 Several recommendations geared towards better positioning the agriculture industry for economic benefits and opportunities have come out of the discussions held in observance of productivity awareness week. On the 12th of October, a panel of industry stakeholders dissected the issue. Harris Ross Daniel. Tuesday's discussion was geared towards identifying a clear path towards the rejuvenation of St. Lucia's agriculture sector. The dialogue was open and frank as the panelist dived into the realm of the agriculture industry, touching on varying topics such as food security, nutrition, and the ever-growing food import bill to name a few. Perishables manager at Massey Store St. Lucia, Dan Stendimil, speaking from his perspective, noted that many challenges continue to plague the agriculture sector, particularly as it relates to food production. Farm labour is one of the biggest issues we face now. I don't know if we are aware of that. Also, we have a number of challenges when it comes to getting timely inputs because when the farmers need a product to nourish the plants or whatnot and they don't have it, all that affects production. We had a number of crop failures, I mean in the Babuno area, although we get a lot of rain, but I assure you will appreciate from about May to November, we have a retired growth of plants in that area in terms of a lot of the leafy vegetables, and that too is reflected at our stores. We also have a number of post-harvest challenges because we've pretty alas only been as it is now. You find a lot of persons trying to harvest before the fields come and steal the product. So sometimes the maturity stage is not optimum for the market. Chief Extension Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security, and Rural Development, Camille Jean-Baptiste, explained that in order to increase the agriculture sector's GDP contribution, increased strategic thinking, planning, partnerships, and investments are necessary. Agricultural developments cannot be divorced from all the other developments. There's one truth about agriculture that has to be recognized at the highest policy making level, and that is about the amount of land space that is required for production. You have exports, you have agro-processing, and a number of investments, opportunities that come off of agriculture as they would say backward and forward linkages, but all of these are hinged on the ability of the country to produce the primary products that are required. We need to start strategically looking at what available lands we have for agriculture, and to ensure that policies are set out that dictate that these lands remain for agricultural production now and into the future and for posterity. When we are able to do that, then we need to look at what sort of strategic investments that we are going to make. We've had support from Sustainable Development Department, for example, in developing a national adaptation plan. Climate change is for real. The reality of it and its impacts on agriculture is for real, and we need to ensure that agriculture is well prepared. The Chief Extension Officer added that international organizations such as the Global Environment Facility GEF, Small Grants Program, United States Development Program, UNDP, have been lending support making significant investments in St. Lucia's agriculture sector. Chief Nutritionist in the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs highlighted the linkages between health and agriculture. To be food and nutrition secure is to ensure that our people are healthy. Are we secure here? Food and nutrition security, there is a bit of difference. Food security entails that we have adequate calories for everybody in a country that is sufficient that they can live their active lives. Nutrition security takes it a step further where the food that is produced must ensure that this food is nutritious. Food security can ensure that we get adequate calories but doesn't speak to nutrition. Nutrition security ensure that we are getting the nutrients that we need so that we can live healthy and active lives. Now do we have adequate food and nutrition security in St. Lucia to ensure that if we did our health status would be different? And so there is a very strong link between agriculture and nutrition. The discussion sought to answer the question, how should agriculture be repositioned to feel more space in St. Lucia's economic basket and forms part of the activities being held as part of Productivity Awareness Week 2021?