Conference Proceedings

Competitive analysis of crops cultivated in plant factories to reduce food importation: romaine lettuce and strawberries Nkosi Felix1, Jessica Churaman1 and Wendy-Ann P. Isaac2 1Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Food and Agriculture, St. Augustine, UWI 2Department of Food Production, Faculty of Food and Agriculture, St. Augustine, UWI Food insecurity has been of significant importance especially among countries with a history of importation and therefore has initiated projects directed to reduce this inflow of food. However, imports continue to rise within these states further increasing vulnerability to international shocks. Moreover, a wide variety of crops imported are native to temperate zones, which presents a problem for their successful growth in tropical countries.  The advent of COVID-19 has further showcased the need for domestic production as consumers have been victims of rising prices due to supply shortages and reduced shipping volumes.  To address these issues this study examined the use of local plant factories technologies to cultivate romaine lettuce and strawberries, crops native to temperate zones. Plant factories utilise hydroponic technology, artificial sources of photosynthetically active radiation and environmental controls to optimise plant growth but they require electrical energy for the bio- systems operations. Noteworthy, given the energy cost required this technology has been applied for decades in temperate zones to address plant growth during months of unsuitable conditions such as winter. This study aimed to assess the electrical energy required to successfully support the growth of both crops, following which a competitive analysis was conducted to assess the potential ability for domestic production to capture and dominate the regional market. A controlled environment was created to replicate the natural conditions specific for growth and during plant growth input consumption was calculated which provided the basis for cost analysis across three CARICOM states. Using the landed prices of both crops in each of the member states, the nominal protection coefficient was calculated against the final price using combustible and renewable energy.  Results of this study highlighted the potential for the application of plant factories to increase resilience against food shortages and reduce the forex burden of mass food importers. Conference Proceedings 95

Home hydroponic gardens: a promising approach to enhance household food security in urban areas of Trinidad Brandon Murphy Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Food and Agriculture, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago. Email: [email protected] One valuable lesson learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic is that the status of national food security starts at the household level. Over the recent months, due to many restricted importation measures and high unemployment, there has been growing interest to strengthen and intensify local food production to mitigate the adverse effect of global food shocks and food price volatilities caused by the pandemic. Consequently, many researchers and policy makers have considered home gardens as a strategy to enhance household food security and nutrition. Many people with their newfound time have turned to gardening as a new hobby to pass the time during lockdown restrictions. However, people living in urban and sub-urban areas of Trinidad do not always have access to space and land. Due to this, some have established small gardens, some of which use soil less cultivation methods like hydroponics that use limited spaces while producing nutritious foods and subsidising the home food budget. This study examined the social and economic implications of home gardening in urban areas of Trinidad. Data from census, field studies and examination of model hydroponic systems were obtained to determine preliminary implementation costs. Analysis of the occupied households residing in Trinidad along with the projected cost of the model systems showed the initial investment cost for all households to have simplified hydroponic systems to be between TT$2,500 - 7,500. The relatively low start-up cost in combination with effective implementation and education strategies could make the application of home-use hydroponic systems a potential solution to increasing food security in Trinidad and Tobago. Keywords: Home gardens, hydroponics, food security, livelihood, urban agriculture 96 Conference Proceedings

Phytostimulatory effects of Trinidadian seaweeds in tomato and sweet pepper Omar Ali, Adesh Ramsubhag and Jayaraj Jayaraman Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. Email: [email protected] Pesticides have far too many threatening long-term and short-term consequences on crop production today. Therefore, the need for new innovative approaches is crucial for sustainable crop production. Trinidad’s coasts host a variety of seaweeds that remain highly unexplored to date even though their bioactive properties have been speculated. Six different types of seaweeds were screened for biostimulant and bioelicitor activities in tomato and sweet pepper. All the extracts showed positive results as indicated by decreases in plant diseases and an increase in plant growth indices in tomato and sweet pepper under greenhouse conditions. Two of the best performing extracts were selected for further investigation through field trials. The results showed that both extracts were able to significantly reduce the severity levels of early blight and bacterial leaf spot. Moreover, when rotating treatments were used with seaweed extracts and minimum dosage fungicides, sweet pepper and tomato crops had the overall highest fruit yields and lowest disease severity levels. Examining how these positive effects occurred led to the exploration and discovery of key marker genes responsible for growth and defence mechanisms in tomato and sweet pepper. The results demonstrated the positive impact of seaweed extracts in two major cultivated crops and therefore validates its further usage and exploration in the agricultural sector. Conference Proceedings 97

Principles for environmentally-friendly edible crop production Tiare Silvasy1, Esen Momol2 and Tom Wichman2 1University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Extension Orange County, 2University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Center for Land Use Efficiency Email: [email protected] Water resources on the Caribbean Islands must be used efficiently and protected since they are fragile and in limited supply. Care must be taken so food production is managed to conserve water and prevent nutrients from running off into water bodies, which can cause toxic algal blooms and degradation of marine habitats. Florida-Friendly LandscapingTM (FFL) is a University of Florida programme, in partnership with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), that helps conserve water and protect the environment. The principles of FFL are universal and can be applied to any region of the world. The nine principles are: right plant right place, water efficiently, fertilise appropriately, mulch, attract wildlife, manage yard pests responsibly, recycle yard waste, reduce stormwater runoff and protect the waterfront. For food crops, we developed a seven page publication called “Edible landscaping using the nine Florida-friendly principles.” Concepts include selecting plants that match site conditions, grouping crops by water needs, improving soil with compost and mulch, fertilising in proper amounts and using least toxic pest controls first. Simple low- technology upgrades such as installation of soil moisture sensors and use of high efficiency irrigation heads can help optimise watering and conserve water. As of March 15, 2021, this publication had 1,539 views and is available at no cost online. The FFL programme and principles can serve as a model for programmes all over the world and is especially relevant for the Caribbean, which produces many of the same crops in a similar climate. The concepts and framework of this applied science for edible crops can be easily replicated and adapted for environmentally friendly practices in the Caribbean islands. 98 Conference Proceedings

