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News - Página 14 de 20 de archivo - nombre del Exportación del Caribe

Caribbean IPA’s para hacer que las oportunidades de inversión sean más atractivas para los inversores extranjeros

The packaging and promotion of any product or service is critical to attract customers and gain sales.  The same is true for investment opportunities.  The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), in partnership with the Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (CAIPA) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) recently hosted a training workshop in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) focused on improving the quality of investment project information to make them more attractive to potential investors.

From left: UNIDO Trainer – Dr. Umesh Menon, Suzette Hudson, Senior Advisor – Investment Promotion (Caribbean Export), Junior Minister Sharie de Castro, Lizette George – Policy Advisor in the Office of the Premier (BVI)

The 5-day training workshop was delivered by UNIDO with a focus on enhancing the capacity of the Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) to better identify investment opportunities, as well as the formulation and appraisal of investment projects. “The need of developing countries in upgrading local skills and capabilities in the preparation and appraisal of pre-investment studies, calls for appropriate capacity building support, including adequate human resource development,” notes Dr. Umesh Menon, UNIDO trainer for the workshop.

The 22 Caribbean participants from 16 Caribbean territories were trained in the use of the flagship software of UNIDO – Computer Model for Feasibility Analysis and Reporting (COMFAR III Expert- Basic Version). COMFAR facilitates the fast computation of financial statements needed for financial and economic appraisal of investment projects. The software can be used for small- to large-scale projects, expansion, rehabilitation and modernization of existing enterprises and joint ventures.

Commenting at the opening of the workshop, the Jr. Minister for Trade & Economic Development of the BVI, Sharie B. de Castro, shared that, “The BVI is in the process of establishing our Trade and Investment Promotion Agency. It is important to us to develop a core group of professionals who are well versed in investment project identification, preparation and appraisal. This will ultimately lead to well-planned investment projects and prudent investment decisions.”

“Caribbean Export is committed to enhancing the knowledge and skills of the IPAs of the Caribbean,” commented Suzette Hudson, Senior Advisor in Investment Promotion at the Agency. “This training forms part of a broader collaborative framework that CAIPA and UNIDO have established with the aim to provide investment monitoring and promotion support to IPAs in the region and strengthen regional investment promotion efforts.

The workshop was funded by the European Union via the 11th European Development Fund, Regional Private Sector Development Programme and the European Development Fund/Intra-ACP Private Sector Development Facilities and Programmes.

Participating countries included: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and the Turks and Caicos Islands.       

$3.5 millones de BBD para apoyar a las empresas a exportar y crecer

  • $3.5 million BBD has been allocated to CARIFORUM Firms
  • 55 companies will receive grants of up to $66,000 BBD
  • Funds have been provided by the European Union via the 11th EDF Regional Private Sector Development Programme

The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) in cooperation with the European Union has awarded over $3.5M BBD (€1.5M) under their 2nd Call for Proposals for the Direct Assistance Grant Scheme (DAGS).  

The 2nd call for proposals was launched in April of this year and the Agency received 104 grant proposal applications from across the region and fifty-five (55) proposals have been approved for grant funding.

“It is widely acknowledged that the most significant impediment noted by CARIFORUM business when it comes to business development and expansion is the lack of access to finance” informed Damie Sinanan – Manager, Competitiveness and Export Promotion at Caribbean Export.  “The Direct Assistance Grant Scheme aims specifically to tackle this issue to enable more companies to export and grow.”

The total grant funding awarded to CARIFORUM firms under the 11th EDF now stands at over $8.3M BBD or €3.7M and the Agency intends to award more grants in the upcoming year.

Grant funding has been used for a range of projects including food safety certification, equipment modernisation to enable increased production, marketing and branding, product development amongst others.

Subscribe to our mailing list to be informed when the next call for proposals is launched.

Oliver se gana a los jueces de Invest SVG con su marca Olive Art Designs

Oliver wins over Invest SVG  judges with her Olive Art Designs brand

In 2009, Christal Oliver breathed life into her fashion accessory brand Olive Art Designs (OAD) as she sat in a laboratory at the St. Vincent Girls’ High School stitching together her first bag. Fast forward a decade, and Christal is breathing new life and history into OAD, as the winner of Invest SVG’s inaugural ‘Pitch It Vincy’ initiative.

Last Tuesday, October 29, the Glen resident held off stiff competition from six other finalists to gain the judges’ nod as overall winner – receiving a cash prize of US$2,000 and, probably most importantly, mentorship from industry experts to help grow her business.

“It feels surreal,” mused Christal. “It’s a lot more than a business win. It’s a personal win because it means that I have successfully overcome a few things that were holding back my progress. Developing the right mindset for success and positivity isn’t an easy feat!”

The 28-year-old entrepreneur was one of many Vincentians who applied when the Angel Investing initiative was launched by Invest SVG in June 2019. Seven finalists were shortlisted in August 2019, and from that point onward, they received expert training through group and one-on-one sessions.

