June 2018c

6 7 OPENING LINES take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to the Caribbean Development Bank for giving our young people the opportunity to have their say as we build a more climate-smart agricultural sector. A special thank you also to you, the participants, for accepting this chal- lenge, accepting this opportunity to discuss the issues and challenges facing you in the agricultural sector,” she told the youth. Dr. Malachy Dottin, Director of Research, Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, encouraged participants to take responsibility for climate action in their daily lives. “Tell us about your actions to combat cli- mate change by using your social networks. Buy only what you need. It is crucial,” he said. “Limit plastic, recycle paper, glass and aluminum. Love your leftovers,” the professor told participants in an interactive address. Since 2002, more than 800 young people from across the Bank’s bor- rowing member countries have par- ticipated in the Vybzing Youth Out- reach Program. Themes addressed in the fora include information communication technologies for de- velopment, citizen security, creative entrepreneurship, regional economic development, and road safety.