FAO builds a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system for Caribbean food security

October 23, 2023, Bridgetown, Barbados – Recognizing the importance of monitoring and evaluating (M&E) the impact of the water-energy-food nexus (WEF) interventions on food security and resource use in agriculture, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) signed a Letter of Agreement with the Dutch institution, Free University Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) to build an M&E framework tailored to the unique context of the Caribbean.

To ensure its practical implementation, representatives from Free University Amsterdam (VU) conducted a series of one-day trainings with beneficiary farmers, extension staff and technical officers of the Ministries of Agriculture in each of the participating countries of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Delivered by Dr Lia van Wesenbeeck and Dr Ben Sonneveld, Director and Deputy Director of the Amsterdam Centre for World Food Studies, respectively, the training guided participants through the framework in the context of increasing resilience to climate change.

Participants acquired the fundamental concepts of monitoring and evaluation, gaining an in-depth understanding of the Theory of Change, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and rubrics. This information allowed attendees to be equipped with the skills to evaluate WEF interventions and business cases. The workshops served as a valuable platform for the sharing of feedback by farmers and Ministry staff, ensuring that the M&E tool continually evolves and improves in alignment with the countries’ needs.

Environment and Climate Change Policy Officer at FAO Jacinto Buenfil stated “The training on the monitoring and evaluation framework is a significant milestone to enhance climate resilience and sustainability in Caribbean agriculture. It equips our stakeholders with the tools to measure the impact of WEF interventions, enabling countries to bridge existing data gaps and eventually upscale these pilot solutions through larger projects.”

Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC) Manager Extension Services Leslie Sealy indicated “This training has benefitted me in relation to being able to provide assistance to farmers by creating an enabling environment for them to increase their productivity.”

The “Mexico - CARICOM - FAO Initiative Cooperation for Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change in the Caribbean” or ‘Resilient Caribbean Initiative’ aims at improving the resilience and adaptation to climate change of agriculture, food systems and vulnerable communities in Caribbean countries.  The initiative advances water resource management to increase agricultural productivity. The project will also address the challenge of the low productivity of small-scale farming by providing technological innovation to agricultural producers.