AGRIVYBZ is the official Newsletter publication of the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN)

CaFAN
Newsletter
Issue 11

IN THIS ISSUE

FAO support to FO in the

Pacific and the Caribbean
regions ………………………2
Fruit Logistica and Freshconex Trade Fairs (in Germany)
FAO UK market tour ……..…3
A team from the Caribbean region
comprising Mr. Jethro Greene, Chief Marketing Advisor visits
Coordinator of the Caribbean Farmers CaFAN ……………………... 4
Network (CaFAN); Mr. Lafeale Enoka,
Marketing Officer of the Food and Value Chain Development
Agriculture Organization of the United Policy ………………………...5
Nations – Trinidad and Tobago; and Dr.
Vivian Moise, President of the National Top-Soil……………………...5
Island Pineapple Producers Association in
Dominica attended the 2011 Fruit Logistica ASTT held its 172nd Annual
held in Messe Berlin, Germany from General Meeting ……..….…6
February 9-11, 2011.
ECTAD Attracting Farmers for
Mr. Greene in his report of the visit said that increased markets …...….…7
most countries of the world were
represented except the English speaking Gender and Rural
Caribbean. He said the Dominican Republic Empowerment………...……8
was represented at this massive food fair,
which provides scope for doing business. 21st Brussels Development
Briefing……………………….9
He also said that emphasis was placed on
trading in fresh produce, which jogged his Lobbying politicians……..…12
mind to appreciate that while value addition
is great, people ultimately appreciate that CaFAN & CARICOM ….…..12
‘the fresher the product, the healthier the
product’. This concept was pushed at the CaFAN meets COLEACP...13
Below: L-R: Dr. Moise, Mr. Enoka & Mr. Greene fair.
Above: Mr. Greene outside the Messe Berlin Prominent Disasters...........14
where the trade fair took place He reiterated that there is a massive market
for fresh, healthy produce. He also NEFO’s Update ………..….15
emphasized that when value is added to the produce to cover up for spoilage, etc., it is more
a commercial exercise. He said people are increasingly pushing for healthy produce. Internship Reflection ………...16
Fruit Logistica is an international trade exhibition showcasing a range of fresh produce from …and More
across the world and is considered a leader of its kind. The exhibition provides opportunity
for international exhibitors to benefit and interact with customers and manufacturers of fresh
produce across the globe with over two thousand companies participating.

The Team’s participation was made possible through funding provided by the Italy funded
“Promoting CARICOM/CARIFORUM Food Security Project”. The project is the Caribbean
component of FAO’s General Trust Fund for Food Security (GTFS).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Managing Editor: Jethro Greene | Administrative Support and Editor: Nyasha Durrant |
Contributors: Jeffrey Trotman, S. Rose-Richards & R. Penny | Design
1 & Layout: CaFAN Secretariat
AGRIVYBZ is the official Newsletter publication of the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN)
Editor’s Note
The Caribbean Farmers Network
(CaFAN) is pleased to present to
you its newsletter publication;
Agrivybz issue number 11.
This issue of Agrivybz features
articles on CaFAN’s latest activities
during the past four months from
November 2010 to February 2011.
It also highlights activities of
CaFAN’s member organisations at
the national level including
activities implemented by CaFAN’s
members involved in the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO), EU All ACP
Agricultural Commodities
Programme.
The beginning of 2011 has also
brought new opportunities for the
network including the most recent
engagement between CaFAN and
COLEACP/PIP.
CaFAN has also been at the
forefront of the drafting of
CARICOM policies, namely the
Regional Food and Nutrition Policy
(RFNS) and the CARICOM
Community Agricultural Policy
(CAP).
CaFAN is pleased with the
emphasis being placed on the
farming community at the centre of
agricultural development and will
continue to work with its
development partners for the
sustainable development of the
Agriculture Sector.
We now invite you to explore this
issue of Agrivybz with us and we
encourage you to send us your
comments and feedbacks.
Happy Reading!
Nyasha Durrant
Administrative/Project Officer
CaFAN
FAO support to FO in the
Pacific and the Caribbean regions
Since early 2008, the Rural Infrastructure and Agro-Industries Division of
FAO (AGS) has, under the EU AAACP agricultural commodities project,
been implementing a programme of work in 15 countries in Africa, Pacific
and Caribbean countries (ACP) to pilot test an inclusive business models
approach. In Small Island Development States (SIDS) the work focuses on
strengthening the business and management capacities of farmers’
organisations in the Pacific and in the Caribbean, with national activities in
Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. In the
Caribbean the work is carried out in collaboration with the Italian-funded
CARICOM/CARIFORUM regional programme for food security, which is
based in Trinidad. This project supports work in Barbados, Belize, Dominica,
Jamaica, and Saint Lucia. This article provides a summary of the inclusive
business models approach and describes what has been done to date and
future activities towards the conclusion of the project at the end of 2011.
The aim of the approach is to support the prioritization of activities that
contribute to more effective business relationships between small farmers
(the suppliers) and small, medium or large agribusinesses (the buyers). The
approach includes a diagnostic appraisal to understand how business is or is
not being carried out and focus group meetings to identify the success
factors critical for improving commercial ties between suppliers and buyers.
The identification of the critical success factors guide the actors in the
prioritization of activities, which can be financed by the actors themselves or
by donors, projects or government funding.
There are many models of business (or market) linkages, some driven by
producers, some by buyers and some supported by intermediaries, including
NGOs. The business model critically impacts on how value is created,
captured or shared by farmers and other value chain actors. For sustained
and equitable inclusion of smaller scale farmers into modern markets,
improved market coordination and intermediation, business support and
financial services, understanding of buyer behaviour, and enabling policies
and infrastructure are required.
Under the EU AAACP project the approach intends to enable farmer
organizations to appraise not only how they are doing business and
interacting with buyers and agro-processors but also to identify ways to
improve their own management and organisational structure, and to identify
upgrading strategies to improve their performance and market linkages. The
general objective is to assist in the conversion of farmer organizations into
more formal business entities that operate on a cost-recovery basis and
provide business support services and advice on farm management and
marketing to member farmers.
In the Pacific the focus crops are fruit and vegetables for the high-end
domestic market, i.e. supermarket and the hospitality industry and for
branded exports into niche markets. Business is driven by buyers, with the
farmers’ organisations being the “facilitator” of marketing and providing
support services to both, farmers and buyers.
…continues on page 15
2

