Dear Editor,

As a graduate of The University of the West Indies, I envision a Caricom that operates as a global powerhouse. While global models like Norway, Iceland, and France demonstrate that energy independence is attainable through aggressive infrastructure investments, true self-sufficiency requires cross-border collaboration.

Caricom can mirror this success by shifting away from expensive, imported diesel and actively transitioning to solar, wind, and geothermal energy. By interconnecting island grids via subsea cables, we can seamlessly share geothermal power from the Eastern Caribbean alongside the hydro and gas resources of Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad. To fund this massive transition, the region must establish unified regulatory frameworks that attract large-scale international climate finance and private investment in clean energy.

Food independence is equally critical, and the region possesses a unique, world-class advantage. A landmark global study published in
Nature Food highlights Guyana as the only country in the world fully self-sufficient across all seven major food groups. Caricom must leverage this potential to accelerate its “25-by-25” initiative, slashing the region’s US$5-billion food import bill by 25 per cent.

By utilising the massive arable lands of Guyana, Suriname, and Belize for large-scale cross-border farming, we can feed the wider Caribbean. This agricultural expansion must be supported by a dedicated regional fast-ferry and cargo shipping network to transport perishable foods before they spoil, alongside the immediate elimination of non-tariff barriers, sanitary restrictions, and outdated customs duties that currently paralyse regional trade.

Finally, driving industrialisation and reviving our fossilised institutions will cement Caricom’s global standing. Industrialisation is the primary catalyst for economic development, shifting nations from low-productivity agriculture to high-value manufacturing that boosts income, creates stable jobs, and generates critical tax revenue. We can achieve this by blending Trinidad’s manufacturing capacity with the energy resources of Guyana and Suriname to build low-cost industrial hubs, ensuring we process raw materials like bauxite and timber locally rather than exporting them.

To sustain this, we must upgrade the Caricom Secretariat into an executive body with the legal power to enforce decisions, fully operationalise the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) for frictionless labour and capital movement, and digitise customs systems. Ultimately, these bold strategies must remain flexible, carefully balancing the unique national, cultural, and political realities of each member State.

Brian Ellis Plummer

brianplummer@yahoo.com