Emerging Issues

Agriculture is a major economic driver in the Caribbean Development Agenda, particularly with respect to provision of rural livelihoods, income earning – both national and foreign exchange - food supply and food and nutrition sovereignty and poverty and hunger reduction. Achieving the objectives of this agenda requires a “New” Agriculture that:

  • Spans the entire agri-food chain and delivers diverse products including starches, proteins, minerals and vitamins, biofuel, and medicinal, cosmetic and nutraceutical products
  • Develops direct and indirect linkages with the other productive sectors and, is market oriented
  • Requires significant quantum of human capital that is technologically trained and more organised
  • Is significantly driven by appropriate technological processes and measures
  • Has an improved image through greater use of the media and corporate communication programmes

The “New” agriculture will expand the boundaries of traditional agriculture and thus provide a larger platform and greater opportunities and benefits to society from the agri-food sector. As the only regional agricultural institution identified in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (Chapter 2, Article 21) of the Caribbean Community, CARDI has a key role in developing and promoting the “New” agriculture in the Region.

The Institute has taken cognisance of this leadership role and, therefore, in its Medium Term Plan 2008-2010 (MTP 2008-2010), it has clearly articulated direction on the “New” agriculture. The areas that would be pursued or given greater emphasis during the implementation of the MTP 2008-2010 include:

  • Undercover / protected agriculture (greenhouse technology)
  • Organic agriculture
  • Herbals
  • Agroenergy (biofuel)
  • Foodsafety

We have already started work on Undercover / Protected agriculture, Organic agriculture and Herbals

Undercover/Protected agriculture/Greenhouses

CARDI’s current focus on Undercover / Protected agriculture is to validate, transfer and develop investment profiles for appropriate production technologies. The activities include:

  • An evaluation in St Vincent and the Grenadines of the suitability of different media for producing seedlings in undercover system showed that the mixture of promix / compost, and coconut coir / compost were the best, as measured by the growth of sweet pepper seedlings and the incidence of algal growth
  • A project on the development of appropriate ventilation systems for tropical greenhouses is being executed in Jamaica as a collaborative effort of CARDI, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and Food and Agriculture Organisation of the Unite Nations (FAO). It is being supported by the Jamaica Greenhouse Growers Association.
  • At a regional discussion forum held in Barbados on 15 May 2008 under the auspices of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), FAO and IICA on greenhouse production to develop an action plan to assist regional stakeholders in implementing the recommendations emerging from the recent regional study on greenhouse technology, CARDI’s actions and capacity were recognised. The Institute was mandated to take lead role in developing a framework for R & D and a coordinating and networking mechanism for protected agriculture

Organics

During the past three years CARDI has intensified its research and development efforts in Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica to develop, and demonstrate and transfer organic agriculture production technologies.

  • A vegetable cropping system for sweet pepper, tomato and sorrel was established at the Goldsberg Demonstration and Training Centre (GDTC), Tobago, as a pilot organic farm. This was a demonstration plot that highlighted organic propagation techniques on a commercial scale. The value of this initiative is being assessed jointly by CARDI and the Tobago House of Assembly.
  • In a second assessment of commercial biorganic manure in Jamaica during the latter part of 2007, the biorganic material again showed superior effects on the growth and yield of both callaloo and hot pepper compared to vermi-compost and cow manure

Herbals

Our current efforts in herbals production are geared towards the determination of suitable agronomic practices for the commercial production of herbals.

  • CARDI and IICA are collaborating in Jamaica to garner agronomic requirements for the commercial production of selected herbs and medicinal plants, some of which are traditionally harvested in the wild. The plants selected are Cerasee (Momordica charantia L), Red sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa), Spearmint (Mentha spicata, syn M. viridis), Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) and Lemongrass (Cymbopogon spp.). Data collection started in late March 2008.

Agroenergy

At present CARDI is not actively engaged in research and development on Agroenergy. However, in preparation for the inclusion of this area of “New” agriculture in our programme portfolio compilation of literature has started on the agroenergy capacity of key biomass, such as from switchgrass, castor oil and jatropha. The documentation includes the awareness of the initiatives of both the private and public sector in such countries as Barbados and Jamaica. We have also taken cognisance of the proposed technical assistance to the Government of St Kitts and Nevis from Brazil and the Unite States to develop a biofuel energy industry from sugar cane.