a)
To provide a forum for the examination of all agricultural institutions,
policies, systems and practices in the Region;
b)
To focus attention on the economic problems of agricultural production
and marketing with a view to improving economic efficiency;
c)
To facilitate exchange and flow of ideas between universities,
regional and government institutions and the private sector with
respect to matters related to the economics of agricultural production
and related industries;
d) To disseminate agricultural information throughout the Region;
e)
To adopt a regional approach to the collection, collation and
analysis of agricultural data;
f)
To establish a closer working relationship between the public
and private sectors in agricultural production;
g)
To publish available material for the benefit of the whole region.
Organization
of Conferences
The First West Indies Agricultural Economics Conference was organised
by Dr. M. Alexander of the Department of Agricultural Economics
and Extension and the following eight conferences were organized
by the Department in collaboration with other Departments of the
University, other regional institutions and governments of the
host countries.
The
Caribbean Agro-Economic Society took over the organization of
the conference series in 1975. The years and locations of the
conferences organized by the Society are shown on the attached
table.
Participants
Conferences over the years have attracted a wide range of participants
including economists and sectoral planners, agrologists, teachers,
agricultural economist, farmers and other social scientists. Delegates
have come from Africa, Latin America, North America, Europe and
most importantly, the Caribbean, both English and non-English
speaking.
These
Conferences have informed agricultural policy throughout the Region.
Ministries of Agriculture in the Commonwealth Caribbean have found
them so useful that they have been supporting theses Conferences
as co-sponsors.
The
Conferences have attracted the support of international and Caribbean
institutions such as: The Ford Foundation, The British Overseas
Development Agency, The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation
on Agriculture, The Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute., The
Caricom Secretariat, International Development Research Centre,
Ministries of Governments and other public sector agencies and
private sector organizations throughout the Region.
More
recently, the Society has been publishing a Newsletter for circulation
to members. The Newsletter is meant to keep members informed on
events and issues of interests.
Some
Activities of the Society
The Society also uses its membership as a resource pool from which
it can select individuals with appropriate expertise to conduct
specific studies for which funding/grants have been obtained. For
example, a Special Study on "Incentives and Support Systems
for Food and Agriculture" in the Caribbean LDC's and Belize
was commissioned by the Society earlier this year. The Study was
funded by international agencies and the findings presented at the
18th Conference in Jamaica in April of this year. For this exercise
the Society drew on the services of about twelve of its members
from the various countries.
CAES
Journal
Farm and Business is the Journal of the Caribbean Agro-Economic
Society. The latest (2) editions have been published Vol. 4 No.
1 & 2, January and March, 2001. The membership fee for Caribbean
Agro-Economic Society now includes subscriptions to Farm and Business.
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