Finalists also took part in a mock pitch event that saw them pitching to local high net-worth business owners, who provided constructive feedback. Christal recalled that the feedback they received during the mock pitch and training sessions was “vital” to their preparations for the final. “The feedback was honest and, at times, we may not have liked what was said; but it was what we needed to hear before going in.”

She expressed deep gratitude to the staff at Invest SVG, Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA) and everyone else who contributed to the preparation period for the finalists. Despite the various challenges faced by the finalists, Christal said it was an overall positive experience because it boosted their confidence and raised awareness of their brands.

“I entered Pitch It Vincy because I saw an opportunity for investment. In St Vincent and the Grenadines, small business owners face difficulty in acquiring capital for their ideas – especially if they don’t have collateral. I believed in my product and I felt that even if I didn’t win, whatever came from it would be exactly what I needed for OAD at this moment,” she explained.

Oliver wins over Invest SVG  judges with her Olive Art Designs brand
(From left): McHale Andrew (independent consultant and OECS country advisor for Caribbean Business Angels Network); Andy Thorne (owner/founder of Kestrel Liner Agencies Ltd and British entrepreneur); Christal Oliver (Pitch It Vincy 2019 winner); Jeanelle Murray-Noel (Operations Officer, Caribbean Export Development Agency); Reuben John (chartered accountant and Senior Partner at BDO Eastern Caribbean); Nicholas Brisbane, managing partner at O’Garro and Alvanga Architectural Services – St. Kitts & Nevis; entrepreneur)

Christal is a past student of the St Vincent Girls’ High School and the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College. She worked at the CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank as a Customer Service Representative for seven years and was the second runner-up in the 2017 Miss SVG pageant. Currently, she is a co-host on the Wake-Up Call morning programme on Xtreme FM radio station; and is “very involved” in the Epic Sounds Steel Orchestra and the Youlou Pan Movement.

“I can’t wait to see what’s around the corner for OAD!” enthused Christal.

She divulged that within hours of winning Pitch It Vincy 2019, several opportunities have been presented to her – some of which she is not at liberty to share just yet.

“Investors have expressed interest in the business… It’s only a matter of shaking hands and coming to a final agreement. I’m confident that it’s only going to get better from here. I’m never going to give up!”

Christal added: “If someone had told me 10 years ago, while I was eagerly stitching that first bag at GHS, that I would win the first Pitch It Vincy… be a fashion accessory designer and have my own business, I would have laughed and walked the other way.”

She encourages all Vincentian entrepreneurs to take part in Pitch It Vincy 2020, and to start preparing as soon as possible – instead of waiting for the application period to open. Her advice includes: creating a milestone chart with a list of company goals; getting business accounts in order; conduct proper market research; be open-minded and willing to take advice; and gather a support system of people who genuinely care about your success.

Christal also shared that she intends to make OAD an “internationally recognized brand” within the next five years.

“St Vincent and the Grenadines will be known as the origin of one of the best fashion accessory brands in the world and the company will have at least one other brand under its wing.

I’m not sure how it’s going to be, but it will happen!”

This article was originally published on the Searchlight website

Jamaica lanza guía de inversión en línea

Jamaica has joined 28 other nations, including several Caribbean states, that have developed online investment guides (iGuides).

These facilities are repositories of information for local and foreign investors interested in doing business in the respective countries.

Work to develop the guides was led by local stakeholders, principally countries’ investment promotion agencies in several instances, in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) spearheaded development of the country’s iGuide, which also involved inputs from the Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (CAIPA), and the Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA).

The information, which is hosted on UNCTAD’s website, can also be accessed on JAMPRO’s platform from any location globally.

Jamaica’s Investment Guide (iGuide) Project Consultant, Michelle Frederick Johnson (left) converses with Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) president, Diane Edwards (centre) ; and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Economist, Ian Richards, during the iGuide’s recent launch at JAMPRO’s Head Office In New Kingston.

It facilitates a comparison of Jamaica as an investment destination, alongside other countries globally.

The iGuide is intended to provide investors with information at their fingertips that will help them in their decisions to invest in Jamaica.

Among the focus areas are manufacturing, agri-business, energy, the creative industries, the knowledge sectors, mining, tourism, and the Logistics Hub Initiative (LHI) and the partner Special Economic Zone (SEZ) framework.

A foreign translation feature has also been incorporated to facilitate ease of communication.

The iGuide was formally launched and symbolically handed over recently to JAMPRO President, Diane Edwards, by UNCTAD Economist, Ian Richards, who spearheads the overall investment guide programme.

The agency will serve as the facility’s custodian and will be responsible for, among other things, keeping the site’s information up to date.

The presentation was made during a brief ceremony at JAMPRO’s head office in New Kingston.

Ms. Edwards, who is CAIPA’s Immediate Past President, said the iGuide is an important tool and welcome addition to investment promotion in Jamaica.

Noting that the local investment climate is “extremely positive”, she said the iGuide “is going to take that information out to the world in a form that is really using best practice”.

