the caribbean experience in protecting agricultural and agrifood products

Brussels Briefing n. 31Geography of food: reconnecting with origin in the food system

15th May 2013http://brusselsbriefings.net

The Caribbean experience in protecting agricultural agrifood products

John Malcom Spence, CARICOM Secretariat

The Caribbean experience in protecting specialty agricultural products

“The challenges of being very small”

Malcolm SpenceBrussels, May2013

The Caribbean experience in protecting specialty agricultural products

Overview• The Caribbean – small, vulnerable, diverse• Some Caribbean specialty products• Small production volumes, limited market

power• The location link and its value• The IP framework and strategies• The Way Forward

What do we mean by “the Caribbean”?

Source: caribbean-on-line.com

Defining the Caribbean

• The 16 CARIFORUM States– Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados,

Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago

Size, vulnerability and diversity of the Caribbean

• Small States scattered over a large area• Small populations; small internal markets; and small

economies• High levels of government and public debt• Narrow production base and narrow range of exports • Hurricane belt and earthquake zone• Climate change and sea level rise• Cross-roads for people, cultures and cultural

expression

Some well-known Caribbean specialty agricultural products

• Cane sugars, rums and molasses– Barbados sugar (Muscovado) and rum– Demerara sugar and molasses– Dominican Macoucherie rum

• Bananas– Banano Dominicano, Gros Michel bananas

• Cocoa and cocoa products– Trinitario beans, Cocoa Ramones, Grenada

chocolate

Some well-known Caribbean specialty agricultural products

• Coffees– Café Valdesia, Café Barahona

• Peppers and condiments– Scotch Bonnet, Scorpion, Jerk seasoning

• Tobacco and cigars– Habanos, Cigarro Dominicano

• Cotton– Sea Island Cotton

Some well-known Caribbean specialty agricultural products

• Oils and spices– Nutmeg, mace, Bahamas Cascarilla Bark, Grenada

Nutmeg Oil, Dominican Bay Oil• Fine Starches– St. Vincent Arrowroot Starch

• Decorative and Craft products– Belizean Xate leaves, Dominican Kalinago

handicraft, Guyanese Tibisiri straw products,

Some well-known Caribbean specialty agricultural products

In spite of such a diversity of specialty products, few contribute significantly to Caribbean competitiveness and economic growth

What are the challenges highlighted by our limited experience?

The Caribbean experience in protecting specialty agricultural products

Volumes and markets

• Most Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee supplied to Japan• Most Sea Island Cotton supplied to Italy• Demerara sugar supplied to several markets• Cuban and Dominican high-end cigars supplied to

diverse markets• Trinitario cocoa beans supplied to global commodity

market

The Caribbean experience in protecting specialty agricultural products

The luxury goods market• The effect of global recession– Falling prices as consumers switch down (or switch

to fast fashion)– Small, marginal producers cease production– Increase in pest and diseases harboured in

abandoned areas. – Increasing production input costs (fertilizers, pest

control methods)

The Caribbean experience in protecting specialty agricultural products

Producer organisations• Strong organisation and Government support – All

Jamaica Coffee Growers and the Coffee Industry Board; West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association; Guyana Sugar Company; Cuban growers

• Weak organisation with some Government (or inter-governmental) support – West Indies Sea Island Cotton Association

The Caribbean experience in protecting specialty agricultural products

Understanding the location link• Abandoning the comfort of the industrial

revolution mindset• Seeing through the eyes of global consumers• Appreciating our cultural and agricultural

knowledge and environment• Recombining science and the arts to define

the terroir

The Caribbean experience in protecting specialty agricultural products

Forecasting value differential• Defining value chains• Finding the contribution of location in the

value chain• Understanding strategies for ‘value capture’ to

move value along the chain back to producers• Valuing the spill-over effects

The Caribbean experience in protecting specialty agricultural products

The IP Framework and Strategies• Inertia of the commercial legislative and

regulatory change process• Over-reliance on Government action by the

private sector• Limited understanding of the use of IP as

component of competitive strategy

The Caribbean experience in protecting specialty agricultural products

The Way Forward1. Refine procedures for valuing specialty

products2. Strengthen producer organisations and

product definitions with location links3. Develop marketing and distribution strategies4. Develop defensive strategies using IP system

Source: www.cafemarkcumberland.com

Source: http://www.meredithtours.com/burnettours/images/blue_mountains.jpg

Source: www.countrytraders.com

Source: www.ineedcoffee.com

The Caribbean experience in protecting specialty agricultural products

Thank youfor your attention

malcolm.spence@crnm.org