ORANJESTAD- Less than 1 month in office, recently appointed Island Commissioner Derrick Simmons, who mans the portfolio for Agriculture, has made food security on St. Eustatius one of his focal points. 

On Sunday October 16th a delegation from Statia, upon invitation of the Curaçaon minister of Public Health Nature and Environment Dr. Dorothy Pietersz-Janga, attended an agricultural congress entitled Dutch Caribbean Visioning Process (DCVP). 

Among the attendees from Sint Eustatius accompanying Commissioner Simmons were Political Advisor Vaughn Sams, Arlene Spanner-Schmidt from ENI, Anna Martiz PEPP and Gregory Melfor Policy Advisor from Public Health, who later joined the delegation. 

The congress kickstarted on Monday October 17th with a field trip where the commissioner along with the delegation from Statia and other islands such as Curaçao, Saba, Sint Maarten, Aruba and Bonaire visited a number of pilot projects, green houses, syntropic farms, hydroponic farms, food processing plants and farm to table restaurant model. 

Several presentations were also given about ongoing projects, challenges and successes along with the exploration of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology in agriculture. On Tuesday October 18th more insight and presentations will be given and on Wednesday October 19th a possible MOU will be drafted between the Dutch Caribbean entities and territories. This will further instil a collective sense of working together towards a higher quality of life and sets a new pace for the development of food sovereignty amongst the Dutch Caribbean islands and beyond.

Sustainability

Commissioner Simmons commented that the congress serves as a basis for the Dutch Caribbean Islands to meet and be on the same page all pointing in the right direction towards food sustainability and food security. It is the intention that this will eventually fight against the rising cost of food accumulated through import. 

On behalf of the Public Entity of Sint Eustatius the Commissioner extends a hearty thanks to the Minister of Public Health, Nature and Environment, the facilitator Mr. Angelo Luidens and all others who worked to put this congress together.