FAO sponsored UK market tour
Mr. Jethro Greene, ECTAD/CaFAN
Chief Coordinator took the
opportunity to visit the markets in
England where he spoke to several
of ECTAD’s traditional buyers. He
spoke to some of them in the
company of Mr. John Soler, the
ECTAD/CaFAN Market
Representative in the UK and
Europe.
Mr. Greene observed that the
traditional Caribbean produce –
yams, dasheen, eddoes are not sold
by Caribbean people but primarily by
(Indians) Asians; secondly, they are
just selling the produce – dasheen
and eddoes - and not marketing
them. According to Greene, they just
engage in a routine of collecting the
produce and selling them very much
in the manner of the higgler situation
of the regional markets.
He feels that in the light of recent
information that has been made
available that the Caribbean
producers, including ECTAD/CaFAN,
need to promote and brand their
produce to become visible as a
sustainable niche producer on the
market.
He said some supermarkets carry
Caribbean produces, particularly in
their ethnic section. He, however,
observed that sweet potato and
ginger have crossed over into the
mainstream market.
He said buyers have indicated to him
that Caribbean produce generally
have richer tastes than produce from
other parts of the world. “Like you
Sweet Potatoes
AGRIVYBZ is the official Newsletter publication of the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN)
use less fertilizer – it’s a richer
product. And they have encouraged
us to develop a Caribbean Small
Farmers’ Brand.”
Mr. Greene further said that there is
encouraging demand for red
skin/yellow flesh sweet potato on the
UK market and he has been advised
to develop a market and a brand for
the variety grown in St. Vincent and
the Grenadines (SVG), which is
acclaimed to cook better and slices
better than those from North
America. Greene said similar
varieties of the North American type
sweet potato are grown in Jamaica
and Brazil but people prefer the taste
of SVG sweet potato, and
additionally, it has similar nutritional
content as the others.
Mr. Greene said China poses the
greatest competition on the UK
ginger market. He said the Chinese
are also competitive with the same
variety of eddoes as grown by
Vincentian farmers. He speculated
that the cultivars must have been
obtained from St. Vincent or Costa
Ginger Eddoes
3
Rica because that’s not real,
traditional Chinese product.
He also surmised that the Chinese
are selling on the market and “once
the Chinese are on to something, it
means the market will expand”. He
added that he was informed by the
Chinese that eddoes are better and
more versatile than English potato for
a variety of recipes.
Mr. Greene feels that despite the
highly competitive nature of the
Chinese, the economic boom of that
country would cause it to realign its
currency in parity with international
systems, which would make their
produce more expensive – more
market oriented. He said “right now,
much of the Chinese produce are
sold at government subsidized prices
and that can’t go on for much longer”.
There are a number of persons, who
would like to purchase Caribbean
produce but Greene thinks it would
be prudent not to have too many
persons buying Caribbean produce
for distribution.
Dasheen and Yams
AGRIVYBZ is the official Newsletter publication of the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN)

CaFAN/ECTAD Marketing Advisor visits St. Vincent

now competing with Uganda and China, because they
are producing the same products. In the same sense
that there is an expatriate Caribbean community in
Europe that purchases Caribbean produce, there are
pockets of populations from Uganda and China that are
demanding the same produce. He recommended that
ECTAD should strive to work consistently to produce a
brand image that appeals to the African population living
in those markets abroad in its efforts for continued
market growth.

He said that looking back in history after the Second

World War, European countries that were devastated
turned to agriculture in order to employ the masses.
Such cases as Italy, France and Spain became
exporters of agricultural produce. In that same way the
Caribbean has to turn to agriculture and help redevelop
and branch out into other markets since the benefits will
trickle into other sectors of the economy.

Photo: Mr. John Soler speaking at ECTAD National Mr. Soler reiterated that it has taken twenty years since
Stakeholder’s planning workshop – November 2010 CATCO for this type of funding to come back to the
region ,and if ECTAD and other Caribbean farmers do
Mr. John Soler, born in England has been marketing not use this opportunity, they may have to wait another
produce in Europe for forty-seven years. He entered the 20 years before it comes again.
Caribbean region over twenty years ago and was
appointed the Managing Director of the Caribbean
Trading Company Ltd (CATCO), which was a
developmental organization funded by the European
Community in partnership with the governments of
CARICOM.

Speaking at ECTAD National Stakeholders Planning

Workshop in late November 2010, Soler noted that
CATCO was able to develop a brand and a market for
the whole of the Caribbean, which was quite successful
in its day. Unfortunately, when the European Union’s
monies were expended, the governments of CARICOM
decided to discontinue CATCO. He said that Jamaica
was never part of that regional initiative, and thus the
Jamaican producers had developed their own markets
and had their own shipping line and their banana
business. Today, Jamaica still has their market share but Photo: Mr. John Soler in a field of dasheen during his visit
the rest of the region has lost theirs.
Following the meeting, Mr. Soler was taken out into the
Mr. Soler said that over the last five years, he has been fields to examine production of dasheen, sweet potatoes
working with ECTAD and has made serious efforts at and eddoes. Mr. Soler’s visit was part of the support
reclaiming a share of that market for Vincentian farmers provided to ECTAD under the EU AAACP through FAO.
that was once lost during the CATCO period.
In February 2011 during the UK Market tour, Mr. Greene
Mr. Soler also said that in December 2009 to January was accompanied by Mr. Soler.
2010, he did a market study in the UK which was funded
by FAO for ECTAD and based on his study ECTAD is