Relationship between yield and physical quality characteristics in dwarf vegetable pigeon pea Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. Albertha Joseph-Alexander1, Pathmanathan Umaharan2 1PhD Graduate Life Sciences Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad 2Cocoa Research Unit, University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad Email: [email protected] Pigeon pea, Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. is one of the most popular legumes in the Caribbean region that is grown for the immature green seeds. For newly developed dwarf short-duration vegetable pigeon pea to gain consumer acceptance, improvement in physical quality characteristics is required. However, it has been suggested that improvement in physical quality traits such as hundred seed weight (HSW) and seeds per pod (SPP) may compromise yield, particularly among short-duration pigeon pea. This study therefore investigated whether yield and physical quality characteristics could be simultaneously improved in dwarf, short-duration, determinate, relatively photoperiod insensitive vegetable pigeon pea varieties. The study was conducted using two populations of recombinant inbred lines (RILs series A and B), which were derived from crosses involving two popular indeterminate traditional varieties and a high yielding dwarf variety, in a randomised complete block design with two replications. Pearson’s correlation analysis indicated that pod yield (mass/weight of unshelled pods) was strongly correlated to number of pods per plant across both populations (r = 0.884 and 0.992; P ≤ 0.05). In contrast pod yield was not correlated to HSW (r = 0.126 and 0.114; p > 0.05) and SPP (r = -0.049 and -0.038; p > 0.05). Furthermore, no significant relationship was observed between HSW and SPP (r = -0.301 and 0.142, p > 0.05). A similar pattern of results was obtained for seed yield (mass/weight of seeds only). Overall these results indicate that yield and physical quality characteristics can be simultaneously improved without negatively affecting yield. The usefulness of this information in developing a pigeon pea breeding programme for improving physical quality characteristics is also discussed. Conference Proceedings 99

Leaf area index and light interception response to canopy level and canopy orientation of juvenile breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis Forsberg) cultivars in Trinidad Michael C Gloster, Laura Roberts-Nkrumah and Oral O. Daley Department of Food Production. Faculty of Food, and Agriculture, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I. Email: [email protected] A trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of three canopy levels (L1 - below canopy, L2 - middle canopy, L3 - top of canopy), four canopy orientations (north, east, south, west), four seedless breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) cultivars (Ma’afala, Yellow, Jamaican Macca, White) and one seeded breadnut (Artocarpus camansi) cultivar on leaf area index (LAI), percent light interception (LI %) and tau (ratio of below canopy PAR to above canopy PAR) in juvenile breadfruit, and determine the relationship among LAI, LI% and tau. Also, the implications of leaf area index, light interception and tau for breadfruit tree and orchard management are discussed. The trial was conducted on 26, 18 months old juvenile breadfruit trees in a pure stand planting established at University Field Station, Valsayn, Trinidad and Tobago, in a completely randomised experimental design. Data were collected on LAI, LI % and tau with anAccuPAR/LAI Ceptometer (Model LP-80). The results showed cultivar and canopy level were the factors that significantly influenced leaf area index, percent light interception and tau, but not canopy orientation. Leaf area index, percent light interception, and tau were moderately to strongly negatively and positively correlated. These results have implication for breadfruit tree management in pure stand orchards. Keywords: Light interception, Artocarpus camansi, canopy level, cultivar, leaf area index 100 Conference Proceedings

Aquaponics an innovative solution to food security in SIDS: a review of system types and their potential as sustainable, climate-smart farming techniques for Caribbean Rakesh Bhukal and Wendy-Ann Isaac Department of Food Production, Faculty of Food and Agriculture, UWI Email: [email protected] Aquaponics is an integrated multi-trophic system that combines the best of hydroponics, or the soilless growing of plants, with clearwater recirculating aquaculture, where the nutrient rich wastewater from the aquaculture component is used for the fertilisation of plants in the hydroponic component. Aquaponics therefore capitalises on the best of both technologies while eliminating the inherent disadvantages and limitations of standalone aquaculture and hydroponic systems, making it an innovative solution to food security and one of the most sustainable systems of agriculture in existence in the world today. It provides new prospects and opportunities for small and medium sized farm enterprises, the backbone of Caribbean agriculture, as it not only has greater resilience against the negative effects of global climate change, but also addresses several key sustainability issues faced by conventional agriculture in Caribbean SIDS, namely, limited freshwater supply and availability in rural areas, environmental pollution, the rising costs of fertilisers, and depletion of fertile soils on arable land. This paper presents a review of small-medium sized aquaponic, hydroponic and aquaculture systems as emerging technologies for Caribbean agriculture, the major crops produced and the prospects for greater integration, future expansion and use by farmers as an innovative farming solution to the many challenges faced by conventional farming. Despite the numerous benefits derived from aquaponics, it is still an emerging technology, especially so for the tropical environments of the Caribbean, as such, recommendations and key considerations for aquaponic system types and designs for use under local climatic conditions are given, with examples of working system types, models and crops, both aquatic and vegetable, that can be produced to aid in regional food security. Keywords: Aquaponics, sustainable agriculture, innovative farming, climate change. Conference Proceedings 101

