Resource information
The National Strategy for Agriculture in Guyana is a strategic instrument with a multi-sectoral approach, applicable at the national level and related to the period from 2013 to 2020. Guyana’s Vision for Agriculture 2020 seeks to change the view that agriculture is for subsistence livelihood while it also seeks to promote agriculture as a wealth generator and entrepreneurial enterprise, producing food and non-food commodities to meet local and export demands. The strategy is based upon the F-5 Strategic Approach for Agriculture, which covers: (a) Food Security - Consolidating the End of Hunger in Guyana, ensuring everyone has enough food in every community; (b) Fiber and Nutritious Food Accessible by citizens - Nutrition Security for All; (c) Fuel Production - helping to develop alternative fuel sources, reducing dependency on fossil fuel and creating a Bio-Energy Industry in Guyana; (d) Fashion and Health Products – An Agro-Process Industry which creates a new industry in Guyana.As mentioned, the strategy aims to help eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. In particular, Priority 16 addresses Food and Nutrition Security and Safety as fundamental imperatives for agricultural development in Guyana.The strategy seeks to make agriculture more productive and sustainable. The vision is that agriculture will continue to drive sustained economic and social prosperity, moving Guyana to a high middleincome developing country by 2025. One of the Priority Areas is the support and expansion of Guyana’s Agro-Diversity Policy and Programme. In particular, Priority 18 concerns environmental sustainability through the agricultural sector, including climate change issues.The strategy seeks to enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food system. Agriculture will further contribute towards wealth generation, providing entrepreneurs with investment opportunities, promoting employment, helping to eliminate inequity and poverty, building Guyana’s export portfolio. These objectives shall be achieved through accelerated modernization and diversification of the agriculture sector in Guyana. Agriculture shall be based upon 25 Priority Areas, which include: a new focus on farming systems and techniques, biotechnology and precision-agriculture; a strengthened focus on infrastructure development for the agricultural sector. Priority 21 seeks to make land availability, land zoning and land tenure for agriculture easier for farmers and entrepreneurs. Priority 25 is a Programme of Financing Mechanisms for Agriculture.Regarding the increase of resilience of livelihoods to disasters, Priority 19 commits Guyana to further develop its Agriculture Risk Reduction and Disaster Management Programme. Further, Priority 20 identifies hydrometeorology and weather forecasting as part of the lives of the farmers.