4
 AGRIVYBZ is the official Newsletter publication of the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN)
Value Chain Policy Study
“Creating a Conducive Policy Environment for Value Chain Development”
The globalization of the agri food sector has placed an
increased emphasis on the need to promote integrated
development of value chains within non-traditional fresh
food industries in the Caribbean. Firms and producers
within these industries must compete with firms and
industries across the globe, especially in light of trends
in the agri food sector which emphasize the
competitiveness of industries and not just individual
firms.
Therefore, Governments have a key role to play in
promoting efficient and competitive industries by creating
the enabling environment that allows for promotion,
development and integration of value chains, especially
for the fresh produce sector which is dominated by small
producers.
In light of these trends, the Italian funded, FAO managed
CARICOM/CARIFORUM Food Security Project, in
collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat’s
Agriculture Development Unit, will be embarking on a
study to assess the impact of regional and national
policies on seven value chains, five of which are being
promoted by this project and two under the EU All ACP
Agricultural Commodities Project for the following
countries and commodities:
(i) Barbados- Onion; (ii) Belize- Hot Pepper; (iii)
Dominica- Pineapple ; (iv) Jamaica- Ackee; (v) St.
Lucia- Salad Fruits; (vi) St. Vincent and the
Grenadines- Root Crops; (vii) Trinidad and Tobago-
NAMDEVCO/ IICA Hot Pepper Chain
The study will analyze the regional and national policy
environment in which the value chains operate and
assess the effectiveness of existing policies and how
they foster the development and competitiveness of
these chains. Recommendations will be made on how to
promote a value chain approach to policy development
that is multisectoral, participatory and specific to
industries.
In addition, recommendations will also be made on
specific interventions which Government can use to
promote greater efficiencies and integration in the value
chains under examination and utilize these tools in policy
development for other industries in the agrifood sector.
Mechanisms for effective and ongoing dialogue between
producers and Government will also be included, given
the critical role that both can play in the development of
value chains, especially in the Caribbean.
Small producers, farmers’ organizations/groups and
firms within value chains will also be able to utilize these
5
results to inform themselves on how to engage
Governments in policy dialogue for their specific
industries and value chain needs and thereby strengthen
their capacity for increased advocacy at the policy level
with Government.
The study will be undertaken
by the project’s newly
recruited Agribusiness/Value
Chain consultant Mrs. Stacy
Rose-Richards, who has
experience in agricultural
policy development at the
national level and also at the
regional level where she is a
part of the Technical Working
Group that developed the
Regional Food and Nutrition
Mrs. Stacey Rose-
Security Policy. Mrs. Rose-
Richards
Richards is based at the
CAFN Secretariat in St. Vincent and the Grenadines
where she also provides support to CAFN’s activities.
“Top Soil”; Towards A Regional
Value Chain Talk Show
The Marketing and National Importing Board (MNIB) and
the Grenada Broadcasting Network (GBN) is currently
hosting a successful weekly call-in live talk show called
“TopSoil” which features agriculture issues and is
distributed in Grenada by radio and around the world by
internet. The current host of the talk show is Mr.
Roderick St. Clair, Marketing Officer of the MNIB,
Grenada.
The GTFS Project promotes the adoption of a value
chain approach and plans to partner with CaFAN to
develop “Top Soil” into a regional talk show programme,
hosted by GBN and CaFAN. The programme will
feature Caribbean ago-food value chains. The regional
value chain talk show will project insights into the value
chain approach and related agribusiness tools. The
talks will pay special attention to the role of Farmers
Organizations in supporting the development of
competitive value chains.
TopSoil is already addressing many of the issues at the
early part of the value chain – the producers – and the
implementation of this value chain radio program will
address the rest of the chain thus complementing each
other.
AGRIVYBZ is the official Newsletter publication of the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN)

ASTT‘s172nd Annual General Meeting

upon from previous initiatives of 2009. Among the
projects she highlighted were:
• An irrigation project to provide water to various
farms
• Agriculture Access Roads Program
• Citrus program
• Cocoa Rehabilitation Program
• Honey Bee Starter Colony program
• Goat and Sheep Rearing and Sharing Program
• Pre-school agriculture program

She thanked all supporters and staff of ASTT including

her family and encouraged the gathering to continue
working together to support the positive progressive
pathway that ASTT has built.

Mrs. Sookoo ended her address by saying, “Let us

together forge ahead, let us break new grounds, let us
together create a viable and sustainable agriculture
sector for the people of this great country T&T. May God
bless all of you and your families.”

ASTT Board of Management for 2011

Mrs. Dhano Sookoo President

Mr. Jenson Alexander Vice President

Cocoa Representatives
Mr. Roger Lashley Mr. Ethan Benjamin
Mrs. Dhano Sookoo, President of ASTT Mr. Juman Mohammed Mr. Mahadeo Rambharose
Mr. Leon Granger Mrs. Elizabeth Mohammed
The Agricultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago held its Ali
172nd Annual General Meeting on Sunday 23rd January, Mr. Samuel Baptiste Mr. Krishendath Sooknanan
2011. The meeting was addressed by the Honourable
Minister of Food Production, Senator Vasant Bharath. It Sugar Representatives
was represented by members of CARDI, ADB, TTABA, Mr. Khemraj Singh Mr. Lawrence Lalla
and IICA, along with other corporate partners of ASTT Mrs. Dhanmatie Singh Mr. Nawaz Karim
including its farmers.
Mr. John Ribeiro Mr. Krishna Balgobin
Mrs. Dhano Sookoo, President of ASTT addressed the Mr. Dalchan Singh Mr. Hansraj Ramlal
gathering and extended warm greetings. She said that
2010 was a year that had many defining moments that Other Industries
brought the Society new challenges, new opportunities Mr. Reeza Feeraz Khan Management Services
and new rays of hope, dreams and directions. She Mrs. Cheryl Roach Livestock
also said that 2010 did not allow for reflection, but rather Benn
moments for timely decision making and aggressive Mr. Anderson Sam Youth Training Services/
actions that demanded a different kind of leadership; one Small Agribusiness
that had to be effective enough to create and advocate Mr. Ramdeo Boondoo Root Crops
for new opportunities for the farmers to function. Mr. Richard Sankar Education
Mr. Orwin Dillon Tobago Representative
During her address, she highlighted the various Mr. Richard Singh Rice
initiatives undertaken by the Society which were built Mr. Milton Algernon Rabbit Production

