IDB urges new financing model for Caribbean resilience

Dr Anna Toness, senior specialist in Agriculture and Rural Development at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), says Caribbean governments cannot afford to shoulder the rising cost of climate-proofing the region’s food systems alone, and must bring private investors into the effort at scale.

Toness said there is growing investor interest in resilient agriculture and food infrastructure, but governments and development partners must address the risks that are preventing more private capital from flowing into the sector.

“I think the financing question is the one that I would bring to the table. It’s one we’ve been thinking a lot about at IDB, and we want to respond to the charge to be working together, to be actionable, and to be very deliberate,” she said.