Ms. Edwards assured that as the country’s national investment and promotion agency, JAMPRO remains committed to improving the business environment.

“Our constant focus is on how do we make it easier for people to do business in Jamaica… . How do we make the business environment more open and how do we make businesses feel more welcome in Jamaica. All of that is important to us,” she said.

Ms. Edwards noted that JAMPRO serves as the Secretariat for the National Competitiveness Council, which manages Jamaica’s business environment reform agenda, intended to ensure that businesses feel the difference that this undertaking is going to make for them.

Jamaica Special Economic Zone Authority (JSEZA) Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Eric Deans (second left) greets United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Economist, Ian Richards during a recent ceremony at Jamaica Promotions Corporation’s (JAMPRO) Head Office in New Kingston to launch Jamaica’s Investment Guide (iGuide). Others (from left) are iGuide Project Consultant, Michelle Frederick Johnson; and JAMPRO President, Diane Edwards.

“Already we see that they are feeling it, because Jamaica recently jumped four places in the [World Bank’s] Doing Business Report, to number 71 out of 140 countries,” she added.

Ms. Edwards encouraged stakeholder interests to utilise the guide and disseminate it “as much as possible”.

“We think it has really good information. We want you to tell everyone about it… that it is a tool, not only for foreign businesses, but for local businesses to use to develop their business cases and present their projects,” she said.

For his part, Mr. Richards said UNCTAD’s aim and role in advancing the iGuide “is really to support the Government in implementing Vision 2030 Jamaica as part of the UN’s overall development assistance framework”.

This, he noted, is being done in tandem with the other UN and international organisations in Jamaica.

“We know that it has been a difficult time for the region, according to the UNCTAD data, in terms of attracting foreign direct investments. But for Jamaica, I think these are very exciting times,” he said.

Of note, Mr. Richards said, is the Logistics Hub Initiative and accompanying Special Economic Zones.

“We are very excited by that because, given all that Jamaica already has – a good business infrastructure, a supportive government, a good education system, good market access – this will provide spillovers, linkages and opportunities for many different sectors in Jamaica… particularly new sectors… and will also lead to more jobs, more wealth, and more development for the country. So, that’s very important for us,” he added.

The UNCTAD Executive said the organisation is “very happy” to be working with JAMPRO and other stakeholders, to attract and facilitate investment for the “new, exciting and promising sectors in Jamaica”.

Other Caribbean states that he said have developed investment guides are Antigua and Barbuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and St. Lucia.

“We will be launching one for Curaçao in November next, and early next year, we will be launching iGuides in Barbados and St. Kitts,” Mrs. Richards further informed.

The extent of the platform’s development also incorporates countries in Asia and Africa, among other locations.

This article was originally published on the Jamaica Information Service website

Taller Acelerador de Moda Prepara a Diseñadores para la Exportación

Regional fashion designers who participated in the Caribbean Fashion Accelerator pt2 programme had nothing but praise for the intense training they received.

They shared their thoughts at the recently concluded International Fashion Festival (IFF), held at the Hilton Barbados Resort, where they showcased runway grabbing designs.  Collectively, they said the experience helped to sharpen their technical skills and exposed them to international standards.

The workshop was organized by the Caribbean Export Development Agency, in cooperation with the European Union and the Caribbean Market Center and was the follow-up to an initial accelerator workshop held in May 2019. It was facilitated by Sandra Carr, one of the pioneers of the Caribbean Academy of Fashion and Design at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. She has also worked with global brands, Calvin Klein and Valentino.

Sixteen designers from Barbados, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago participated. The two-week workshop focused on brand development and refining the designers’ products for the export market. Designers were required to collaborate and develop a collection to premiere at the IFF.  Ahead of their runway show the designers received feedback and critique from fashion industry experts Sharifa Murdock, co-founder and owner of Liberty Fairs; Ouigi Theodore, founder of the Brooklyn Circus; Danielle Cooper, a fashion influencer and Channing Hargrove, a Fashion writer for Refinery 29.

Designers receive expert advice and direction on their collections ahead of the IFF2019 runway show

Barbadian Carla Gittens and Jamaican Moses Fenell, former reality stars of the television show Mission Catwalk, produced a line called Maison de Lori et Moses. According to Carla, “It is classy chic with an essence of swag, that could fit ladies from 18 to 35 years.”

During the two weeks, they learnt about mood boards, colour, fabric and international finishing techniques. Describing the programme as “very hands-on”, they also cut patterns, sewed and created brand packaging.

Moses believed the training will help with his goal to export limited edition pieces of his personal brand, House of Fenell, throughout the Commonwealth.  For Carla, the Fashion Accelerator confirmed that if she wanted her brand ‘Killuh Pieces’ to go global, she needed put a team in place.

“I learnt a few tricks. The workshop helped me in getting my brand up to international standards in finishing and creating designs for individual customers and retail outlet buyers. But the most important thing I learnt is you can’t do everything by yourself if you are moving into the international market.  For 2020 I am looking into small scale manufacturing and I definitely need a team,” she noted.

