analysis and support responses to food safety risks.
Dr Gavin Peters, chief executive officer of the CAHFSA, reiterated that the CTFS mandate of bolstering the region’s food safety and security has been made more urgent by recent regional climate-related disasters, public health threats like Covid-19, and disruptions in global supply chains.
Representatives from Barbados, Grenada, and Jamaica.
Dr Peters explained:
“These realities have highlighted the interdependence between food safety and resilience and the importance of embedding sustainability and consumer trust into our food systems. Resilient agri-food systems must ensure the safety of the food we produce, process, trade, and consume—in normal times and in crisis.”
Apart from undermining public health, Dr Peters noted foodborne illnesses, contamination incidents, and unsafe practices also affect market confidence, food security, and economic development. He called on all organisations at the annual meeting to collaborate to strengthen food safety systems through updated legislation, enhanced surveillance, more thorough inspection, increased laboratory capacity, and investments in emergency response systems.
Issuing a wider call, Dr Peters reminded consumers that they also had a role to play in safeguarding regional food safety. He added, “A resilient food system is not only about producers and regulators… it is also about informed and empowered consumers. People must have the knowledge, tools, and confidence to make safe and healthy food choices.”
To this end, Dr Peters also highlighted public education, labelling transparency, traceability systems and risk communication as essential components of transforming the food system.
Ravi Ratiram, Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, delivers his feature address on June 3.
Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Ravi Ratiram said the presence of regional organisations at the meeting underscored the importance of a unified approach to addressing food safety challenges in the Caribbean. Urging more collaboration, Minister Ratiram said:
“From input suppliers to processors to consumers, from enforcement to education, ensuring the safety of the food we consume requires a broad coalition of stakeholders working together. It is time we move away from siloed discussions and instead bring all stakeholders together to have one conversation that is focused, coordinated and action-orientated.”
He reminded organisations supporting the CTFS’ work that shared responsibility and collective work would build resilient, sustainable agri-food systems. Highlighting the role of The UWI in this effort, Minister Ratiram concluded with thanking some key institutions working together for food safety
“I would like to thank the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA) for its continued leadership in this initiative, as well as our partners at The UWI, St Augustine, and the Ministry of Health for their invaluable support.”
Dr Renata Clarke, the sub-regional coordinator of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), said the CTFS was crucial in “future-proofing” regional food systems. She explained:
“Something that I have underlined on several occasions is the need to future-proof food safety. If we are producing and handling foods in new ways, if our environments and our food systems are changing, we cannot expect the same old programmes and practices to provide an acceptable level of consumer protection.”
In following up with their decisions and plans of action from the meeting, Dr Clarke said the CTFS and its members were responsible for ensuring decision-makers and consumers alike are conscious of the relevance of food safety in the context of the region’s broader political or economic goals.
“The more people understand food safety, recognise the roles of different players and the consequences of poor risk management, the more each individual is likely to constructively engage to ensure that food is safe for everyone, everywhere. In the Caribbean, you (the CTFS) are the catalyst for this consciousness”, said Clarke.
With stronger intra-regional trade a high-level priority for Caricom leaders, she said CTFS activities should get greater buy-in and investments once decision-makers and stakeholders understood that cohesive food safety mechanisms across all countries were operational.
