Tuesday, March 23, 2021 — Financed by the European Regional Cooperation Funds, Interreg Caribbean V, a consortium “Caribbean and Amazonian Bioeconomic Network” -CambioNet-, has been formed around INRAE ​​Antilles-Guyane, which brings together the main R&D, extension and agricultural consulting organizations from 10 countries.

The launch of this project for the agro-ecological and bioeconomic transition and the agri-food and economic performance of the Caribbean/Amazon Region will take place on Friday 26 March from 9:00 am.

Agriculture plays a major role in the stability and economic and social development of the countries and territories of the Amazon and Caribbean zone. Mainly made up of small farms representing more than 70% of the agricultural fabric, this sector must nevertheless face challenges that are at the heart of the major issues of the coming decades: ensuring food security, supporting ecological, climate and energy transitions and preserving biodiversity.

The project aims to provide concrete and innovative solutions to these challenges by supporting the bio-economic modernisation of small farms in their multi-functional dimension. This task force is committed to a common strategy to contribute to the objectives of sustainable development in the region.

Resources to match this ambition

CambioNet’s activities will be deployed in three main geographical areas including the Amazon Basin (Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago), the Lesser Antilles (OECS member countries including Guadeloupe and Martinique), the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Dominican Republic and Haiti).

With a total budget of nearly €8M, the CambioNet project benefits from €5.9M of public funding, including €3.8M from the ERDF, €2.1M from the EDF and €0.12M from the UNDP, on the one hand, and €2M of private funding on the other.

An ambition for food security in these areas

In particular, CambioNet will focus on :

• diagnosing bio-resources and innovative techniques in the field of agroecology, agro-processing and bioeconomy;
• developing innovative pilot systems via an inter-regional network of connected innovation platforms (Living Labs) and start-ups;
• establishing an inter-regional network for dissemination and agricultural advice;
• providing a common digital library for the dissemination of knowledge, good practice, and training/learning modules etc.; and
• providing public decision-makers with decision-making tools to strengthen the effectiveness of public agricultural policies adapted to the diversity of our regions.

The CambioNet project is part of the European Union’s Axis 5 strategy “Protecting and enhancing the natural and cultural environment in the Caribbean”.

The launch of the project will take place on 26 March 2021 at 9 a.m. in the presence of representatives of the main political, economic and social institutions of the cooperation area, as well as representatives of research and extension organisations, and in the presence of the local media, who will be cordially invited.

Kindly RSVP: [email protected]