6
 AGRIVYBZ is the official Newsletter publication of the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN)
ECTAD Farmers and
Stakeholders workshop
Coordinated production for export marketing was one of
the main issues discussed at the Eastern Caribbean
Trading Agriculture and Development Organisation’s
(ECTAD) National Stakeholders Planning Workshop that
took place in November 2010. The three day workshop
brought together stakeholders from the various
agriculture institutions in St. Vincent and the Grenadines,
including representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture,
IICA, Bureau of Standards, Chamber of Industry and
Comments, ECTAD Directors and ECTAD farmers to
develop an action plan to guide and strengthen ECTAD’s
marketing programme.
Participants at the ECTAD Stakeholders Workshop
Lack of markets and marketing information were main
challenges identified by farmers and it was explained
that through the support of the Food and Agriculture
Organisation of the United Nations under the European
Union All ACP Agricultural Commodities Programme,
ECTAD has visited the UK market and have met with
buyers who are willing to purchase from ECTAD. Not
only that, but through CaFAN, ECTAD farmers will
benefit from a regional marketing programme.
At the National Stakeholders Planning Workshop which
was held at the SVG Chamber of Industry and
Commerce Conference Room, ECTAD also used the
opportunity to introduce the six part-time field officers
funded under the EU AAACP. The six field officers have
been assigned to different zones and will work directly
with farmers to, but not limited to the following:
• Collect farm data such as the crops currently
under production, acreage planted and date
planted and
• Assist farmers with record keeping
7
ECTAD Attracting Farmers
for increased markets
(ECTAD holds successful zonal meetings)
ECTAD has held six area workshops in six key zones in
St. Vincent and the Grenadines between December
2010 and early January 2011 which was aimed at
providing key production and marketing information to
farmers as part of its ongoing marketing programme.
At an ECTAD workshop which was help in August 2010,
ECTAD identified seven key crops for target markets
which were eddoes, dasheen, sweet potatoes, yams,
ginger, pineapples, and plantains. These crops were
discussed at the zonal workshops and farmers were
asked to indicate their level of interest for which crops
they think they have the capacity of producing.
There were over one hundred and fifty farmers who
attended the one day meetings from over fifteen villages
in the country; forty percent was estimated to be females
and sixty percent males.
Some of the topics that were discussed were:
1. Working together in partnership to achieve the
same goal
2. Production and marketing issues from the farm
levels
3. The importance of record keeping
4. Forming groups and clusters,
A significant key result of the workshops was that of
fostering an appreciation of agriculture as a business by
positioning the farmers to start acting as serious
business farmers.
The main presentations were made by Jethro Greene,
Chief Coordinator of ECTAD, and the area
representatives for the different zones.
At the end of the workshop, several small groups were
formed as village clusters and several farmers indicated
their interest in growing specific crops as part of
ECTAD’s marketing programme.
The National Stakeholders Planning Workshop, Zonal
workshops and part-time field officers are part of a Letter
of Agreement signed in September 2010 for a period of
six months between ECTAD and the Food and
Agriculture Organisation for the United Nations (FAO)
under the European Union, All ACP Agricultural
Commodities Programme (EU AAACP). The project also
provided for ECTAD to update its Cost of Production
manual and develop a Record Keeping Booklet and set
up a database of its farmers.
AGRIVYBZ is the official Newsletter publication of the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN)
Gender and Rural Empowerment, El Salvador
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United
Nations (FAO-UN) and the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD) held a regional Study
Tour on Gender and Rural Empowerment from January
24-29 2011 in El Salvador, Central America.
The main objectives of the Study Tour were:
a) To create conditions to allow a satisfactory level
of coordination among actors;
b) To acquire knowledge and abilities that support
skill development to strengthen
implementation of the gender relationships and
the
the empowerment of women and men in building
a social space that nurtures life and provides a
long-term horizon.
It was designed to help participants learn from the
experiences of families in El Salvador and more
specifically:
a) To understand the social organisation and legal-
administrative structure of the organisations
visited, its goals and objectives in addressing
men and women empowerment to improve their
livelihoods and life expectancy.
b) To observe the organisations strength due to
women and men participation in leadership
bodies and of the different production,
marketing, and sales phases.
The first day of the Study Tour catered for presentations
from representatives of El Salvador and Guatemala who
were involved in rural development projects with a focus
on gender empowerment. There were also three field
visits where participants were given the opportunity to
meet and talk with selected persons in the rural
communities who have received assistance from IFAD
(FIDA) to empower their rural communities and family
life.
Ms. Nyasha Durrant represented CaFAN and said “the
people of El Salvador especially those we visited in the
rural villages received us warmly and answered our
many questions. The main challenge was the language
barrier because the Tour was done in Spanish and we
had to depend on translators. Despite this, I learned a
lot, which not only included empowering women, but
empowering the community and rural villages to work
together to create gender balance that will advance the
community and create opportunities for employment and
income generation”.
Other participants from the Caribbean region were from
Grenada, Guyana, Suriname and Belize. Each country
8
representative was asked to present on their respective
national projects with either FAO or IFAD which was
done during the last day of the Study Tour.
The tour was coordinated and facilitated by Mrs. Marcela
Ballara and Mr. Timoteo Lopez, while logistics were by
Ms. Guadalupe Torres.
Caribbean Agro-links
Forum, St. Kitts & Nevis
As part of the Caribbean AGrolinks Project, headed by
Ms Telojo Onu (Team Leader), a two day
forum/conference was held at the St. Kitts & Nevis
Marriot and Casino resort from the 27th-28th January,
2011 under the theme, “More Markets to Tap While
Bridging the GaP”. A total of seventy-eight participants
were in attendance from throughout the Caribbean, Latin
America and Europe.
The main objectives of the forum/conference included
(1) improving support services to companies in the Agro-
industry supply chain, (2) improving public-private
dialogue, (3) assist in providing proper market
information services, (4) facilitating Networking between
and amongst different Agro Industry Stakeholders (Value
Chain Participants) to support Strategic Alliances and
encourage Trade, (5) strengthening the link between
R&D, Innovation and Service Development in Agriculture
and Agro-processing, (6) raising awareness on Agro-
Services in contributing to value creation in supporting
Trade, and (7) improving Quality Standards and Food
Safety and supporting the development of Agro-Industry
Certification
There were presentations made on topics that included
“Technical and Funding Assistance Program for Small
Medium Enterprises (SMEs) – A donor prospective”,
“Agro Food Industry – EU market consumer trends &
buyers purchasing consideration for imports into the
EU”, “Agro Food Industry Value Chain Management for
service Orientation”, “Strategic Service Planning” to
“Grant Proposal Writing”. Speakers included Dr. Beverly
Morgan, CEO of the Competitiveness Company
(Jamaica), Dr. Andre Gordon of TCL Jamaica Ltd, Mrs.
Agnes Chisek, CEO of SINECORPS and Mrs. Jane
Milton of Food Industry Expert (UK).
The workshop was attended by CaFAN members
including Ms. Sustang Fergus of the CaFAN Secretariat.
 AGRIVYBZ is the official Newsletter publication of the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN)

