Caribbean & Central America - November 2025

It is now almost five years since the Caribbean Community (Caricom) endorsed the ‘Vision 25 by 2025’ programme (also known as 25x25): a commitment to reduce the region’s large food import bill by 25% by the year 2025. Has it succeeded?

Caricom Assistant Secretary-General Wendell Samuel, attending the Caribbean Week of Agriculture in St Kitts and Nevis at the end of September, was upbeat. He stressed that food and nutrition security is not “optional”. He called the original target-setting “a bold move” adding “I am pleased to let you know that the programme has borne fruit and is continuing to provide us with green vegetables and fresh meat”. Samuel went on to list examples of regional cooperation in food production and trade including a US$100m Regional Agriculture loan fund, and expanded soya and maize storage facilities, as well as investment in greenhouse technology and cold storage infrastructure.

Despite this it is still somewhat unclear how much real progress has been made. According to one Caricom report the reduction in the total food import bill since 2018 is of the order of 12%, about half the target but still significant. Caricom has also said that 82% of targets for selected commodities have been met, but the position relative to all food imports is not fully known. While measurements are likely to remain patchy, the target does appear to be driving more self-reliance and efficiency in food production and trade.

Food security initiative 25x25 extended

In February 2025, Caricom announced that it was extending the food security initiative 25x25 until 2030.