Agriculture is one of the great pragmatic arts ... the dance literally has to take place on the ground...Our task is to engage each other in a collaborative process that transforms both the way we farm and the way we eat..... The future of the new agriculture is full of potential... the seeds for the new food system have already been sown... what we need is a new and compelling vision that binds us to a common purpose"
Fred Kirschenmann, "Questions we aren't asking in agriculture: Beginning the journey toward a new vision", September 12, 2000
linking ideas for actions....
connecting the players and actors....
building on experiences for development.
A Special Note on CaRAPN, What it Is, and What it Isn't. We urge all visitors to read this article!
Agriculture is central to our existence. It sustains our lives, livelihoods and planet in every conceivable manner. The seeds we sow now will redound to the benefit of our successive generations. Globalization and advances in information and communication technologies (ICT) have strengthened formal structures and mechanisms, making networking easier. Modern networking concepts and tools offer tremendous scope to reduce financial, human resource and geographical mobility limitations. For developing countries, networking is a critical tool to bridge the digital divide and enable the adjustment of individuals, institutions, industries and sectors to the advancing global integration process.
CaRAPN is one of these seeds that needs our faithful nurturing. It was germinated to ensure wider availability and access to relevant information as essential inputs for dialogue, decision-making and collaborative action in agriculture.
CaRAPN initially focussed on building a website as a major tool to link all interested, affected, movers and shakers involved in agricultural and rural development, especially youth and women, small business and marginalised segments of the agricultural community.
CaRAPN looks to become more than a website; more than information storage and dissemination. CaRAPN wants to become a true network of people who are driven to work together and take meaningful actions to make agriculture economically, socially and environmentally sustainable in countries of the Caribbean.
CaRAPN’s Evolution…….
| Planting the Seed | The Germination | The Nurturing |
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A December 2002 study conlcuded that a regional agricultural policy network (RAPN) will be relevant and useful to agricultural development in the Caribbean.
Caribbean stake-holders met in a January 2003 to discuss the pros, cons, operations and services of a network for agricultural policy. They agreed to establish CaRAPN.
In September 2004, IICA started About the Logo
Our Focus is on "Policy"
It represents all the stages from planting the seed through to progress. The Roots represents the "anchor" and strength in "community" or "collective" action; the branching out and leaves are signs of hope in this future; life as a process' growth in an enabling environment; resilience in the face of challenges. The role of "Policy" is fundamental to all this.
Communication will continue to be central to CaRAPN.
With a list serve of over 400 and still counting, CaRAPN is poised to contribute to the strengthening of the agricultural policy process in the Caribbean through information, knowledge management and dialogue.
