GCSI Regional Partner Organizations

Caribbean Agricultural Health & Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA)

CAHFSA has been designated as the Regional Plant Protection Organization for the Caribbean and is mandated to perform a coordinating and organizing role for the establishment of an effective and efficient regional sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regime and to execute on behalf of Member States such SPS actions and activities that can be more effectively and efficiently executed through a regional mechanism.

Additional information may be found at https://cahfsa.org/

Caribbean Community (CARICOM)

CARICOM is a grouping of twenty countries: fifteen Member States and five Associate Members. It is home to approximately sixteen million citizens, 60% of whom are under the age of 30, and from the main ethnic groups of Indigenous Peoples, Africans, Indians, Europeans, Chinese, Portuguese, and Javanese. The Community is multi-lingual; with English as the major language complemented by French and Dutch.

Stretching from The Bahamas in the north to Suriname and Guyana in South America, CARICOM comprises States that are considered developing countries. Except for Belize, in Central America and Guyana and Suriname in South America, all Members and Associate Members are Island States. While these States are all relatively small, both in terms of population and size, there is also great diversity with regards to geography and population as well as the levels of economic and social development.

CARICOM rests on four main pillars: economic integration; foreign policy coordination; human and social development; and security.

Additional information may be found at https://caricom.org/

Caribbean Plant Health Directors (CPHD)

The Caribbean Plant Health Directors Forum is a collaboration of 32 member countries and 12 regional and international partner organizations with the common purposes of safeguarding the plant resources of the Greater Caribbean Region (GCR) from the threat of quarantine pests; improving plant health through the control and management of existing pests; and the expansion of production and trade of agricultural commodities.These actions serve to increase food security, protect the unique environment, and enhance the quality of life and economic wellbeing of the people of the countries and territories of the GCR.

Additional information may be found at http://www.cphdforum.org/

Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)

The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) is the specialized agency for agriculture of the Inter-American System that supports the efforts of Member States to achieve agricultural development and rural well-being.

The Institute provides cooperation services through close and permanent work with its 34 Member States, addressing their needs in a timely manner. IICA’s most valuable asset is the close relationship it maintains with the beneficiaries of its work. They possess broad experience in the areas of technology and innovation for agriculture, agricultural health, food safety and quality, international agricultural trade, family farming, rural development, natural resource management and the bioeconomy.

Additional information may be found at: https://www.iica.int/en/costa-rica 

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.  Their goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 members from 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

Additional information may be found at: https://www.fao.org/home/en

Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI)

CABI is an international not-for-profit organization that improves people’s lives by providing information and applying scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment. Through knowledge sharing and science, CABI helps address issues of global concern such as improving global food security and safeguarding the environment.

They do this by helping farmers grow more and lose less of what they produce, combating threats to agriculture and the environment from pests and diseases, protecting biodiversity from invasive species, encouraging better and safer commodity crops, and improving access to agricultural and environmental scientific knowledge. 

Additional information may be found at: https://www.cabi.org/

Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)

The OECS is an international inter-governmental organization dedicated to regional integration in the Eastern Caribbean. The vision of the organization is "A better quality of life for the people of the OECS", with the Mission Statement: "To drive and support sustainable development through regional integration. collective action and development cooperation".

Additional information may be found at: https://www.oecs.org/en/ 

University of the West Indies (UWI)

One of only two regional higher education institutions in the world, The UWI continues to leverage its reputational excellence to expand its global footprint. Beginning with the setting up of an Office of Global Affairs in 2016, The UWI sought to renew longstanding relationships and embarked on new partnerships at an unprecedented level.

To date, in addition to our five campuses in the Caribbean, The UWI system comprises 10 global centers across North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Beyond teaching, research, and the production of knowledge, we’ve gone a step further to prioritize building global partnerships and connecting knowledge to opportunities for multi-stakeholder development solutions. This is led by our Office of Global Partnerships and Sustainable Futures which also works to strengthen the university’s positioning and engagement with the 2030 global development agenda.

As a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) engaged university, global partnerships allow us to expand the opportunities available to our faculty and to our students, by joining forces with collaborators who are committed to Caribbean development.

Additional information may be found at: https://www.uwi.edu/ 

Caribbean Agricultural and Research Development Institute (CARDI)

The Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) is one of the foremost organizations dedicated to conducting research and development that seeks to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of the regional agricultural sector. The Institute was established in 1974 by the governments of 12 member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). It is headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago and now has representation in 14 countries, including Cayman Islands and the Bahamas, who became members in 2014 and 2016 respectively. CARDI currently serves a collective population of just over 6.2 million, operating in a highly networked environment. Along with national agencies, groups, and bodies, they also coordinate with regional, hemispherical, and global bodies to contribute to a renewed sense of urgency and importance singularly and collectively to the agricultural sector by way of research, innovation, and execution.

Additional information may be found at: http://www.cardi.org/

Organismo Internacional Regional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (OIRSA)

The International Regional Organization for Agricultural Health (OIRSA) is an intergovernmental institution specialized in the areas of animal health, plant health, quarantine services and food safety. OIRSA was founded in 1953 to provide technical and financial cooperation to the Ministries and Secretariats of Agriculture and Livestock of its member states, in the protection and development of their agricultural resources. This to guarantee healthy and safe food production.

In its six decades of service, OIRSA has faced the threats posed by pests and diseases to the region, acting effectively, with responsiveness and a sense of anticipation, which has allowed it to obtain significant results. To this end, it works hand in hand with the ministerial authorities of its signatory countries, providing them with advice and support in the programs and projects for the prevention, control and eradication of pests and diseases that they execute.

Additional information may be found at: https://www.oirsa.org 

Center for International Research and Development (CIRAD)

CIRAD is the French agricultural research and cooperation organization working for the sustainable development of tropical and Mediterranean regions, working with its partners to build knowledge and solutions and invent resilient farming systems for a more sustainable, inclusive world.It mobilizes science, innovation, and training to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Its expertise supports the entire range of stakeholders, from producers to public policymakers, to foster biodiversity protection, agroecological transitions, food system sustainability, health (of plants, animals, and ecosystems), sustainable development of rural territories, and their resilience to climate change.

Additional information may be found at: https://www.cirad.fr/en/

University of Florida (UFL)

Agriculture’s impact on Florida is huge. In fact, a just-released UF/IFAS study showed that Florida’s combined agriculture, natural resources and food industries added $132 billion to the state’s economy in 2015 alone. To support this economic sector, UF/IFAS Extension offers education to producers across the state, ensuring that the crop varieties they grow and the management methods they use are all backed by the best science available. Whether it’s citrus or soil, livestock, or lettuce, find resources from UF/IFAS experts on topics that span the entirety of agriculture.

Additional information may be found at: https://ifas.ufl.edu/

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry (FDACS-DPI)

As a regulatory branch of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Division of Plant Industry works to detect, intercept and control plant and honeybee pests that threaten Florida’s native and commercially grown plants and agricultural resources.

Additional information may be found at: https://www.fdacs.gov/Divisions-Offices/Plant-Industry

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

With more than 60,000 employees, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CBP, is one of the world's largest law enforcement organizations and is charged with keeping terrorists and their weapons out of the U.S. while facilitating lawful international travel and trade.

Additional information may be found at: https://www.cbp.gov/

USDA-APHIS International Services (IS)

International Services (IS) is the overseas arm of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Our Foreign Service Officers and staff work in 27 countries worldwide to carry out APHIS’ mission on the global stage. Our in-country presence, technical expertise, and skilled diplomacy give America unmatched advantage, access, and trust abroad to protect and promote U.S. agricultural health.

Additional information may be found at: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/internationalservices