CariFoodFund moves forward to strengthen food production across Dutch Caribbean

GREAT BAY--The establishment of the new CariFoodFund has officially moved forward with a working visit to Curaçao, where discussions focused on strengthening local food production and improving food security across the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.

The fund is being developed to provide financing for agricultural and food-chain projects on Curaçao, Aruba, St. Maarten, Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. Its central goal is to reduce the islands’ dependence on imported food by supporting local entrepreneurs, farmers, fisheries and food-related initiatives that can contribute to a more resilient regional food system.

Jamy Goewie, intended Chair of the Supervisory Board of the CariFoodFund Foundation, visited Curaçao as part of the preparation process. During the visit, Goewie held talks with farmers, banks and the Centrale Bank van Curaçao en St. Maarten, CBCS. One of the topics discussed was the future licensing process required for lending activities.

CariFoodFund is expected to operate as a revolving fund. This means that loans issued to entrepreneurs will be repaid and then made available again for new projects. The model is intended to create a longer-term financing instrument for food production, rather than a one-time subsidy program.

The Dutch government has made €18 million available as starting capital for the fund. Wider reporting on the initiative has also noted that the food security package includes €6 million reserved for direct subsidies and contributions to local governments, bringing the broader package to €24 million. The fund is also expected to seek cooperation with private financiers, including banks and pension funds in the Caribbean and the Netherlands, with the aim of increasing the amount available for investment over time.

During her visit to Curaçao, Goewie visited Hòfi Cas Cora and Fresku Kòrsou, also known as Bonhydroponics, where modern agricultural techniques are being used to grow food under dry and warm conditions. She also met with representatives of Koperashon Union di Piskadó, Soltuna and D’Farm.

The initiative comes at a time when food security has become a growing policy concern across the Dutch Caribbean. The islands remain heavily dependent on imported food, leaving them vulnerable to international price increases, shipping disruptions, global crises and extreme weather events. The COVID-19 pandemic and recent geopolitical developments have further highlighted the risks of relying almost entirely on external food supply chains.

Recent findings have also shown the scale of the challenge. A PRIVA baseline study reported that St. Maarten has the lowest measured food self-sufficiency among the six Dutch Caribbean islands, with local production accounting for just 0.72 percent of the island’s measured food supply. The same study placed St. Eustatius at 13.88 percent, Curaçao at 8.78 percent, Bonaire at 8.25 percent, Aruba at 6.57 percent and Saba at 4.62 percent.

For St. Maarten, the study found local production of approximately 100,716 kilograms per year, compared to consumption of approximately 13.93 million kilograms per year. Most of the recorded local production was in vegetables, followed by fish, eggs and fruit. The study also noted that some informal and small-scale self-provisioning may not be fully captured in the data.

CariFoodFund is intended to address such gaps by improving access to financing for entrepreneurs in agriculture, horticulture, livestock, fisheries and related food-chain sectors. The fund is also expected to support projects that contribute to local food availability, quality, stability and affordability.

According to the policy direction behind the fund, strengthening food production is not only a matter of agriculture, but also of economic resilience. By supporting local production, the initiative aims to help create business opportunities, reduce exposure to external supply shocks and support the development of practical food systems suited to island conditions.

The fund is expected to be aligned with the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations’ broader effort to strengthen economic resilience in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. Its development will depend on continued cooperation among government, financial institutions, entrepreneurs and local food-sector stakeholders.

With the establishment process now underway, CariFoodFund is expected to become an important financing instrument for food-security projects across the six islands. The coming phase will determine how quickly entrepreneurs can access support and how effectively the fund can translate policy goals into local food production, stronger supply chains and greater resilience for the islands.

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