Haitian designer David Andre said although he has been in the industry for 21 years, he eagerly said yes to participating in the Caribbean Fashion Accelerator programme. He believed there was always something new to learn and likened the workshop to the television show, Project Runway. “We were a bunch of designers who didn’t know each other, and we had to share ideas to build a collection, so it was very profitable in terms of what we learnt,” he said.

David described Ms. Carr as a “very talented woman with a big heart” from whom he picked up several clues on garment finishes for international markets. He thanked Caribbean Export for continuing to support the regional fashion. He added that Caribbean Export helped to opened new markets for his ready-to-wear and resort lines.

Vincentian fashion designer, Kimon Baptiste-St. Rose of Kimmysticclo, referred to the Caribbean Fashion Accelerator Programme as a “very intense two-week bootcamp”.  Stressing she gained tremendously from the experience, she explained: “It helped me to be more aware about the steps I need to take in becoming export ready. I sell throughout the Caribbean, but I would like for my brand to be international.” Thanking Caribbean Export, she called for greater emphasis going forward to be placed on helping regional designers locate manufacturing facilities for small scale production.

Designer Laurette Pierre, known for bridal wear and accessories, was invited to the programme by Invest SVG, the investment promotions agency of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Not expecting to do an entire collection and to learn such a wide variety of things, Laurette admitted the workshop was hectic but worth it.

“I am going take everything I learnt and apply it to my work. I learnt a lot from the instructor and things I never really knew. It is hard especially where finishing the product is concerned because it takes a lot of time but it was worth it. I enjoyed the experience, it was very educational,” she said.

Laurette collaborated with Barbadian Alyssa Goddard to produce a structured yet chic semi-casual collection. Alyssa, owner of Cambria Costumes and Designs, disclosed it was her first time working so closely with another designer but said her partner was fun.

Alyssa, who dreams of making costumes for movies, found out about the Fashion Accelerator while working at the 4th CARIFORUM EU-Business Forum in Germany. Having completed the two-week session, she said: “It was very informative, but it was difficult given that the time frame was shorter than any time I ever had to work with before. But I learnt a lot, Ms. Carr is an amazing teacher. I mainly learnt construction techniques that I didn’t know before and that helps in getting my garments to an international standard, something that was very important to me.”

UNESCO y CARIFORUM serán anfitriones de debates sobre políticas para flujos comerciales equilibrados en cultura entre el Caribe y la Unión Europea

UNESCO and CARIFORUM will organize panel discussions on culture and trade in Bridgetown, Barbados on 5 November 2019. The event marks the launch of “Culture in the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement – Rebalancing trade flows between Europe and the Caribbean?”, the first impact study on this landmark EPA concluded in 2008, with a dedicated Protocol on Cultural Cooperation.

Cultural and creative industries possess an immense potential to contribute to the region’s long-term economic growth through employment of young people and cultural content productions. The representation of Caribbean cultural products on the global stage, however, is limited. In 2014, as reported in UNESCO’s Global Report Re|Shaping Cultural Policies (2018),Global South countries accounted for only 26.5% of global cultural exports. The public debates, titled Create|2030, will explore ways to establish a more balanced cultural trade and improved mobility for artists in the Caribbean. Cultural trade experts on the panel will examine the future of creative industries and their role in the Caribbean’s sustainable development. Artists and cultural professionals are invited to attend and share their insights and perspective.

The event will also present the main findings of the impact study funded by the UNESCO-Aschberg Programme for Artists and Cultural Professionals and guided by the principles of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005). The research has revealed that the Agreement’s cultural protocol, which grants Caribbean creative workers and their creations a preferential and simplified access to the EU market, has not yet resulted in a more balanced relationship between the two regions’ cultural and creative industries. Despite significant commitments undertaken by the EU, there is currently no dedicated funding or cultural cooperation programme to implement the cultural provisions and benefit the artists. Discussions will therefore focus on unexplored opportunities arising from Article 16 of the UNESCO’s 2005 Convention, the inspiration for the EPA’s cultural protocol, which calls on developed countries to provide “preferential treatment for developing countries” and their artists through various initiatives such as special visas for artists and cultural workers from developing countries or audio-visual coproduction schemes.

Percival Marie, Director General of CARIFORUM, Ambassador Daniela Tramacere, Head of the European Union Delegation to Barbados, Eastern Caribbean States, OECS and CARICOM/CARIFORUM, and Danielle Cliche, UNESCO Chief of Diversity of Cultural Expressions and Secretary of the 2005 Convention, will deliver remarks.


Event website: http://bit.ly/cariativity

As seating is limited, please RSVP by 3 November to Andrea Richards at a.richards@unesco.org

Interview opportunities with UNESCO representatives and international cultural trade experts are available to media professionals. To schedule an interview, please contact a.richards@unesco.org

Diseños de moda caribeños incendian Níger

By Kenton X. Chance

NIAMEY, Niger (CMC) — Outfits, handbags, shoes and accessories from a number of Caribbean designers and a self-taught Nigerien designer generated a buzz at a fashion show here on Saturday night.

