Jamaica

Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean and is an upper middle-income country with a GDP of 15.7 billion USD in 2018. Jamaica has an agricultural sector that accounts for 7% of the countries GDP and includes agricultural and fisheries products such as sugar cane, coffee, bananas, and shellfish. Agricultural production in Jamaica is being adversely affected by the impacts of climate change, including an increased frequency of inclement weather events and prolonged drought. To address climate change related issues in the agricultural sector, the Government of Jamaica has introduced national assistance programs as well as requested support from the international community in the form of funding and technical assistance. Jamaica also has an industrial sector that is responsible for 21.1% of GDP and includes industries such as mining and construction as well as a manufacturing sector that produces goods such as processed food, rum, metal products, and textiles.
Jamaica’s largest segment of the economy is the service sector, which generates 71.9% of the island nation’s GDP. The main industries in Jamaica’s service sector include financial services and information and communication technology as well as the tourism industry, which generates roughly 20% of the nations GDP and in 2018 saw 2.47 million visitor arrivals. The Jamaican Government is committed to ensuring the tourism industry is developed sustainably, with numerous terrestrial and marine protected areas spread across the island and its waters that provide tourism opportunities and protection for local natural resources.

Jamaica also supports a dynamic startup ecosystem that includes a variety of supports for growing small businesses, such as bootcamps, accelerators, impact investment networks, and government funding programs. Currently, startups in Jamaica are largely clustered in the technology sector, which includes clean energy technology. However, other areas for collaboration within Jamaica’s startup scene exist, such as aiding the government with the recent (2019) plastic bag ban and future plastic waste management initiatives.