Book

In 2015, oil and gas was discovered in commercial quantities in Guyana with the first export occurring in 2019. Currently, the quantum of explorable oil is projected at 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent with an estimated 1.1 million boxes extraction per day by 2030.. This has brought an unexpected monetary windfall to Guyana. Indeed, it was described in 2023 as having the fastest growing economy worldwide.    There have been many examples of countries, who have suddenly obtained great windfalls from oil, neglecting their traditionally important economic sectors and consequently, experiencing the “resource curse”.    Agriculture, led by rice and sugar, has been for many years, prior to the oil and gas bonanza, has been a major economic driver, particularly as an earner of foreign exchange, in Guyana’s sustainable development. The articles set out to illustrate the existential relationships between agriculture and the oil and gas sector and consequently, the “resource curse”.   The author considered that if the agricultural sector could be transformed, modernised, expanded and made more productive, it would contribute to Guyana escaping the “resource curse”.   To start, the significant amount of safe and nutritious food required to meet the needs of the staff working on the vessels servicing the oil industry off shore was determined. The need for improved technical and administrative practices was also identified.    Subsequently, the concept, Agriculture is more than food on the table, was introduced to demonstrate that an efficiently operated agricultural sector improves the quality of life of individuals located inside and outside of the sector.