Regional leaders, investors, and development partners gathered in Barbados this week to explore new ways of financing Caribbean food systems, with a strong focus on attracting equity investment and positioning the sector as a major opportunity for economic growth and resilience.
Based on a United Nations Caribbean press release, the high-level Food Systems Investment Forum, held under the theme “Mobilizing Equity Capital for Resilient Food Systems in the Caribbean,” brought together Ministers of Agriculture and senior officials from across the region, as well as representatives of international financial institutions, private investors, and development agencies. The event sought to advance a shared vision of transforming Caribbean food systems through investment-driven strategies.
During the opening session, titled “From Policy to Capital Deployment,” speakers highlighted the pressing need to close the financing gap facing the region’s food sector and attract greater private-sector participation.
Delivering the opening remarks, Mr. Simon Springett, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, reportedly noted that food systems throughout the Caribbean continue to face significant challenges. He pointed out that investment flows remain poorly aligned, with financing largely dependent on grants and loans while long-term equity financing remains scarce. Springett also observed that private capital is often directed toward sectors such as real estate rather than productive areas of the food economy.
He encouraged governments to create stronger conditions for investment and urged financiers to recognize growing opportunities across agriculture, fisheries, food processing, and logistics.
“The opportunity is here. Capital exists. But they are not connected in a structured and meaningful way. This forum is designed to change that …through a different kind of conversation – one that starts with capital: how investors assess risk, what makes a project bankable, and what actually unlocks deals,” he said.
According to the UN press release, John Morris, Chairman of International Asset Management and Managing Partner of the CaribGROW Fund, argued that Caribbean enterprises with established revenue streams, experienced leadership, and strong market positions are capable of generating meaningful returns for investors.
“The challenge is not the opportunity—the challenge is capital,” he noted.
Reportedly using the New York Knicks as an example, Morris compared capital markets to a team sport that requires collaboration among a wide range of stakeholders. While acknowledging the role played by multilateral organizations, development finance institutions, regional banks, and governments in creating a foundation for growth, he emphasized that equity investment remains the critical missing component.
“Equity is where ownership, wealth creation, and wealth retention live,” he explained, warning that without it, businesses struggle to scale and remain vulnerable to foreign acquisition. “We take minority stakes, so families retain control and wealth stays in the region,” he concluded.
The final speaker in the opening segment, Dr. The Honourable Shantal Munro-Knight, Barbados’ Minister of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security, highlighted the enthusiasm and shared commitment among participants.
“This is an acknowledgement that we have come here to do something big—and that is important. I also see in the room, people of like minds who I do not have to convince of the importance of the conversation, and the importance that dialogue around food systems has moved beyond just production.”
Minister Munro-Knight described food systems as one of the Caribbean’s most promising opportunities for both economic development and social transformation. She urged policymakers and investors alike to recognize the sector’s broader potential.
“If you want an equation that answers one of the most fundamental challenges facing this region—our food security—while also enabling social and structural economic transformation, then you’re in the right place at the right time,” she declared.
Referencing the principles behind the Bridgetown Initiative, the Minister stressed that responding effectively to current challenges requires innovative partnerships, equitable participation in decision-making, and new approaches to structuring investment capital.
“Food systems are about big things—logistics, agro-processing, cold chains, digital transformation, technology in agriculture. These are investable opportunities, big investable opportunities,” she emphasized as she called on private sector partners to walk alongside governments. “We’ve come to the table—meet us with your capital,” she implored.
UNIC stated that the one-day forum was intentionally designed to move beyond discussion and foster direct engagement between governments and investors. The programme featured investor roundtables, thematic discussions, bilateral meetings, and presentations of investment-ready projects aimed at accelerating transactions and building new partnerships.
The event focused on expanding access to equity capital, blended finance solutions, and market-based approaches to strengthen food systems while supporting progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. Organizers said these efforts are intended to unlock the sector’s full economic potential while enhancing regional resilience.
The forum concluded with the United Nations unveiling an official Deal Book, a curated portfolio showcasing US$320 million in investment-ready opportunities across Caribbean food systems. The publication is intended to sustain momentum generated during the event, facilitate ongoing deal-making, and encourage new partnerships between investors and businesses throughout the region.