Market-Oriented Agricultural 21st Brussels Development

Extension regional workshop Briefing on Geopolitics of
Mr. Roderick St. Clair, CaFAN Technical Volunteer and
Marketing officer of the Marketing and National Importing
Food
Board of Grenada, represented CaFAN at a FAO
Mr. Jethro Greene, Chief Coordinator of CaFAN
sponsored workshop on “Market-Oriented Agricultural
represented the organisation at the 21st Brussels Briefing
Extension”. The purpose of the workshop (which is one
on Geopolitics on Food which was held from February 2-
of a series that FAO (AGS) is organizing around the
3, 2011. Mr. Greene, while speaking with the CaFAN
world) is to alert those in charge of government
Secretariat said the main point he tried to ventilate and
agricultural extension services of the need to strengthen
caused the forum to agree on is that the most recent
support being provided to farmers in areas such as
world food crisis arose from speculators treating food as
marketing and agribusiness. As part of the workshop,
a commodity like how they treat gold. He highlighted that
participants were expected to prepare outline designs for
for such a crisis to be avoided in future, agriculture must
projects in their own countries to address these issues.
be placed in the hands of farmers and “real people”
where it becomes something that is too essential for the
The meeting was organized by CARDI on behalf of FAO
capitalist trading block to manipulate.
and took place in Trinidad and Tobago from February 1-
3, 2011.
“So, we are talking about countries growing more food,
people going back to the land in every aspect – from
Towards a Regional MIS town to city and country, that is, people getting an
appreciation for agriculture and growing their own food.
People must not only depend on farmers. Farmers must
Miss Nyasha Durrant of the CaFAN Secretariat
take the lead but others need to support them.”
represented CaFAN at a CARICOM/UNCTAD/CARDI
workshop on the “Establishment of a Regional
Mr. Greene went on to add that the general acceptance
Agricultural Market Intelligence System and
at the Brussels Briefing was the idea of small farmers
Development of a Sustainability Claims Portal for the
and small holders being put at the centre, and the idea
Caribbean” which took place from February 15-17 at the
of food security as being important was also well
Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre.
accepted.
Several presentations were made which included shared
He said the participants at the briefing accepted a lot of
Caribbean experiences in the implementing of Marketing
ideas that he put forward and many of the views were in
Intelligence Systems (MIS). More specifically the
line with others and if CaFAN keeps working with its
National Agricultural MIS of Trinidad and Jamaica were
allies “to guide development assistant in that direction,
looked at, including lessons learnt from the recently
we should really see positive impact in our agriculture in
failed Caribbean Agribusiness Market Intelligence and
the next couple years for sustainability”.
Development Network (CAMID).
The Brussels briefing is organized by CTA in partnership
Representatives from (UNCTAD) United Nations Centre
with the European Commission, the EU Presidency and
for Trade and Agricultural Development also made a
the ACP Ambassadors in Brussels, Concord and other
presentation of their MIS software called INFOSHARE,
partners to discuss key issues and challenges for rural
and the Sustainable Claims Portal.
development in the context of EU/ACP cooperation.
Previous meetings held covered topics such as Aid for
Following group assignments, it was agreed that a
Trade, Fair trade, Climate change, New donors, new
Technical Working Group comprising selected
drivers in rural development, the food crisis, Food safety
participants and other interested organisations will meet
standards, Food security, Population growth, biodiversity
in two months to formulate the inputs from the
and rural development, Humanitarian assistance and
participants into a regional strategy for the way forward.
development, Youth and development (where CaFAN
was represented), Financing agriculture, etc.
Other CaFAN members - Keeley Holder (Barbados),
Roderick St. Clair (Grenada), Steve Mangal (Guyana),
Please see page 12 for a synopsis of Mr. Greene’s
CPGCA-Jamaica, Vincentia Fatal (St. Lucia), Gerda
(CaFAN) presentation.
Beckles (Suriname) and Mohamed Ali (Trinidad) were
also participants.

9
AGRIVYBZ is the official Newsletter publication of the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN)

integrated in water management and related fields from

CTA Annual Seminar-
South Africa
In November 22-26, 2010, Ms. Renortha Penny, one of
CaFAN technical volunteers represented CaFAN at the
Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation
(CTA)’s annual seminar themed; “Closing the
Knowledge gap: Integrating Water Management for
Sustainable Agriculture” at the Premier O.R. Tambo
Hotel Johannesburg in South Africa.
many ACP countries; representatives were from: NGOs,
producer organizations, rural communities, researchers,
development organizations, decision-makers, funding
agencies, communication and media specialist,
government development organizations, from Central,
East, Southern and West Africa, the Caribbean,
institutions from the European Union countries and
Regional and International Organizations.
In addition to the seminars listed above, CTA also
engaged young people within ACP countries in an essay
competition who had innovative ideas to bring agriculture
one step into the future and ensuring that its practice is
not just a simple way of life for the people in rural
communities but must be portrayed as a viable,
profitable and sustainable business. The finalists of this
competition were invited to the Annual Seminar and
were asked to present their submissions.

The finalists were very confident while expressing their

Miss Renortha Penny is second from left with other
members of ARDYIS
Ms. Penny sits as a regional member on CTA’s Youth,
Agriculture Rural Development and ICT (ARDYIS
Project) along with Ms. Keeley Holder of Barbados.
The Seminar engaged four simultaneously seminars:
Water Availability and Access; Public Policy and
Investment; Water and Society and Knowledge Support
Systems. It brought together over 150 specialists
opinions and they have all summarized in one voice that
farmers with information who are able to communicate
using technological networks, are those who are able to
provide facilitating establishments to draw the young
population into Agriculture.
The purpose of ARDYIS is to raise youth awareness and
capacity on agricultural and rural development issues in
ACP countries through ICTs. More specifically, it will
strengthen the capacities of the youth on ICTs for
development issues, particularly in the agricultural and
rural sector and contribute to sensitizing youth on the
questions related to agriculture and rural development in
ACP countries.

Regional Livelihoods and Disaster Risk Reduction

Workshop
*Oxfam GB has been working for years in the Caribbean region on agriculture development, food security and
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). Recently, it has recognized the need to integrate them and with the support of the
European Commission, has piloted projects with vegetable farmers in Jamaica, dairy producers and fishermen in
Haiti.

