Dr. Michael Witter

Michael Witter holds a PhD in economics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with his dissertation titled “A Model of Export Economy”. He currently works as a senior research fellow at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES), University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica, prior to which he was head of the Department of Economics.

His teaching areas of expertise include economic theory (micro, macro, development, history of economic thought, applied economics), as well as agriculture, energy, food, health, and poverty. Dr. Witter’s research interest include problems of economic growth and management in developing countries, especially with regard to macro- and micro-economic planning, balance of payments, structural adjustment, energy, food, housing, poverty, and the environment.

He has completed a diverse range of publications and reports over the years. Some of his publications since 1990 include:

  • "The Informal Economy in Jamaica: Some Empirical Exercises", with C. Kirton, ISER Working Paper no.36, 1990
  • "Some Reflections on the Economic Development of Jamaica," in Rethinking Development, ed. by J. Wedderburn, Consortium Graduate School of Social Sciences, UWI, 1991.
  • "Plantation Economy: Insights for the Twenty-First Century," in Plantation Economy, Land Reform and the Peasantry: 1838-1980, Eds. Claus Stolberg and Swithin Wilmot, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, March 1992.
  • "Aspects of the Informal Economy in Jamaica," with C. Kirton, in S.Lalta and M.Freckleton, Caribbean Economic Development: The First Generation, Ian Randle Publishers, Kingston, 1993
  • "Crisis, Adjustment and Social Change: a Case Study of Jamaica," with Patricia Anderson, in E. LeFranc (ed.) Consequences of Structural Adjustment, Canoe Press, Jamaica, 1994.

Below are a selection of recent special reports:

  • "A Review and Assessment of the Poverty Policy of the Tobago Development Plan." Prepared for the UNDP and the Tobago House of Assembly in conjunction with the Project Development and Research Institute, March 2000
  • "Economic Incentives for Implementing Environmental Management Systems in Jamaica," Prepared for CWIP/USAID/NRCA, March 2000
  • "National Report on Sustainable Development in Jamaica," Prepared for the Ministry of Land and the Environment, the Government of Jamaica, for the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, 2002, February 2002
  • Michael Witter, Lino Briguglio, Assad Bhuglah, "Measuring and managing the economic vulnerability of small island developing states," Paper prepared for WSSD, March 2002
  • "Monitoring Socio-Economic Change in the Portland Bight Protected Area (PBPA)," prepared for the IDB and Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation, September 2002
  • "Trends in Economic Vulnerability in the Caribbean: Six (6) Case Studies," presentation to UNDP International Experts meeting, Dominica, September 30, 2003


Dr. Michael Witter, Professor Neville Duncan, and Dr. Keith Nurse, all eminent faculty of the University of the West Indies, will jointly present in a plenary session on the subject: "Innovation Governance and Small States: Strategic Opportunities in Energy, Food and Health."

Summarising their topic, the presenters explain that over the last two to three decades Caribbean countries have become less competitive, as exemplified by a decline in export diversification and increased concentration in exports and markets. Most countries have extremely high levels of trade specialisation, usually in the export of low value-added raw materials, commodities, manufacturing (for example, clothing and electronics) and services (for instance, tourism and financial services) which have had declining terms of trade, and fetch low (and volatile) prices in global markets.

Further, it is increasingly recognized that Caribbean countries need to improve their innovation systems in order to compete globally. In tandem, there is rising acceptance that innovation systems should also respond to the demands of Caribbean societies in terms of poverty alleviation and sustainability goals. To achieve these multiple goals, specific strategies need to be in place in order to ensure that innovation efforts increase competitiveness as well as respond to environmental impacts and the distribution effects.

The overall aim of the paper is to explore areas of innovation governance that can make a definitive and measurable contribution to the thinking and planning on how to reduce key Caribbean vulnerabilities/fragilities and/or enhance strategic export and growth opportunities in the contemporary and emerging global context which have a discernible impact on sustainability and social inclusion. The paper explores, in particular, areas related to health, food and energy, given the region’s high dependence on imports and the quantum of GDP shares in these areas. Emergent trends in the global economy and in the climate change agenda suggest that these areas of the economy are likely to experience higher prices and so present increased risks for import-dependent economies like the Caribbean region.