The show was held as part of the fifth meeting of Ministers of Culture from the 79-member African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of states at a time when the bloc is focusing on the potential contribution of culture to national development.

The Caribbean designs came from the French-, Spanish- and English-speaking countries and were brought together by Caribbean Fashion Showroom, which dubs itself “the home for the region’s leading designers”.

The event was organised by the Barbados-based Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) in collaboration with the Brussels-based secretariat of the ACP.

“What we have seen today is the true collaboration between Africa and the Caribbean, promoting fashion, promoting handicraft, promoting talent and culture from our countries,” Escipión J. Oliveira, deputy executive director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) after the event.

He said his agency took advantage of the opportunity of the four-day meeting, which ended on Sunday, “to present to our African brother and sisters and also Pacific brothers and sisters that we can collaborate to gain markets”.

Oliveira said that what patrons saw on the catwalk was the result of a collaboration between a large cross-section of Caribbean artisans who make outfits, accessories, shoes and handbags.

“This is just a sample but we are working together with the European Union and with the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) directorate to promote competitiveness of our small and medium-size enterprises.”

Caribbean fashion on display in Niger on Saturday. (CMC Photo)

The show was held at a time when the ACP is focusing on the potential of culture and its expression as a contributor to the development of its member countries.

“And the fashion industry and the jewellery industry is part of the culture industry and is part of the things that we can show the world and promote our culture and we can promote our talent,” Oliveira told CMC.

He said that while it is the first time that his agency is collaborating with the ACP secretariat, Caribbean Fashion Showroom participated this year in the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA), the region’s premier cultural festival.

Oliveira told CMC that Caribbean Export has also been with the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat and the CARIFORUM directorate promoting the Caribbean.

“This is the first time we’ve come to Africa but it certainly not be the last,” he said, adding that the reception was “extraordinary”.

Caribbean fashion on display in Niger on Saturday. (CMC Photo)

Hadiza Amadou, the 34-year-old Nigerien designer whose pieces graced the runway at the show, told CMC the event was a great adventure for her.

“It was the first time that I had a show with somebody who is not from my country and it was so great for me because I learned so many things from Rodney and his team,” she said, speaking of Rodney Powers of Caribbean Fashion Showroom, who is also a fashion consultant to Caribbean Export and co-ordinated Saturday’s show.

Amadou said she presented traditional designs from seven regions in Niger, but was “just wowed” by the Caribbean designs.

“I saw that they were more advanced than us, but I just told myself it’s not the same tradition that we have. Everybody liked it and it was very, very beautiful — from the jewellery to the bags, to the accessories, to the shoes and the clothes, everybody was so great and so beautiful,” she told CMC.

It was quite obvious from the murmurs at Saturday’s show that some of the Caribbean designs were too revealing for some members of the audience.

One of Amadou’s creations is showcased in Niger on Saturday. (iWN photo)

“There were many reactions to the clothes that are not — they call it extravagant,” Amadou told CMC, noting religious and other traditions in Niger that frown on women wearing revealing clothes.

She said that the Caribbean designs could have a future in Niger, as things are changing.

“It’s changing positively because five years ago we couldn’t have the show that we had last night with the Caribbean, but today we did it and everybody saw the photos and they said it’s beautiful. So I think are going to change and it (Caribbean designs) has a future here.”

Amadou has been a designer for 10 years and since then has been having an annual show on March 8 — International Women’s Day — attracting some 3,000 patrons each year.

“So I have many customers from outside of African, inside Africa, Europe, USA. So I can tell that people like what I do and people encourage me a lot.”

The show was intended to showcase talent with a view to creating economic opportunities for the designers, a point that Oliveira emphasised.

“I hope that this brings sales, because, at the end of the day, the artist and their designers are to make a living,” Oliveira said, adding that his agency participated in the two-day meeting of technical experts that formed part of the four-day conference here, and made the point that people working in culture have to make a decent living.

Caribbean fashion on display in Niger on Saturday. (CMC Photo)

“And a decent living, they are going to obtain it through selling their talent and through accessing markets. The idea is that this fashion showcase will allow Caribbean talent to be exposed to the world and, hopefully, bring about greater wealth to our countries, bring about greater employment and sustainable development to the countries.

“We are trying to develop culture in a business-like way as to allow our cultural entrepreneurs to make a decent living, contribute to financing the states, through paying taxes, employing people and reaching sustainable development through a joint work, and it has been wonderful experience,” Oliveira told CMC.

“We are very small countries but we have a big heart and we have big talent and we should be able with that talent, with that competitiveness, together, to reach markets, niche markets,” he said, adding that his agency is focusing on niche markets that are high value-added.

“We are not looking at all for cheap products or big quantities We are looking for specific niche markets, specific niche markets that we actually reach with the quality of our people, with the quality of our handicraft and industry to penetrate those markets for the benefit of all of our people.”

