Members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), including government representatives from Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, have completed a three-day visit to Andalucía, Spain, aimed at strengthening sustainable agri-food systems and rural development.

The visit, which ran from October 22 to 24, was part of the EU-CaN: Nurturing Futures Together project—an initiative funded by the European Commission and coordinated by the Foundation for the Internationalisation of Public Administrations (FIAP). The project promotes cooperation and knowledge exchange between European and Caribbean regions to advance sustainability, food security, and the inclusion of women and youth in agriculture.

During their stop in the Axarquía area of Malaga province on October 24, the delegation toured a subtropical fruit company in Vélez-Málaga, the Monte Faco vineyard, and the village of Moclinejo, where they sampled local cuisine and met with mayors Antonio Yuste of Almáchar and Raúl Vallejo of El Borge.

The secretary general for agriculture of the Andalusian regional government, Manuel Gómez, welcomed the group at the start of the visit. He said Andalucía identifies strongly with the project’s objectives, having demonstrated that sustainability and competitiveness depend on the inclusion of women and young people in agricultural and fisheries policies.

Gómez added that the region continues to advocate for agricultural innovation to revitalize rural areas and strengthen food security.

The Caribbean delegation also visited Cádiz, Seville, and Madrid, deepening ties between Spain and the Eastern Caribbean in the pursuit of sustainable and inclusive agricultural growth.