CARICOM Invests $50M into Belize’s Sugar Sector

Belize’s sugar industry, battered by droughts, unpredictable rainfall and plant disease, is receiving a $50 million lifeline from the CARICOM Climate Change Centre through the Green Climate Fund. The investment’s objective is to strengthen resilience for over 5,000 cane farmers in the north.

Dr Colin Young, Executive Director of the Centre, told News 5, “We are looking at assisting the farmers with land management techniques and providing seed cane for the farmers to replant their fields, capacity building and also grants that they can help use if they were to abide by certain land management technique.”

According to Dr Young, the investment seeks to create structures that help the sugar industry withstand environmental and climate-related challenges.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Economic Transformation Osmond Martinez said the funding will also support mechanisation and irrigation, helping farmers move away from traditional harvesting methods. Martinez called this a “testament of the capacity that Belize has now to be able to mobilise climate finance.”

The programme will introduce climate-smart practices, improved seed varieties and direct financial assistance to help farmers cope with harsher weather and secure continuity of the sector.