Rodney Powers of Caribbean Fashion Room, left, and Nigerian designer Hadiza Amadou co-ordinated Saturday’s show. (CMC photo)

Meanwhile, Rodney Powers said that as a result of Saturday’s event, Caribbean Fashion Showcase was invited to participate in Seychelles’ fashion week.

“Our collaboration with Africa, as the Caribbean, is very, very important. It is the motherland, as you are aware, so, for us, it is important that we collaborate,” Powers told CMC, adding that the showcase excited the patrons at Saturday’s event.

“They were applauding the quality of the world, the designs, the design concept,” Powers said, noting that he sees the Caribbean as having significant potential in the fashion market in Africa.

“I mean the Caribbean is bursting with colour, it is busting with glamour, style, aesthetic, also as Africa. For them to be able to see Caribbean people doing what they do, they are embracing colour, they are embracing style, the level of uniqueness, the consistency, for me, I think it was fantastic; the response was amazing.”

The models who displayed the fashion items all came from Niger.

“We trained the models, we did some workshops with them before we went straight into the show and for me it was good. They enjoyed it, they showed us a lot of love and appreciation and we are happy to collaborate with them,” Powers said.

Amadou, too, welcomed the Caribbean-Africa fashion collaboration.

“Africa need more collaboration from the rest of the world because we need to have the experiences of others; we need to see how they do the things; we need to learn from them because many things are done just by people [opting] to do things. But we need to have some mentors to show us the way,” she told CMC.

This article was originally published on iWitness News

Acelerando la moda caribeña Pt2

Earlier this year twenty (20) designers participated in the Caribbean Fashion Accelerator jointly funded by the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) in cooperation with the European Union and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). Caribbean Export provides support for the development of the regions cultural and creative industries as part of the implementation of the Regional Private Sector Development Programme funded by the 11th EDF.  The Bank’s funding is through its Cultural and Creative Industries Innovation Fund (CIIF).

Led by Sandra Carr, one of the pioneers of the Caribbean Academy of Fashion and Design at the University of Trinidad and Tobago the bootcamp workshop focused on refining the designer’s products for the export market; identifying where best to place their products and how to develop their brands.  It also looked at leveraging social media platforms and developing the right market strategy.

One of the key take-aways from this workshop was the collaboration between the designers to develop new pieces.  The Caribbean Fashion Accelerator pt2 has been developed in partnership with the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) of Barbados, Invest SVG and Caribbean Market Center and is focused on building upon these skills and developing the designer’s product packaging.  Over the period October 14 – 24, 2019 sixteen (16) participating designers from Barbados, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago, including a number of whom would have participated in the first edition, will get to learn first-hand from Carr.

At the opening of the workshop Ms Carr encouraged the designers to work together and to be open to what they were about to learn.

“We had the Caribbean Fashion Showroom at CARIFESTA XIV and the response was remarkable.  Within the booth, we had a collection of clothes designed by the participants of the 1st Accelerator and many people were interested in purchasing the collections.  This is a clear indication of what is possible when designers collaborate and produce high quality work” shared Ms. Carr.   

“The fashion accelerator is an important initiative for Caribbean Export.  Ensuring that designers are skilled to develop collections that can be exported is central to this initiative and under the guidance of Ms. Carr and the support of the Caribbean Market Center” expressed Allyson Francis, Services Specialist at Caribbean Export.

The Caribbean Market Center based in Newton, Barbados is the region’s only fashion training centre designed to train globally recognised CVQs and NVQs.

Caribbean Export launched the Caribbean Fashion Showroom, an online shop that promotes Caribbean designers internationally and was the brain child of Rodney Powers – fashion consultant for Caribbean Export and Director at the Caribbean Market Center, “Caribbean Market Center is pleased to collaborate with Caribbean Export and support the development of the region’s fashion industry.  The Caribbean Fashion Showroom provides a platform for the new creations that are developed by the participants of the accelerator programme and give an additional outlet for the export of fashion,” informed Mr. Powers.

Conectando Compradores y Vendedores – Caribbean Export Desarrolla un Portal Business to Business

The 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum concluded on 28th September 2019 at the Union Halle in Frankfurt, Germany.

The event saw over 70 industry buyers and investors conduct some 150 business to business meetings with the sixty-three (63) carefully selected exhibitors from the Caribbean’s food, cosmetics and cultural industries who presented their products during the Authentic Caribbean Expo at the Union Halle. The consumer day recorded over 600 visitors who came to discover what the Caribbean has to offer. Those who were in attendance not only got to meet the makers of some of the Caribbean’s most promising export products and services, but they also learnt from Caribbean industry experts in a series of masterclasses.

Dr. Damian Cohall, the nutraceuticals expert from the University of the West Indies shared what makes the Caribbean unique in the health-based product market as well as the full range of products available. Natural products, for example, coconuts can be used in a wide range of products including cosmetics and the FMI reports that the natural cosmetics market is projected to grow at 4.9% volume CAGR through 2027. In 2017, the European cosmetics market was valued at €77.6 billion, making Europe the largest cosmetics market in the world and natural cosmetics accounts for around 5% of total market. The sector is currently growing at an annual rate of 8-10%.