ICTA-UWI agriculture: domestic animals and neo-tropical non-domestic animals teaching, research and extension 1921 to 2021 Martin Hughes1 and Gary Wayne Garcia2 1Lecturer in Animal Nutrition 2Retired Professor of Livestock Science The Open Tropical Forage-Animal Production Laboratory Department of Food Production Faculty of Food and Agriculture The University of the West Indies St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago Email: [email protected], [email protected] The West Indian Agricultural College (WIAC) and the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture (ICTA), 1921 to 1960, were conceptualised to train persons in the British Empire in agricultural production to sustain the export of plantation crops (sugar, banana, coffee, cocoa) from the colonies within the British Empire to Britain. UWI agriculture in all its transformations (1960 to 2021) continued to train persons from the British Commonwealth with the emphasis on persons from the English-speaking Caribbean and later CARICOM. The teaching and research focus initially included food crops and domestic livestock and later wildlife (non-domestic neo-tropical animals). This paper describes the teaching, research and extension of domestic animals and non-domestic neo-tropical animals within the ICTA-UWI system and some notable impacts of ICTA-UWI on agricultural development in Latin America and the Caribbean. This is seen as having been divided into four phases. The phases are as follows: (1) 1921 to 1950 livestock use in a crop plantation dominated system (30 years), (2) 1951 to 1970 the shift from livestock for work and organic matter to livestock for food (20 years), (3) 1971 to 1998 livestock industries development (28 years), (4) 1999 to 2021 diversification of livestock resources: neo-tropical animal/livestock resources as sustainable production models (22 years). The paper closes by highlighting the productive linkages and synergies that must be developed with the School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM-UWI) that was developed in 1989 through the initiatives of the Emeritus Professor of Livestock Science Holman Eugene Williams, the University of Trinidad and Tobago, and international linkages with institutions and universities from Latin America and the Caribbean and not making language a barrier. Linkages with the livestock production sector and government services must be deepened as well along with the deepening of the relationship with the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI). The latter two have been ongoing since the 1960s and 1970s, but these relationships have been weakening since 1996. Keywords: Domestic livestock, wildlife, non-domestic neo-tropical animals/livestock, phases of livestock teaching, research and extension at WIAC-ICTA-UWI 102 Conference Proceedings

Livestock in the primary schools? The Nature Corner, an awareness approach to introduce the study of animals at the primary school level in Trinidad and Tobago Ricardo J. C. Hospedales1, Francis Edward Davis2 and Gary Wayne Garcia3 1Secretary and Vice President of the Agricultural Multifunctionality Organization of the Caribbean, 24 Sagan Drive, Champs Fleurs, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies 2Retired Director of Livestock Research, Ministry of Agriculture, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and Retired Coordinator of the University of Trinidad and Tobago BEd in Agricultural Education Program 3Retired Professor of Livestock Science, The Open Tropical Forage-Animal Production Laboratory, Department of Food Production, Faculty of Food and Agriculture, The UWI, St Augustine Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] The West India Royal Commission of 1897 recommended that children of freed slaves and indentured workers be introduced to agricultural education at primary and secondary schools in Trinidad. As the parents did not participate in this decision this led to a negative attitude that resisted its introduction. At that time Queens Royal College and College of the Immaculate Conception (CIC) were the first secondary schools to have agricultural education in the curriculum. Since 2013, the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago has established agricultural science as a compulsory and core subject on the rewritten primary school curriculum and recommended the rearing of rabbits and poultry to comply with the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC). Today the relevance to this is even more critical for the food import dependent Trinidad and Tobago and other Caricom economies, as the COVID-19 world pandemic has disrupted world trade and has left these small economies vulnerable. A national survey, consisting of 65 randomly selected secondary schools that conducted the CSEC exam, was implemented in 2014; 51 schools responded (68.9%). The schools were found to be challenged with the delivery of the syllabus due to financial, material, and space constraints; 66.6% of the schools never reared rabbits, 60.8% did not rear layer birds and 9.8% did not rear broilers. These constraints were exacerbated at the primary level. The school garden concept is different between both institutions as the focus of secondary schools is education ‘IN’ agriculture. The paper suggests that pupils at primary schools should be exposed to a distinct awareness programme where an understanding of the life cycle of an animal and one that considers using animal psychology and behaviour to house and responsibly take care of and care about animals. Nature Corners, using small neo-tropical animals (fish, birds, small mammals such as guinea pigs, amphibians and reptiles), are recommended as a laboratory for children to explore animal science in a concrete, significant and purposeful way that will not only prepare them for secondary school but also pave the way for future careers. Keywords: Primary and secondary school agricultural education, Nature Corner, awareness, neo-tropical animals Conference Proceedings 103

The Open School of Tropical Animal Science and Production (OSTASP) 2001 to 2021 Stacey-Marie Syne1, Gary Wayne Garcia, Alexander Nikov 1 University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Email: [email protected] The concept of the Open School of Tropical Animal Science and Production (OSTASP) was presented to the scientific community at the Caribbean Foods Crops Society Meeting in 2001 by Professor Gary Wayne Garcia and Dr. KeithA. E.Archibald who sought to expand research, disseminate information and increase dialogue on the utilisation, production and conservation of neo-tropical animal wildlife (NTAW). In 2004, the philosophy of the OSTASP and articles on NTAW were transferred from a paper-based format to a website to increase outreach and provide a wide range of users, including hunters and farmers, with unrestricted access to relevant literature. Course material and manuals were also made available in real-time as a free eLearning resource to students enrolled in agriculture and veterinary medicine livestock courses. Drawing from concepts for designing intensive livestock production systems, web-based knowledge production models for the agouti and iguana were created. An eCompendium was also created to provide an efficient and organised means for the entry and retrieval of data, information and knowledge collected from specially designed factsheets. New elements in production models such as animal welfare, climate change and legislation were also introduced. In tandem, as the OSTASP website evolved into an ePortal, five learner experience evaluations were carried out by UWI students between 2012 and 2018. During each iteration, the ePortal was improved from learner viewpoint by redesigning it using recommendations from the previous version’s test results. Using multiple regression analysis, models of learner experience components identified the most important design dimensions as interface, reliability, sensory and interaction. Steps towards the ePortal’s Americans with Disabilities Act compliance were also made. A hypothetical example indicated the potential for reduced emissions when NTAW farming replaces cattle ranching using IPCC software. This prompted the creation of an MS Excel carbon calculator that estimated monetary value for marketable certified emission reductions generated for electric vehicles. Keywords: Neo-tropical animal wildlife, neo-tropical, wildlife farming, learner experience, eLearning, ePortal 104 Conference Proceedings

