The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, is continuing with the roll out of the Innovative Protected Cultivation Systems in the Caribbean Project in St. Kitts and Nevis with a Capacity Building and Technical Training Workshop this week from October 10-15.
The Innovative Protected Cultivation Systems in the Caribbean Project was officially launched in St. Kitts and Nevis in March 2021. The initial training was conducted in Nevis in June of this year. This week’s workshop represents the second leg of training.
The project is designed to help the Small Island Developing States (SIDS), like St. Kitts and Nevis face challenges that make them vulnerable to food insecurity by upscaling the protective structures used in cultivation for optimum crop production.
FAO International Consultant, Mr. Jervis Rowe, who is facilitating the training, stated that the Innovative Protected Cultivation Systems project forms part of the organization’s global initiative to shore up food safety and security.
“If you are aware of what is happening in other parts of the world, you should by now realize that it is not something that we really have so much of a choice in doing, it is just something that we have to do if we are going to move forward in feeding our nations and maintaining our good health and strength,” he said.
Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Miguel Flemming gave his full endorsement of this timely project, which he said can only help to improve upon what is already being done in the agricultural sector.
“From the ministry’s standpoint, we are going to expand in protected structures because with all the challenges that we have with climate change and feral animals, we can’t just sit back and complain that the animals are destroying all the food…so in order to combat that this is a step in the right direction,” Acting Permanent Secretary Flemming said.
The six-day workshop is being attended by farmers and officers of the Ministries of Agriculture from both St. Kitts and Nevis.