The Global Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell delivered a captivating seminar on rum which saw spirit drink buyers gain a greater understanding of Caribbean rum. Rum is a success story for the Caribbean which has seen the Dominican Republic become the largest exporter of rum in CARIFORUM, exporting almost 70million euros in rum products to the EU.

In the creative industries area Jerome Hamilton from Headline and Camille Abrahams from Animae Caribe led a conversation with European industry players on how Caribbean film, animation and music can be positioned and infused with European entertainment.

But a question that was posed during a presentation on the first day of the event was “what happens next?”

Caribbean Export announced it is working on a business to business portal that will allow primarily those outside of the Caribbean to find and source authentic Caribbean goods and services from the region.

“Connecting Caribbean producers and service providers with regional and international buyers is central to supporting export growth. And whilst hosting events like the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum and the Authentic Caribbean Expo are strategic in terms of building relationships we have to be able to continue supporting our exporters after the event” informed JoEllen Laryea, Senior Advisor – PR and Marketing at Caribbean Export.

Ms. Laryea shared how the Agency will continue to develop the business to business portal by building a critical mass of Caribbean suppliers, before launching a promotion to attract buyers to the platform that are looking to source authentic Caribbean goods and services.

Caribbean Export firma tres MOU con socios estratégicos para apoyar el crecimiento de las exportaciones del Caribe.

The recently held CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum drew record numbers of senior level European and Caribbean policy makers, European buyers and Caribbean exhibitors, to the 4th hosting of the event and the first ever to be held in Frankfurt, Germany.

Three MOUs were signed between the Caribbean Export Development Agency and key stakeholders in Europe, namely, the BVMW (Der Bundesverband mittelständische Wirtschaft), the GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH) and the Caribbean Council.

Anthony Bradshaw (centre) signs MOUs with Leonor von Limburg from GIZ (left) and Bienvenue Angui from BVMW (right)

On 26-28 September 2019, Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) in collaboration with the European Union and GIZ hosted the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum. Over 200 participants witnessed the signing of the MOUs which were put in place to ensure continued success of the strategic sectors and collaboration between the two regions.

“The CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum was designed as a platform to do exactly this – to strengthen business networks and foster a closer trade and investment relationship between the Caribbean and in this case Europe” informed Anthony Bradshaw, Officer in Charge, Caribbean Export.

“The Business Forum’s main objectives are to create awareness about the EPA, to promote business opportunities and to identify key sectors that will become the economic drivers assisting both regions – but particularly the Caribbean – to reap the benefits of the EPA”

The Hon. Oliver Joseph addresses the audience at the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum

Minister of Trade and CARICOM Affairs from Grenada, the Hon. Oliver Joseph thanked the Caribbean’s partners, the European Commission and GIZ as well as the new partners LAV, BVMW and the Caribbean Council with whom MOUs were signed, for supporting the Caribbean and its peoples use of the CARIFORUM-EU EPA, “We need to take full advantage of this agreement. We must also realize that as a region, as small developing economies, we cannot do it alone. And so I want to thank our partners in Europe, the European Commission, the GIZ, our new friends in Germany, the LAV and the BVMW, the Caribbean Council from the UK… you are helping us and will be helping us to make the EPA work for the peoples of the Caribbean.”

Leonor von Limburg (GIZ), Anthony Bradshaw (Caribbean Export), Bienvenue Angui (BVMW), Chris Bennet (The Caribbean Council)

Making business work for the people of the Caribbean is our commitment as an Agency. If there is a way, we will make it happen.” Bradshaw said in closing.

Más productos del Caribe están listos para ingresar a Europa luego de un exitoso 4to Foro Empresarial CARIFORUM-UE

Hundreds turned out for the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum held in Frankfurt from 26 to 28 September 2019 at the Union Halle.

The conference held on the 26th of September welcomed over 200 participants as a series of panels discussed trade between CARIFORUM and the EU under the theme ‘Building Strategic Partnerships in a Dynamic Global Economy’. In a panel led by Damie Sinanan, Manager – Competitiveness and Export Promotion at Caribbean Export, Sinanan unveiled the results of a study commissioned by the Agency which highlighted rum and sauces as the two most successful exports from the Caribbean since the signing of the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) in 2008.

“The CARIFORUM-EU EPA was signed in 2008 and we wanted to understand from companies the challenges and the successes they have experienced within the framework of the agreement” said Sinanan. Over a period of 6 months, the Agency interviewed and surveyed CARIFORUM based firms about their experiences exporting to Europe.

“The Dominican Republic followed by Trinidad and Tobago are the largest exporters of products and services to Europe. The Dominican Republic is the largest rum exporter in CARIFORUM with almost 7 times the value of rum exports of Jamaica. And exports of sauces and seasonings to the EU increased by 59% between 2014 and 2018” informed Sinanan.

