From OECS Communications 

By Danny Moonie Communications / Knowledge Management Specialist, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States

The influxes of sargassum affect us all in the Wider Caribbean Basin. Join the conversation about building value chains as a sustainable solution

WHAT: 2ND EU-CARIBBEAN GLOBAL GATEWAY CONFERENCE ON SARGASSUM 

Theme: ‘Turning the Tide: Sustainable Practices and Economic Opportunities for Sargassum in the Caribbean Basin’

WHO: Prime Minister of Grenada the Honourable Dickon Mitchell and other Ministers of the Government of Grenada, Mr Felix Fernandez-Shaw, Director, European Commission, Directorate-General for International Partnerships, Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). 

WHEN: October 1-2, 2024 

WHERE: Radisson Grenada Beach Resort 

WHY: ​ Since 2011, countries within the Wider Caribbean Basin have wrestled with the growing inundations of sargassum on their coasts. This phenomenon has a substantial economic impact in sectors like tourism and fisheries and poses public health risks.

This event will host over 250 participants to drive dialogue, action and investment in Sargassum valorisation and the development of value chains at scale to meet the magnitude of the challenge. The conference will generate a comprehensive conversation to understand the building blocks of a sustainable value chain: Research & Innovation, Enabling Environment, and Transformation. The event will explore the latest on research, monitoring and forecasting, prevention and containment, collection and harvesting, treatment, valorization and/or use, and disposal of sargassum biomass.  

The meeting will bring together Ministers and public authorities from Caribbean and Latin American countries and European Overseas Countries and Territories and Outermost Regions, as well as the private sector financing institutions, the scientific community, and non-governmental organizations. It will connect the different actors to identify opportunities for investments and partnerships to support public initiatives and commercial operations targeting the different stages of a Sargassum value chain. 

This conference is an initiative under Global Gateway, the European Union’s strategy to boost investments that generate smart, clean and secure value chains across the world.

To register your interest in attending, please email  [email protected].