WILLEMSTAD – A new Agri Academy will be established as part of the Kingdom’s push to strengthen food security in Curaçao and the other Caribbean islands, while the first loans from a new revolving food fund are expected to be issued in 2027.
The plans are contained in the Netherlands’ proposed 2027 Kingdom Relations budget.
The Dutch government expects the independent foundation responsible for the food-security initiative to be fully operational in 2027, allowing it to begin issuing its first loans.
In addition to managing the revolving fund, the organization will establish an Agri Academy focused on knowledge development and business development.
The initiative is part of a broader strategy to reduce vulnerabilities in Caribbean food supplies.
In 2027, investments are also planned in water management, available agricultural land, refrigerated storage and logistics. Financing through the CariFoodFund will be available for food-related projects on the islands.
Education will form another part of the program, with attention given to innovative and sustainable approaches to food production.
The Netherlands sees food security as both an economic-development issue and a way of increasing the self-reliance of the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom.
The budget does not state how much of the available financing will go specifically to projects in Curaçao.