Caribbean Natural Resources Institute

The Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) is a non-profit technical institute working across the Caribbean region since 1989. 

CANARI's vision is of a transformative shift in the way the Caribbean approaches development, in order to achieve the equity, wellbeing and resilience that are the basis for a healthy environment and long-term prosperity. We believe that shift is only possible when Caribbean people, governments and communities are working together, empowered with the information, capacity and intra-regional and global linkages needed to transform systems and institutions. This vision is grounded in CANARI’s mission to promote and facilitate stakeholder participation and collaboration in the stewardship of natural resources in the Caribbean.

CANARI has been for more than 30 years a persistent and influential voice for justice in the way natural resources in the Caribbean are managed and used. Understanding the central role of renewable natural resources in the lives and livelihoods of Caribbean people, we have pursued in creative ways alternative Caribbean pathways, focused on the wellbeing of the land and the people rather than narrow economic growth. CANARI’s efforts to support the rights of the least powerful and most vulnerable stakeholders, to level the playing field and amplify voices have been constant throughout its history. CANARI’s influence can be seen in the widespread legal and cultural affirmation that affected communities should have a say in decisions that affect their access to and relationship with natural resources. Governments have become more accepting of the value of partnering with civil society because CANARI has demonstrated time and again that such partnerships can work. A living organism, CANARI has continually evolved in response to changes in the political and socio-economic circumstances of the region, while remaining constant in its commitment to sustainable and equitable Caribbean development.

Believing in Caribbean solutions to Caribbean problems, our work has demonstrated the wealth of expertise and capacity that exists in the region and the effectiveness of locally designed and driven approaches. Always an innovator, CANARI has pioneered and shared participatory approaches that have changed, and continue to change, the way natural resources are managed and perceived in the region. We have demonstrated the power and value of sharing different perspectives to build consensus and catalyse commitment to collective and collaborative action. Our skill in bringing stakeholders together has built lasting bridges between governments and civil society across institutional, cultural and linguistic barriers. As an independent organisation without members or government sponsorship, we have not only been free to innovate but also able to gain the trust of all types of stakeholders and to provide a safe space for dialogue between them. As the region goes through one of the most challenging times in its recent history, few are better placed than CANARI to lead debate and visionary thinking on a more resilient and sustainable way forward and to support the changes needed to achieve that reality.

We are currently headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago, with staff outposted across the region, and are legally registered in Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the United States Virgin Islands. 

Check us out at www.canari.org.