Agricultural impacts on soil hydraulic conductivity properties in a tropical sub-basin Wanika Arnold1, Lahteefah James 1, Nicola M. Mathura1, Kegan K. Farrick1 1Department of Geography, the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago The aim of this research paper is to determine the impacts of agricultural development on surface and sub-surface soil hydraulic properties at the Acono sub-basin, Maracas St. Joseph, Trinidad. The Caroni basin is a major part of the country’s ecosystem and also plays a major role in the economy in eco-tourism and the fishery sector. Agricultural management practices can significantly affect soil hydraulic properties and processes such as infiltration, runoff, erosion and chemical movement in space and time. Therefore, it is essential to quantify and predict management effects on soil properties in order to model their consequent effects on the environment and production. We examined the surface and sub-surface soil hydraulic properties such as unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (Kunsat), saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat), bulk density and soil porosity under various land uses and topographies in the sub-basin. In the watershed, tests for the Kunsat were conducted using a mini disk infiltrometer in seven main areas: footpath, riparian zone, agroforest, perennials, hilltop, upper forest and lower forest. Ksat tests were measured in the same areas with depth profiling of 25, 45 and 65 cm utilising a Guelph Permeameter. Kunsat was variable across the landscape. The land use with the highest Kunsat was the riparian zone which was 33.16 mm/h whereas the lowest Kunsat value of 8.5 mm/h was found in the lower forest. The data revealed that Kunsat was not affected by bulk density, soil porosity or organic matter content. However, soil moisture content impacted the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. Crops had the highest Ksat value of 15.07 mm/ hr whereas the lower forest had the lowest value of 4.07 mm/hr. Ksat showed a general decrease in values with depth while bulk density showed a general increase with depth, ranging from 0.7 - 1.7 g/cm3 at 25 cm, to between 0.9 - 1.5g/cm3 at 65 cm. Though there was no statistical significance between the means of Ksat and land use, land use was seen to affect these properties. This was most evident in the compaction of lower soil layers which led to variation in the soil hydraulic properties between 45 - 65 cm in agricultural land use. Conference Proceedings 105

Building climate resilience agriculture using smart vegetation maps and landscape level data in Small Island Developing States Gabriela Sewdhan, Omar Mohammed, Michael Ali, Roganci Fontelera, Ishala Gosine, Professor Patrick Hosein, Brandon Murphy . TTLab, The Cropper Foundation Email: [email protected] Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are critically vulnerable to climate change risks. These small islands are exposed to high rising temperatures, increased levels of precipitation, prolonged droughts, higher storm surges, faster winds, extreme sea-level flooding and increased intensity of tropical cyclones, yielding to the obstruction of farming cycles, input and food supply chains and high damage to farm infrastructure and investments in productivity enhancing technologies. This worsens the risk profile of the agriculture sector. Many farmers also face challenges in transitioning from traditional practices to modern technology, resulting in increasing use of artificial chemical inputs for productivity gains. This further degrades agroecological systems and reduces overall agricultural productivity. Machine learning technology applications in agriculture can significantly increase modern farm resilience to various shocks of climate change and boost farm productivity. However, as of 2020, counteracting these negative trends has often proved difficult in a region with low innovation rates and access to technology, where there are barriers of scale and cost to technology and a lack of data at the landscape level for land use mapping. This study examines the process of using low-cost and scalable machine learning models to produce relevant maps of remote-sensed vegetation indices characteristic of SIDS, while generating critically useful landscape level data to support increased agroecological resilience to climate change. This will yield real-time assessments of farm health and productivity, allowing farmers to make more informed decisions to mitigate issues caused by climate change. These issues include crop health, weed prevention and water stress of crops. This adaptation will result in higher productivity, higher revenues, higher resilience and lowered environmental impacts from artificial inputs. 106 Conference Proceedings

Prioritising climate smart agriculture practices in Trinidad: a multistakeholder approach Brandon Murphy1 and Omar Mohammed 1The Cropper Foundation Email: [email protected] Climate smart agriculture (CSA) is widely promoted as an approach for reorienting agricultural development under the realities of climate change. Studying CSA can be very complex, since the ideal combination of CSA actions varies from location to location. Thus, prioritising CSA interventions that are applicable to the Caribbean and by extension Trinidad and Tobago is imperative, given the need to utilise scarce resources as effectively as possible. Prioritisation of appropriate interventions for given contexts is needed to assist relevant stakeholders to make strategic decisions and improve adaptability and efficiency of agriculture production systems in the face of climate change and variability. Adopting the framework from the CGIAR research programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), this study applied a participatory assessment method that included multi-stakeholders of agriculture perceptions of CSA by prioritising interventions specific to Trinidad. These interventions were rated based on stakeholders perceptions on their ability to enhance farmer resilience to climate change, enhance farm biodiversity and increase overall farm productivity. The study also investigated the potential barriers of CSA technology adoption by farmers and explored potential mechanisms that can assist with financing for CSA investments. Results show that this framework provides ample space for local stakeholders to integrate their knowledge and experience on CSA interventions in prioritisation and investment planning. Stakeholders prioritised mainly soil health management, water management and nutrient management technologies, as key interventions to be adopted at the farm level. The study also found that this framework can be used by governments, development organisations and the private sector for investment decision-making. Keywords: Climate smart agriculture, climate resilience, biodiversity, productivity, multi-stakeholders. Conference Proceedings 107