*From January 26-28, 2011, Oxfam held a regional livelihoods and disaster risk reduction workshop in Montego
Bay Jamaica and provided opportunities for participants to share their experiences and discuss problems and
exchange good practices of DRR and small-scale agriculture integration.
(*Source – workshop invitation letter)

CaFAN was represented at the meeting by Ms. Renortha Penny, one of its technical volunteers. CaFAN and
Oxfam have a good working relationship through their market access project which has been successful in
allowing farmers organisations in St. Lucia to market fruits and vegetables to the local hotel sector.

10
 AGRIVYBZ is the official Newsletter publication of the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN)

In the weeks following the general election, ECTAD

ECTAD lobbying politicians
In the hype of the December 13th, 2010 General
Elections in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, ECTAD
sent letters of well wishes to all party candidates and
informed them of specific areas of concerns within the
rural agriculture community that ECTAD would like to
see concretely addressed for the benefit of stakeholders
in the agriculture sector by those who will grace
Parliament in the following five years.
As one of the primary voices representing farmers and
farmers’ associations in Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, it was necessary for ECTAD to express its
mandate, activities and expectations to all election
candidates from all three recognized political parties;
United Labour Party (ULP), New Democratic Party
(NDP) and the Green Party.
The pre-election letter which was dated December 6th,
2010 emphasized the need for agriculture to be a top
priority for government. This includes particular focus on
food security, health and nutrition, import substitution
and economic security. ECTAD also described the
necessary links between the agriculture and the tourism
and education sectors to ensure domestic economic
growth by eliminating imports, and a long-term,
sustainable work force that thrives on youth entering
farming. ECTAD also underlined the importance of the
government’s duty to seek meaningful contribution from
the farming community when conducting annual
budgetary preparations.
wrote congratulatory letters to both the ULP and the
NDP party leaders and constituency winners, which re-
emphasized the points expressed in the prior letter, and
expanded on specific issues that must be considered by
all members of government.
In addition to the above mentioned considerations,
ECTAD requested that the government review and
amend the Produce and Commodity Bill 2006, as well as
grant the organization’s members access to underused
packing and agriculture infrastructure around the
country. ECTAD also expressed its goal of accruing
more of the value chain for farmers by means of
production planning activities, and requested these
efforts be endorsed and supported by the government.
In early January 2011, ECTAD was one of many
stakeholders invited to a budget consultation on
agriculture with the Prime Minister, the Hon. Dr. Ralph
Gonsalves and top representatives from the Ministry of
Agriculture.
ECTAD is committed to continue its advocacy work with
respect to seeking the support of the Government, in
particular the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries.
ECTAD is happy to report that despites Government’s
reluctant in acknowledging NGO’s, the Prime Minister of
St. Vincent and the Grenadines has acknowledged
ECTAD’s role in marketing of roots and tubers on page
nine of the Budget address.

CaFAN & CARICOM working together

The CARICOM Secretariat has recently formulated a Regional Food and Nutrition Security Policy (RFNS) which has
been accepted by Heads of Governments at COTED. Mr. Jethro Greene, Chief Coordinator of CaFAN sat on the
Technical Working Group (TWG) Committee which was composed to finalise the policy and which is now in the action
planning phase.

According to Mr. Greene, CaFAN played a great role in formulating the policy which took a bottom up approach and
included the farming community and the private sector. He said that CaFAN is currently working with CARICOM to
ensure that the action plan for the RFNS policy is practical and implementable within the region.

CaFAN was also invited by CARICOM to sit on another Committee geared towards developing a CARICOM
Community Agricultural Policy (CAP). The CAP has five key pillars, (1) Food and Nutrition Security; (2) Production
Trade/Value Chain; (3) Sustainable Development of Natural Resources; (4) Rural Modernization and Youth
Programmes and; (5) a Modern Agricultural Knowledge and Information System. The policy document has been
drafted and is currently under discussion before it is finalized.

Mrs. Dhano Sookoo, CaFAN Director also represents CaFAN on CARICOM’s Regional Agribusiness Sector and
Targeted Commodity Enterprises committee, while Ms. Keeley Holder and Mr. Roderick St. Clair, CaFAN technical
volunteers are sitting on the Task force of the Regional Marketing Intelligence System (MIS).

11
AGRIVYBZ is the official Newsletter publication of the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN)
CaFAN’s presentation at the 21st Brussels Development
Briefing on Geopolitics of Food
Jethro Greene speaks at the Brussels Briefing
Photo copyright – Brussels Briefing
Mr. Jethro Greene, Chief Coordinator of CaFAN was
invited to sit on a panel discussion at the 21st Brussels
Development Briefing on Geopolitics of Food which was
held from February 2-3, 2011.
CaFAN’s presentation which was circulated for inputs
from members and key regional stakeholders, gave an
overview of the Caribbean agriculture sector and the role
small farmers play, and highlighted that within the small
island states of the region, what farmers produced were
traditionally dominated by large plantations that were run
by absentee owners or large companies in an era of
colonialism. The plantation culture was geared towards
producing crops – sugar, rice, banana, arrowroot, etc –
for export to the colonial power. During this period, the
estate workers kept small subsistence plots in which
they grew ground provisions and vegetable.
With independence and the decline of the large
plantations, some island governments allowed citizens to
utilize unused plantation lands, which many farmers
used to engage in more commercial farming for
domestic consumers and for exportation to neighbouring
islands and specific markets in Europe and North
America. Such farmers exist today, making up 80% of
the Caribbean farming population, operating on plots of
five acres or less and contributing significantly to the
GDP of many Caribbean countries.
With regards to the socio political environment, the loss
of preferential markets in Europe and the uncertainty
and vulnerability caused by new market demands such
as fair trade and demand for organic produce has put
12
the region in a situation where it needs to rethink its
marketing approach, looking at sustainable efforts and
looking more at our domestic markets.
Despite the challenges faced by farmers within the
region over the years, CaFAN started in 2002 and took a
proactive approach to finding solutions to complex
problems within the confines and limitation of its
knowledge and resources. CaFAN target best practices
among its small farmers and the sharing of experiences.
CaFAN advises farmers to work in clusters and groups
within the respective countries of the network and to
think of the region as one collective body for intra
regional trade and collective marketing to extra regional
markets; forming strategic partnership with public and
private sector entities to own a greater share of the value
chain.
On the issue of regional food security, the presentation
highlighted that first and foremost, a country needs to
protect its food security at a certain level for its own
national security.
Mr. Greene ended by saying “facilitating an environment
that promotes the formation of agricultural clusters is an
integral strategy in the empowerment and success of
small-scale producers. With a united effort, and support
through capacity building and advocacy, farmers groups
and organizations can meet the needs of new and
expanding markets, and reap greater fiscal rewards in a
changing global economy”.
Mr. Greene thanked CaFAN partners and acknowledged
the support CaFAN has received from several regional
and international institutions including CTA, FAO,
CARDI, IICA, CARICOM, OXFAM, CDEMA, COADY
International Institute (Canada), University of the West
Indies (UWI) among others, and it also enjoys the good
working relations with the Ministries of Agriculture within
the region and is moving to influence policy in agriculture
in its respective member countries through increasing
consultation.
The Brussels Briefing was attended by an audience of
150 ACP-EU policy makers (ambassadors and technical
staff), European Commission, representatives of EU
Member States, civil society groups, European research
networks, Members of ACP and EU Parliaments,
researchers and development practitioners and
international organizations based in Brussels.
 AGRIVYBZ is the official Newsletter publication of the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN)