The report presented also showed that EU imports of rum and related products from CARIFORUM increased by almost 31% (in value) from 2014 to 2018. Further, in 2018 The Dominican Republic exported almost 70 million euros in rum products to the EU, a 32% increase from 2014.

The encouraging news was well received by the audience of CARIFORUM firms and European business support organisations who are keen to form strategic relations with CARIFORUM to further trade. Three Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) were signed between Caribbean Export, GIZ and BVMW as a symbol of the commitment to further trade and investment.

The following two-days of the event saw over 70 industry buyers and investors conduct some 150 business to business meetings with the sixty-three (63) carefully selected exhibitors from the Caribbean’s food, cosmetics and cultural industries who presented their products at the Union Halle. The fair recorded over 600 visitors who came to discover what the Caribbean has to offer.

“We were in Carifesta in Barbados and now we are here in Frankfurt. There are a lot more companies ready for the European market and so, yes it’s really, really, nice. We hope that there is opportunity to do something ” said Erica Ramsay (Manager) Spa Vivent Vertiebs GmbH.

Anthony Bradshaw, Officer in Charge at Caribbean Export, expressed his satisfaction with the event. “The CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum was designed as a platform with a view to strengthening business networks and promoting closer trade and investment relations between the Caribbean and, in this case, Europe. We are very pleased with the response to the fair, just as we have been in the past.”

“It’s been really great. I’ve met a lot of people who have been interested in our products and I will go to the Netherlands to have follow-up meetings as a result of what has happened here” Ruben Kranenburg – Sales and Operations Manager, Suriname Alcoholic Beverages.

The highlight was the consumers’ day on 28 September, which saw visitors enjoy Caribbean products, as well as Caribbean culture. In addition to rum tastings, cooking demonstrations and courses, more than eleven music performances were also put on by renowned artists.

Visitors were particularly impressed by the film Bazodee, featuring international soca artist Machel Montano, while Montano’s mother tantalised taste buds with a special vegan chocolate. Berlin’s most popular Caribbean chef – Troy Lopez from RosaCaleta – served up a surprise with a new German-Caribbean fusion dish, making Swabian Spätzle out of breadfruit flour, and combining it with chicken marinated in Superblend’s Chicken Marinade.

Salvaguardar el sector cacaotero del Caribe de Frosty Pod

Frosty pod rot in Jamaica

In the fifteen countries of CARIFORUM including Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the highly sought after fine or flavor cocoa is produced.  The Dominican Republic is the single largest producer of certified organic cocoa in the world causing the threat of frosty pod to have the potential to severely disrupt these lucrative international markets.

Frosty pod rot is considered the most dangerous cacao disease caused by the fungus Moniliophthora roreri.  Following its arrival to Jamaica in 2016[1], frosty pod now poses a tangible and enormous threat to the cocoa sector of the Caribbean.

In Costa Rica it took just five years after the arrival of frosty pod for the country to lose 80% of it’s production of cocoa due to its severe damaging effect.  This resulted in important changes to the way land was used, away from diversified cacao agroforestry systems to less diverse cropping systems.  As a consequence frosty pod can lead to serious negative socio-economic and ecological impacts for any country that becomes infected.

The proximity of Jamaica to Cuba and the island of Hispaniola, consisting of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and both legal and illegal movements of goods and people between these islands, present major avenues for the further spread of frosty pod. Cocoa farmers in Haiti and the Dominican Republic are poised to suffer great losses unless action is undertaken.

In preparation of the possible arrival of frosty pod, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, with support from the Caribbean Export Development Agency and financial aid of the European Union[2], have embarked on the development of a binational strategy for the prevention of Moniliophthora roreri.

 Two international experts, Dr. Wilbert Phillips and Dr. Martijn ten Hoopen, in collaboration with public and private cocoa sector partners, including the Ministries of Agriculture of both countries have prepared a Binational Early Warning Scheme and an Emergency Protocol for the Prevention of Frosty Pod.

The first ever frosty pod emergency plan field simulation excercise, held in the Dominican Republic, August 2019

A first ever binational simulation of the arrival of frosty pod and the protocols and quarantine measures to put in place, was held in the Dominican Republic in August 2019.

Both Haiti and the Dominican Republic are well aware of the risk of frosty pod and are acting to counteract this threat. However, continued efforts to sensitize farmers, agricultural technicians and others invested in the cocoa sector is necessary, not only in these two countries but in the Caribbean as a whole to safeguard an important driver for the economic diversification and development of the Caribbean.

For more information on the binational prevention strategy of Haiti and the Dominican Republic you can visit https://www.cedev.local/. For more information on frosty pod, please contact Dr. Wilbert Phillips (wilbertphillips@hotmail.com) or Dr Martijn ten Hoopen (tenhoopen@cirad.fr).


[1] Johnson et al. 2017. New Disease Report 36:2

[2] “Trade and Private Sector Component” of the Haiti-Dominican Republic Binational Cooperation Programme, under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) EDF/2018/399-379