World Central Kitchen hosts panel about food resiliency in the Caribbean
World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that uses the power of food to nourish communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond, will hold a panel discussion entitled “Creating Resilient Food Systems in the Caribbean,” on July 19 at 3 p.m.
The virtual event will be free to attend and will feature leaders in the industry and region, including: Michael Pintard, minister of agriculture and maritime resources in The Bahamas; Positive Nelson, commissioner of agriculture of the US Virgin Islands; and Puerto Rico Agriculture Secretary Ramón González.
Uriyoán Colón-Ramos, associate professor at George Washington University and a public health nutrition investigator with expertise working in Latin America and the Caribbean, will moderate the panel that will be in English with simultaneous translation in Spanish.
Through its Food Producer Network, WCK partners with and supports smallholder farmers, fishers and small food-related businesses that produce or distribute food at a local level by providing funding, training, and networking opportunities.
The Food Producer Network was established in Puerto Rico in 2018 in response to the 2017 hurricanes that devastated the island and has since awarded more than $3.4 million in grants to food producers affected by natural disasters in the Caribbean and Latin America.
In 2020, the program expanded its efforts in the USVI, The Bahamas and Guatemala and continues working to support food security throughout the region.
The panel will focus on preparedness ahead of this year’s hurricane season, and participants will discuss how regional governments and organizations can work together to respond to a crisis and to facilitate the recovery process.
“For the last four years, we’ve been supporting food producers across the region and have connected with each of the panelists in unique ways,” said Mikol Hoffman, director of WCK’s Food Producer Network.
“In our conversations, we learned there’s a great opportunity to learn and cooperate amongst the Caribbean islands,” he said.