CaFAN meets COLEACP/PIP

Mr. Jethro Greene, Chief Coordinator of the Caribbean
Farmers Network (CaFAN) during his attendance at the
Brussels Briefing in early February 2011 formally met
with a team of colleagues from the office of Europe-
Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Liaison Committee (COLEACP-
PIP). During the meeting, Mr. Greene made a small
presentation about CaFAN and highlighted the interest
and role of small producers within the Caribbean region
to own a large share of the value chain.

Speaking to the small group, Mr. Greene also said that

PIP's expertise in all aspects of food safety can
undeniably help CaFAN members and the Caribbean
fruit and vegetable sector to meet more effectively the
requirements of markets and consumers.

According to a Flash Info release from PIP, in the

coming months, the PIP will be working closely with the
CaFAN to identify the network's needs and to put in
place a capacity-building programme focused on two
areas:

1. Training of trainers from CAFAN's 13 member

countries, which will cover areas such as food
safety, traceability, as well as certain marketing He, however, said that CaFAN will have to engage in
techniques. production planning to determine the quantity of produce
2. Development of the organisation's capacities in to be exported on a consistent and continuous basis, by
terms of exchange of information, year end, even if it means beginning with the produce
communication and creation of partnerships from the current FAO-AAACP roots and tubers project
among its members.” that is being carried out in four Caribbean territories.

“That market in England really has to be a reality if we

Mr. Greene in an interview with the CaFAN Secretariat
are to maintain our space,” Greene said. In the first
said the COLEACP and the PIP Programme are funded
quarter of 2011, CaFAN and COLEACP will collaborate
partly by the European Union but they are private sector
to develop an action plan for the way forward at a
organizations, involving farmers’ organizations and
regional workshop tentatively scheduled for April 4th and
exporters. He said CaFAN is going to make an attempt
5th in St. Lucia.
to become a member.

He said COLEACP is very excited about working with

Caribbean farmers’ organization and there is a strong
potential for this to happen. “They have expertise in
pack-house management, post harvest handling, food
safety handling – the kind of things that are required for
us to penetrate and maintain markets.”

Greene is interested in a technical agreement in which

COLEACP could train Caribbean farmers on technical
matters so that they are able consistently produce
healthy food for the markets.

He said the matter of technical quality must be

importantly addressed before the region’s agricultural
producers can think of long term production for the
European market.

13
AGRIVYBZ is the official Newsletter publication of the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN)

Prominent Disasters!
Practical solutions to Mitigate Risks in
Small Holders Vegetable Crop Production in the Caribbean
By Renortha Penny BSc.
Natural Disasters are linked to hydro-meteorological and There are non sophisticated practical solutions to
geophysical hazards that are increasing worldwide. The mitigate and protect the environment for sustainable
Agriculture Sector suffers substantial economic losses agriculture production, even in the search for meaningful
and reduction in outputs every year from these effects. gains in the fight against poverty and the push for
Therefore it is important for Caribbean nations to sustainable development.
develop information systems for environmental
monitoring and assessments. The identified solutions are into three broad categories:
1. Agricultural practices to mitigate Weather Risks
Natural Disasters cannot be avoided. However, their in vegetable crop production;
effect on farmers livelihood can be mitigated as all Selection of suitable crops, Soil erosion management,
stakeholders (farmers, policy makers, buyers etc. ) take Proper cultivation
hold of given opportunities to advance, recognizing that Breakup hardpans, Divert water, Plant grass waterways,
agricultural technology and farming practices play a very Mulching, Selecting seeds (heat tolerant, drought
important role in any risk management strategy in tolerant), Irrigation selection, Water storage, Windbreaks
agriculture. Therefore, it is mandatory that governments
endorse the need to transfer capacity to farmers on risk 2. Agricultural practices to mitigate Pest and
mitigation measures at farm level to reduce farmer’s Diseases Risks in vegetable crop production- Crop
vulnerability. rotation, Weed and disease management, Selecting
seeds (Resistant to diseases), Transplants and planting
Evidently after most natural disasters, economies plunge material, Soil test and nutrient management
into debts that take years to repay with slow recovery Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
processes. The livelihoods of the people are altered
severely; many remain displaced months or even years
3. Agricultural practices to mitigate Food Safety
after a disaster. In their plight for survival (obtaining the
Hazards in vegetable crop production
basic needs of food and shelter), using the land, the
Transplants and planting material, Soil test and nutrient
most readily available resources, the people are still
management for organic production, Bees and
limited to four major physical systems that determine the
pollination, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Pesticide
extent of farming and or livelihood activities: Climate-
application, Harvest and post-harvest
crops require more specific growing conditions,
Topography- access to land and river water; Vegetation-
Despite all this focus of interest and actions to be taken
protected areas and seasonal nature of vegetation
must also be at the centre with government’s policies for
growth; and Soils- soil type and fertility.
social and economic progressive movements, before,
during and after disasters. This will be a true source of
The above mentioned are also some of the reasons why
national sovereignty and impetus for mitigating risks that
disasters are not only natural but can be human induced
may befall us. This can begin as authority obligate its
disasters, which account for approximately 80% of risk-
mandate to improve identification and quick action to
related losses (empirical evidence), detriment to
disaster risks. Support and enhance knowledge
livelihood and are proven very difficult to mitigate
management and expand public awareness for disaster
because of economic benefits. Over grazing and
risk reduction.
deforestation both lead to landslides, mud slides,
extensive loss of organic content, micro organism and
In Conclusion, multiple strategies have to be combined
nutrients reduction during rain fall. Induced forest fires
as no single approach or instrument can effectively
aids in global warming from CO2 and CO exhaust.
reduce, mitigate, or transfer the broad range of risks
Monoculture and genetically modified species are
encountered. Disasters whether natural or man-made
directly related to many of the outbreak of new strains of
emphasizes the constraints and opportunities of nature-
pest and diseases. And the expansion of agricultural
society relations. It is important to combine existing
lands result in the loss of biodiversity and water
research material with modern technologies to withstand
reduction at the water table
systems that will influence farmer’s activities.