Food safety and quality checklist – evaluation of a local poultry plant to determine the effectiveness of food safety and quality assurance using a HACCP plan Lizanda Gookool, Marsha Singh, Neela Badrie  Email: [email protected] Gallus gallus (chicken) is a major source of protein with significant amount of microorganisms such as Campylobacter, Salmonella and E.coli. The study evaluated how a local poultry farm, determined food safety and quality assurance using a HACCP system and compared a developed international checklist with an available local checklist to determine food safety effectiveness. A Prerequisite Program (PRP) was developed and looked directly into location, premise/room, equipment, water supply, maintenance and cleaning, pest control, waste management, sanitation control, personal hygiene, traceability, training, storage and transportation showing that were in compliance. The HACCP critical control point system determined raw material at reception- process water, ice and packaging material that consisted of biological, chemical and physical hazards which may cause threats to human health through the production. The decision matrix steps further allowed the process of raw material, ante-mortem inspection, scalding, de-feathering, head and limb removal, evisceration, carcass, final rinse, draining, deboning/cutting, grinding, chopping, forming, boiling, packaging and distribution and answered the questions of does the step involve a hazard sufficient risk and severity warrant to control, ensuring preventative measure for the hazards that exist and steps to eliminate them. Raw material, packaging, and distribution had critical control points because of pathogens, antibiotics and foreign material. Results showed that this risk can be eliminated for the safety level of the consumer. The HACCP controlled chart found that reception of carcass, boiling water, final rinse, packaging and storage and distribution to be critical for cross contamination but had a monitoring procedure which was frequent in ensuring the hazards antibiotic residue, pathogens, physical contaminants and microbial growth had corrective measures with proper recording and verification. The findings suggest that the checklist and HACCP system are effective in assuring food safety and quality assurance.   Keywords: HACCP, poultry, chicken, foodborne pathogens, illness, critical control point, checklist, campylobacter, salmonella, e.coli, food safety, quality, microbial, pathogens 108 Conference Proceedings

Photovoice data collection method: building community-based nutrition sensitive value chains and healthy moms in Nevis A. S. Saint Ville1 and G.M. Hickey2 1Faculty of Food and Agriculture, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago 2Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada Email: [email protected] Recent findings on building nutrition sensitive value chains (NSCVs) in national school feeding programmes in the Caribbean highlighted that institutionalisation of outcomes likely develop out of stakeholder co-learning processes, with knowledge sharing that empower actors to make community-level changes. A clear gap arising is the need for participatory community-based methods suitable to the context of small island developing states of the Caribbean that brings together actors, gives priority to their voices and facilitates them as advocates for community change. In this study, researchers flagged mothers of school children in the school feeding programme as an important set of marginalised actors in building NSVCs in the region. The research sought to examine whether a participatory data collection method could be used to understand their concerns, easily share visually these often unspoken and cultural issues associated with unhealthy eating and disseminate to policymakers and the wider community. This research reviews the use of photovoice as a participatory, gender-sensitive method initiated on the island of Nevis from July to November 2019. Mothers of school children were recruited (n = 5) and connected using both face to face and virtual group sharing over seven sessions. Through this small case, this paper describes how the method helped mothers frame and share compelling visual messages of what healthy and unhealthy eating and living looks like, reflect on community conditions supporting unhealthy eating, (re)start backyard gardens and experiment with cooking vegetables and become community advocates for healthy eating. While the community exhibition and related policy dialogue did not occur because of COVID-19 restrictions, preliminary findings suggest that this research method can be extended to develop tailored messaging for healthy eating and identify level advocates for policy change in building NSVCs at the community level. Conference Proceedings 109

Assessment of risk communication: mitigation of contamination of fruits and vegetables due to flooding in Plum Mitan, Sangre Grande, Trinidad and Tobago Professor Neela Badrie, Dr. Marsha Singh, Andre John The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago Email: [email protected] Flood contaminated fruits and vegetables is a food safety issue since it is linked to an increase in acute gastroenteritis cases after floods. Health implications include vomiting, nausea, chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, renal failure, organ failure and in some cases death. Risk exposure is compounded by the farmers non-compliance to Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) protocols which indicates that the establishment of an effective approach towards communicating food safety messages to producers is essential. This case study investigated the current state of risk communication methodologies utilised by farmers to mitigate flood contamination of vegetables and fruits in the Plum Mitan, Sangre Grande, St Andrew, Trinidad before, during and after the 2018 flood disaster.  A survey was distributed and conducted interview style with 21 farmers from Plum Mitan to dissect their risk perception of diseases and contaminants, satisfaction and confidence levels in information sources and channels. Interviews with key risk communication actors were executed to identify the roles and responsibilities of various government agencies and organisations and their relevance in relation to disseminating food safety risk information to these farmers. Five farmers were also interviewed to ensure risk exposure was thoroughly investigated. Findings depicted that it took approximately 3 weeks in 2018 for flood waters to subside. The main source of information in relation to implementing measures to reduce flood contamination to produce are derived mainly from the farmers own experiences (42%). Amongst farmers there were significant correlations between age and confidence level in newspapers, r (20) = 0.563 P ≤ 0.01; in radio r (20) = 0.512 P ≤ 0.05 and in television r (20) = 0.475 P ≤ 0.05. A portion (29%) of the surveyed population was neutral and 10% dissatisfied about how messages were communicated to reduce food safety risks due to floods. It is suggested that through the formation of a risk communication committee an integrated, participatory risk communication programme geared towards building social capacities via social learning can be established within Plum Mitan to motivate corrective action. Keywords: Risk exposure, risk perception, risk communication, food safety risk, biological and chemical contamination 110 Conference Proceedings

