Bottom up perspectives in the Caribbean for building food systems centred in local access to food and nutrition adequacy, reducing import bill and adapting to climate change

The International Trade Centre’s (ITC) Alliances for Action (A4A) is an initiative that promotes inclusive and sustainable agricultural value chains through a model that works holistically across targeted agricultural value chains to increase producer resilience to shocks (environmental, economic, social). ITC A4A works with farmers, MSMEs and cooperative enterprises to capture market opportunities through the strategic positioning of diverse agricultural products from the ACP region in the responsible production and consumption market segment. It focuses on the development of value-added products and market innovations to maximize the income generating opportunities in the local, regional and international markets. Through its multi-stakeholder partnerships, it results in coordinated bottom up private public dialogue and investments. The A4A is also a network grouping different actors (producers, processors, buyers, support institutions) into strategic partnerships for market linkages and capacity building within their regional and national operating frameworks. This integrated support addresses aspects of living incomes, producer association competitiveness, agricultural productivity, climate change adaptation and mitigation, value addition and MSME empowerment to embrace change and adapt.  It also fosters producers and MSME resilience and competitiveness through crop, market and income diversification – all factors which will be essential to build resilience to the current COVID-19 crisis.