- UBEC CERC Food Insecurity Project Home Gardening Programme
A series of training workshops were recently conducted with a focus on Vegetable Production and Management as part of the UBEC CERC Food Insecurity Project.
This training initiative, integral to the Home Gardening component of the UBEC CERC Food Insecurity Project, has so far benefited 85 participants from various communities. The workshops aimed to equip these beneficiaries with the skills and knowledge necessary to establish and manage their own home gardens, thereby enhancing local food production and resilience.
Workshops were held in Kingstown – 21 and 23 August 2024, Georgetown 22 August 2024 and Bequia 27 August 2024.
Participants received comprehensive training in several key areas of home gardening, delivered by experienced facilitators:
- Introduction to Home Gardening: Design and Location Considerationsby Mrs Andrea Latchman
- Seedling Production & Management by Mr. Sydney Sutherland
- Land Preparation, Soil and Water Conservationby Mr. Rowell Charles
- Compost Makingby Mr. Sydney Sutherland
- Sustainable Crop Management and Cultural Practicesby Mrs Andrea Latchman
The success of these workshops underscores the importance of community-based agricultural initiatives in ensuring food security and promoting sustainable practices. As part of the ongoing efforts, the Rural Transformation Unit is preparing to launch further training on Pest Management, aimed at providing participants with the tools to protect their gardens from pests while maintaining eco-friendly practices. In addition to pest management training, the unit is also preparing to launch fertilizer application training.
The UBEC CERC “SVG Food Insecurity Project” is funded at US$10 million through the regional programme Unleashing the Blue Economy of the Caribbean (UBEC), under its Contingent Emergency Response Component (CERC).
The project aims to mitigate the negative impacts on Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ agricultural and fisheries sectors caused by the April 2021 volcanic eruptions, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, climate change, tropical storms, and droughts.
The SVG Food Insecurity Project is being implemented by the Economic Planning Division (Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Information Technology) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labour.