14
 AGRIVYBZ is the official Newsletter publication of the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN)

NEFO’s Update FAO support to Farmers

Organization in the Pacific and the
The North East Farmers Caribbean regions
Organisation (NEFO) has a unique continued from page 2
labour sharing programme called
“Maroon” involving farmers of In the Caribbean, and supported by the EU
NEFO. The farmers work together AAACP, the root and tubers sector has been
to plant and harvest their crops. identified as a sector with high market demand and
potential for import substitution as well as for
Under the EU AAACP, NEFO is increased exports. Here, supported by CaFAN,
one of the four CaFAN direct sales and exports are being coordinated by
organisations involved in the farmers’ organisations with the aim to capture more
Roots and Tubers project. Their value for the farmers and get them greatest
first Letter of Agreement signed benefits. The further development of the activities
with FAO provided for NEFO and experiences will be closely monitored and it is
farmers to benefit from trainings in expected to come up with some valuable lessons
production technologies and post and recommendations for future interventions.
harvest handling for marketing to
help improve the organisation’s To assist farmers’ organisations, a cascade type of
capacity to produce and market capacity building programme has been developed
roots and tubers. and is still being carried out. A first series of
regional workshops for key farmer’s organizations
Also, under the project, they have covered key competencies required to be able to
set up demonstration plots and in guide their members towards being reliable and
late January, early February, profitable suppliers for the agribusiness sector. The
2011, farmers of the NEFO first round of workshops identified areas in which
Maroon group harvested a portion further training was required and to be addressed in
of their member demonstration a second series of regional workshops, including
plot of sweet potatoes. training in agribusiness related topics. Currently,
these trainings are being implemented at national
According to Magdalene Niles, level.
NEFO Administrative Officer, “it
was a time of joy and sweet In the Caribbean, production and marketing
fellowship among maroon coordination are being led by farmers’
members”. , organisations and a final regional lessons learnt
There was also a competition to workshop is planned for the final quarter of 2011
see who will get the first potato (Caribbean: November). It is expected that CaFAN
weighing of at least three (3) and its members will play an important role in
pounds. applying and advancing the business model
approach for the benefit of the members, and also
Members harvested, graded and after the ending of the current projects.
placed the sweet potatoes into
crates to be delivered into a
vehicle for market. ABOUT CaFAN
In St. Vincent, one of ECTAD’s Village groups - the Vermont The Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN) is a
Village Cluster will be embarking on a similar initiative by its regional umbrella of farmers’ organisations in
sister group in Grenada (NEFO) where clusters of farmers will thirteen Caribbean countries. Its mission is to
be involve in labour sharing among members of the cluster. enhance Caribbean food and nutrition security,
According to Mr. James Clarke, Co-Chair of the cluster, foreign exchange earnings and foreign savings
members of the cluster will be asked to sign an agreement by repositioning agriculture through the
which will indicate the number of days allocated, payment capacity building of farmers and the
method and duties involved. This agreement has been institutional strengthening of farmers’
drafted and will be finalized by the group in early March. organisations.
ECTAD will facilitate where possible and when required.

15
Internship Reflection
By of
AGRIVYBZ is the official Newsletter publication Dave Rideout Farmers Network (CaFAN)
the Caribbean

In late August, I arrived in Saint Vincent and the

Grenadines from Canada and joined ECTAD/CaFAN for a
six-month work placement sponsored by the Canadian
International Development Agency (CIDA) and the COADY
International Institute, St. Francis Xavier University,
Canada. Now that the journey is coming to an end, I am
able to reflect on how gracious I am to have been able to
learn about a country with many ties to my own, and to
contribute my expertise as part of the ECTAD/CaFAN
team.

As a communications consultant by profession, with

an educational background in International Development,
I’ve been privy to many experiences in Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines that I will be able to relay into future
development endeavors. The most memorable being my
work on the Production Planning Programme, during which
I was both awed and humbled by the amazing farmers who
I was privileged to meet throughout the country. I am proud
to have assisted in developing these strategies as that
program moves through and beyond its early stages in the
coming months.

I will also be heading back to Canada with an

enormous appreciation of the obstacles faced by
Caribbean farmers, and feel confident that I will be able to
portray these issues to the Canadian public clearly and
accurately. International Development is about working
together, across communities, across borders and across
cultures and it is of utmost importance that the stories of CONTACT US
our experience together are shared with our own
communities. With a greater understanding of the issues,
everyone will be able to continue to refine and enhance the Caribbean Farmers Network
development process, so that livelihoods everywhere can (CaFAN)
continue to improve. C/o Eastern Caribbean Trading Agriculture
Development Organization (ECTAD)
As I depart Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and
the ECTAD/CaFAN team, I know they will diligently Beachmont
continue their work on production planning and their many P.O. Box 827, Kingstown,
other projects, as the organization is highly devoted to its St. Vincent and the Grenadines
mandate, and those leading the charge - inspired and ectadsvg@yahoo.com / cafancaribbean@gmail.com
knowledgeable. I also know that the farmers around the www.caribbeanfarmers.org
country will continue to work together to take charge of Tel: (784) 453-1004 Fax: (784) 453-1239
their industry, and achieve the proper value and return for
their difficult and respectable work. Cooperation and
understanding are, above all, the most important themes in
successful community development, and I am confident the
farmers of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will achieve
their goals. I know the impact of my experience here will
definitely help me achieve my own, and those I wish for my
own community. This document has been produced with the financial
assistance of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of
Dave Rideout and Sadaf Kashfi departed the United Nations under the European Union All ACP
St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Agricultural Commodities Programme.
Saturday February 26th, 2011. They will
spend the next two weeks at COADY However, the views expressed herein can in no way be
sharing their experiences and lessons taken to reflect the official opinion of FAO or the EU
learnt with other COADY Interns. AAACP.
16