Building climate resilience agriculture using smart vegetation maps and landscape level data in Small Island Developing States Gabriela Sewdhan, Omar Mohammed, Michael Ali, Roganci Fontelera, Ishala Gosine, Professor Patrick Hosein, Brandon Murphy . TTLab, The Cropper Foundation Email: [email protected] Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are critically vulnerable to climate change risks. These small islands are exposed to high rising temperatures, increased levels of precipitation, prolonged droughts, higher storm surges, faster winds, extreme sea-level flooding and increased intensity of tropical cyclones, yielding to the obstruction of farming cycles, input and food supply chains and high damage to farm infrastructure and investments in productivity enhancing technologies. This worsens the risk profile of the agriculture sector. Many farmers also face challenges in transitioning from traditional practices to modern technology, resulting in increasing use of artificial chemical inputs for productivity gains. This further degrades agroecological systems and reduces overall agricultural productivity. Machine learning technology applications in agriculture can significantly increase modern farm resilience to various shocks of climate change and boost farm productivity. However, as of 2020, counteracting these negative trends has often proved difficult in a region with low innovation rates and access to technology, where there are barriers of scale and cost to technology and a lack of data at the landscape level for land use mapping. This study examines the process of using low-cost and scalable machine learning models to produce relevant maps of remote-sensed vegetation indices characteristic of SIDS, while generating critically useful landscape level data to support increased agroecological resilience to climate change. This will yield real-time assessments of farm health and productivity, allowing farmers to make more informed decisions to mitigate issues caused by climate change. These issues include crop health, weed prevention and water stress of crops. This adaptation will result in higher productivity, higher revenues, higher resilience and lowered environmental impacts from artificial inputs. Conference Proceedings 111

Generating an open Caribbean-based UAV dataset of crops, weeds and landscape level data for precision agriculture in Small Island Developing States Gabriela Sewdhan, Omar Mohammed, Michael Ali, Roganci Fontelera, Ishala Gosine, Professor Patrick Hosein . TTLab, The Cropper Foundation Email: [email protected] The extreme vulnerability of Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to food insecurity exacerbated by climate variability and risks is well documented. In spite of the diversity in food crop production, Caribbean SIDS import between 60 - 100% of their food supply, and farming is dominated by root crops, notably, cassava and sweet potato, and leafy vegetables, notably pak choi, which have shown promising growth even within climate change challenges. Globally, the adoption of machine learning in precision agriculture is known to build capacity for farm system productivity and resilience. However, the low assimilation of science and emerging knowledge related to climate change impacts on farming system productivity, and the lack of crop, weed and landscape level datasets, have adversely impacted efforts towards agricultural resilience. The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is needed to produce high resolution images with detailed information about crop and soil conditions for precision agriculture. These images can, for example, provide a diverse training dataset for machine learning models used in vegetation classification, weed, plant health and water stress level detection. This study provides an open-sourced Caribbean-based annotated dataset of UAV images, documenting the process of data acquisition, data preprocessing and outlining its future applications. A UAV with multispectral sensors attached is used to collect low- altitude (5 meters) multispectral imagery of both NDVI (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index) and RGB colour model following a planned path over Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis (pak choi) and hot pepper farm fields during both dry and wet seasons. Natural fields over flat land are used for plant health and weed detection models, and an experimental field for water stress level detection. This dataset will increase the adoption of machine learning for smart agriculture in the Caribbean and reduce the reliance on satellite images for land use mapping. 112 Conference Proceedings

Harnessing biotechnology for climate change adaptation for food and nutrition security in the Caribbean Oral Daley and Wendy-Ann Isaac Department of Food Production, Faculty of Food and Agriculture, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago Email: [email protected] Climate change related factors including temperature increases, changes in rainfall patterns and outbreaks of pest and diseases are having increasing impact on agriculture and food and nutrition security. The effects of these factors are felt globally, but low-income developing countries are at greater risk because of increased vulnerabilities. In the Caribbean region, there are several low- income developing countries, and a significant portion of the population rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. Although the region has made many strides over the last two decades, its agriculture development can no longer rely only on green revolution technologies to improve agricultural productivity and production, because many of these technologies contribute to climate change. Biotechnology offers several possibilities to accelerate agriculture development and help reduce the vulnerability of agricultural systems to climate change. This paper explores the application of both conventional and modern biotechnology for climate change adaptation and mitigation for improved agricultural adaptability, productivity and food and nutrition security in the Caribbean region. Applications of biotechnology including marker aided selection, mass propagation of plants through in vitro clonal propagation, use of bioproducts and emergent novel technologies of relevance to drought resistance and salt tolerance have already been reported. However, to achieve greater adoption of biotechnology in the region, there is need to implement effective biosafety regulatory framework, and commit resources to capacity building and provide infrastructure for biotechnology development. Keywords: Biosafety, climate change, climate variability, and sustainable agriculture Conference Proceedings 113

