At the invitation of our Scottish partners, ECTAD CARIBBEAN will be participating in a special workshop in Edinburgh, Scotland. The aim of the workshop will be to engage in strategic brainstorming, planning and a showcase of Caribbean products for Scottish business representatives in the fair trade sector, but also to work towards an approach for use of blockchain technology for inter-regional Caribbean trade, in accordance with the 2011 Regional Food and Nutrition Security Policy of CARICOM. At the successful completion of the workshop, all parties involved will have considered ways to enhance exchange between producers and consumers within and between Jamaica and St Vincent. They will also consider the potential of new technologies (e.g. blockchain, IoT and Artificial Intelligence (AI) ) to support such exchange.
ECTAD will be represented by our Jamaica partner leader, who will showcasing a number of Caribbean manufactured products and fresh produce. Included in the display are samples of fresh produce dasheen, yams, sweet potatoes, turmeric, eddoes and ginger. As well as coconut confectioneries, herbal teas, pepper and cassava products produced by small hold farmers and small household producers.
Our participation in this event will open up new opportunities for our local Caribbean produce to be purchased by eager buyers in Scotland. Trial shipments to Scottish ports will being by the end of 2018.