CLIMATE CHANGE AND FOOD SECURITY IN THE CARIBBEAN: STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS FOR GUYANA AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Abstract

The study highlights climate change as a major threat to food security and national resilience in the Caribbean, focusing on Guyana’s role in regional agriculture. Using qualitative methods, it shows how erratic weather-such as floods and droughts-has disrupted farming, raised food prices, and harmed rural communities. These impacts worsen socioeconomic vulnerabilities, leading to risks like displacement, unemployment, and governance strain. Despite existing adaptation policies under CARICOM and AOSIS, weak implementation and resource gaps hinder resilience. The paper argues that food security should be treated as a national security priority and calls for climate-smart agriculture, stronger infrastructure, and integration of climate security into policy. Ultimately, it stresses the need for coordinated governance to protect Caribbean food systems amid growing climate volatility.