The application of the ongoing FAAIR project within the agricultural sector in Small Island Developing States Fazeeia Mohammed, Keanu Nichols, Nidia Sahjara, Omar Mohammed, Jade Chattergoon, Professor Patrick Hosein, Brandon Murphy . TTLab, the Cropper Foundation Email: [email protected] Small island developing states (SIDS) have unique vulnerabilities which result in complex food and nutrition challenges, compounded by their fragile natural environments and climate change. These vulnerabilities make it difficult to produce sufficient food to meet their growing needs. Recently, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations highlighted digitalisation and innovation as the way for SIDS to enhance the sustainability of their agricultural sectors as a remedy for the rapid on-set of changes currently affecting such countries due to climate change. This digitalisation of agriculture is key in ensuring climate resilience and sustainability, particularly of national agricultural sectors in the Caribbean, as such efforts increase knowledge and information availability to stakeholders, strengthen the agricultural value chains and present more attractive opportunities for younger persons in an aging sector. However, while national agricultural policies and strategies in the Caribbean have for some time embraced the need for digitalisation, the uptake and use of digital tools and technologies have been slow across the sector, from farmers to technical extension officers and consumers. This study reports on an ongoing civil society-led digitisation project in Trinidad and Tobago, Farming Adaptation & Artificial Intelligence for Resilience (FAAIR), that seeks to use artificial intelligence (AI) to develop an integrated suite of vegetation indices, deployed using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over landscapes and farming systems characteristic of small island states. Early data and approaches from the proposed cloud-based, neural network model that combines key vegetation indices to provide accurate, farm-level data and information, are highlighted. Additionally, the study will provide reflections on the limiting institutional factors experienced by the project in utilising AI and UAV technologies in Trinidad and Tobago. 114 Conference Proceedings

Environmental health impacts of pesticide use Delezia S. Singh and Azad Mohammed Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies Pesticides are lethal toxicants that cause a range of morphological, biochemical, physiological and molecular effects on aquatic and terrestrial organisms. The risks associated with both occupational and public human health have been well reported and include effects such as endocrine disruption, immune system suppression, reduced brain development, reproductive impairments and even carcinogenic induction. Yet, chemical pesticides are still broadly used in the agriculture and domestic sectors for pest management. In view of these implications, it is necessary to educate the public on the effects of pesticides on ecological and human health. A recent knowledge, attitudes and practices survey of the Trinidad and Tobago public sector towards pesticides revealed that most of the surveyed public (> 90%) had insufficient knowledge on pesticides and pesticide-related terms, as well as unsafe practices surrounding use. Conversely, most had supportive attitudes that acknowledged pesticides as being harmful to the environment (> 95%). Utilising these findings, this endeavour incorporates the promotion of public awareness of pesticides and associated environmental impacts, through the use of educational communication. This approach to outreach awareness on pesticides has already been executed in community domains, where domestic consumers (public forum) and farmers (Nariva Swamp and Mathura) were targeted through engagement exhibitions in 2018 and 2019. It is hoped that the continued transfer of information will influence the local perceptions held by farming communities and general public on pesticides, with the outcome of encouraging pro- environmental behaviours related to safer practices and alternative pest management approaches. Keywords: Pesticides, environmental impacts, pest management, public awareness, Trinidad and Tobago. Conference Proceedings 115

Social media for augmenting virtual communities of practices among agricultural extension and advisory professionals Jeet Ramjattan1, Ataharul Chowdhury2, Wayne G. Ganpat3 1Graduate Student, Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Food and Agriculture, University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad 2School of Environmental Design and Rural Development University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada 3Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad Email: [email protected] Online communities and social networks are benefitting from increased internet penetration rates in Trinidad and Tobago. Agricultural professionals are increasingly communicating through various Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and forming virtual Communities of Practice (CoPs). This paradigm shift enables procedural efficiency between service providers and clients. Understanding the impact of social media engagement and communication strategies remains a priority. This study’s main goal was to examine how agricultural CoPs use social media. First, a search for public agricultural Facebook pages was conducted to identify, categorise, and document users. Second, using automated content analysis, how members interacted on Facebook and WhatsApp was examined. Findings showed that members and service providers leveraged social media platforms in enhancing service accessibility by building online communities. However, engagement levels varied by content, medium and communication types. Popularity and promotion communication strategies were the most utilised, followed by knowledge sharing and information campaigns. Videos aimed at disseminating information beneficial to society and the economy through the presentation of solutions increased audience involvement. Text messages elicited less interactions than photographs. Issues and challenges highlighted through posted content were discussed and addressed by professionals, showing interactions among CoP members in problem solving. Emojis were utilised to represent various emotions, outperforming links and document sharing activities. Recommendations include conducting social media sentiment analysis to evaluate agricultural extension programmes and ascertain members attitudes towards material. Analysing data is crucial for identifying and comprehending the target audience concerns and determining how their input affects decision making that aligns with overall goals. To maintain audience appeal, extension providers must develop performance standards based on precise metrics that meet predefined targets, as well as monitor and assess platform indications such as followers, likes and shares. Collaborations between service providers and service receivers can enhance social media integration and response to virtual extension services. Keywords: Virtual, online communities, social media, agriculture, extension, digital transformation, Trinidad and Tobago 116 Conference Proceedings

Exploring farmers perception of CSA technologies: a case of Caura farmers Trinidad Brandon Murphy1 and Omar Mohammed 1The Cropper Foundation Email: [email protected] The goal of achieving global food security is facing unprecedented challenges with climate change being one of the greatest challenges of all. The relationship between agriculture and the environment is very complex. Many scholars agree that agriculture is a major source of Greenhouse Gases emissions, which contribute increasing high temperatures, drought, flooding and other adverse climate risks. However, agriculture also has a critical role to minimise the impacts of climate change, through the deployment of Climate Smart Agriculture practices (CSAs). A farmer’s decision to adopt a particular CSA intervention is influenced by many factors, such as the farmer’s knowledge and perception of CSA technologies/intervention. For Caribbean Small Islands Developing States, this indicates a need for a systematic and simultaneous understanding of sustainability, constraints for adoption and scaling-up of CSAs to better guide agricultural strategy and policy interventions in Trinidad. This study used the scaling-up assessment (ScalA) method to assess Caura farmers’ perception on the sustainability and constraints of technologies used in three selected climate smart agriculture practices: agriculture irrigation systems, Integrated Nutrient Management (INM), and Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The study found that farmers perceive all three CSAs to be sustainable for the region. Adoption rates were perceived to be high for INM methods, while the technologies of agriculture irrigation systems were found to have the highest level of constraints. The most significant constraints for adoption experienced by the farmers are access to subsidy, cost to maintain the CSA practice and know-how. Scaling-up was perceived to be well fulfilled for the INM in the area of improving soil structure and fertility, but only partially fulfilled for efficient irrigation methods, which is the most limited of the three CSAs studied. The paper also stresses the need to complement financial support with proactive information-based instruments to minimise the various constraints faced by the farm for adopting CSAs.  Keywords: Climate smart agriculture, adoption, integrated pest management, integrated nutrient management, ScalA assessment method Conference Proceedings 117

Digitalisation of Caribbean extension: regional perspectives, challenges and opportunities Jeanelle Joseph1 and Wayne Ganpat2 1Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Food and Agriculture, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus 2Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Food and Agriculture, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus Email: [email protected] As countries around the world continue to be challenged by issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, adapting to new approaches to traditional extension and advisory service delivery has become a necessity. Extension and advisory services (EAS) play an indispensable role at the frontline of the response to the pandemic, with EAS providers needing to rapidly change their way of operating. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of electronic tools to complement the traditional physical and face-to-face methods of extension service delivery has proven to be especially useful in overcoming the physical distancing restrictions, whilst at the same time ensuring the safety of extensionists and clients in the quest to maintain regional food security. This study therefore sought to (i) describe the Caribbean’s digital extension landscape, (ii) identify policies in support of the digitalisation of Caribbean extension and (iii) make recommendations geared towards strengthening the digital extension responses of EAS providers. Key informant interviews with extension service providers, coupled with internet-mediated research and reviews of published literature were used to gather information. Results found that Caribbean extension and advisory service providers currently utilise various electronic tools to aid in extension service delivery, with usage significantly increasing due to the pandemic. The results also indicated that few countries have specific policies in place to support the digitalisation of extension despite EAS providers utilising electronic tools to complement their service delivery. This therefore highlights opportunities for retraining of staff, rebranding/ repositioning extension, facilitating collaboration with the intention of utilising digitalisation to link actors within extension systems and drafting policies regarding digitalisation of extension. Keywords: Agriculture, digitalisation, digital extension, extension and advisory services (EAS), electronic tools, food security 118 Conference Proceedings

Agricultural water resource management in the U.S. Virgin Islands Megan Donovan1 and Marilyn Swisher2 1School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 2Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL Email: [email protected] The present study assessed the needs of growers in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) to identify their critical water resource management concerns. The goal of was to identify water resource management research priorities from the perspective of growers in USVI. The information will strengthen existing and develop new initiatives for water research and extension in USVI. A sample of 100 growers was randomly selected from a master list of registered growers provided by the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture. The final sample included 26 respondents. Overall, respondents named the water available to irrigate as the greatest water resource management priority. With regard to water availability, USVI growers were primarily concerned with a declining water supply in the future. Declining water supply and the cost of irrigating at the present time were the next most frequently named water availability priorities. The primary water quality priorities were biological threats coming onto their farming operations and sedimentation. The next most frequently named water quality priorities were industrial pollutants coming onto their farming operations, clogged irrigation systems, saltwater intrusion and changes in the soil profile. USVI growers named both increasing the efficiency of irrigation and development of farming practices to improve soil moisture retention as the focus of future irrigation research. Conference Proceedings 119

Advancements in ICT adoption in extension: synthesising contemporary research in the CARICOM region Wayne Ganpat1, Amy Harder2, Robert Strong3, & Lendel Narine4 1The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine 2University of Florida 3Texas A&M University 4Utah State University Email: [email protected] Information and communication technologies (ICT) are essential tools for expanding the reach of extension professionals whose expertise is needed to advance food security in the CARICOM region. Research on modern ICT usage in extension became increasingly popular after the start of the 21st century, with early publications often focused on ICT integration in African extension systems. In 2010, Ganpat and De Freitas urged extension providers in the Caribbean to increase use of modern ICTs, such as smartphones. Applying an integrative literature review approach, results illustrate adoption of ICTs for Caribbean extension followed a traditional adoption curve. Early research found Caribbean extension officers were using ICTs for personal use, but not to communicate with their farmers. Subsequent research confirmed that farmers preferred face-to-face delivery to the point of dependency, presenting considerable challenges for extension systems chronically understaffed, underfunded and unable to serve all the clientele in their areas efficiently. By the end of the decade, attitudes about ICT use had grown increasingly favourable among extension officers and farmers. Recent studies from Trinidad showed that most extension officers adopted text messages for communicating with farmers and roughly one-third used social media and multimedia texts. However, barriers were identified, including a lack of financial support for officers to use their personal phones for professional purposes. Modern ICT usage has now reached the majority of extension officers. Agricultural extension ICT development and officer training is critical as telecommunication networks improve with 5G infrastructures, pandemics serving as face-to-face programme participation barriers, and farmers’ generational characteristics moving from digital immigrants to digital natives. To meet 21st century farmer information demands and increase the CARICOM region’s food security, extension should provide officers with modern ICT technology designed to improve communication with farmers. 120 Conference Proceedings

The “multifunctionality of agriculture” for the Caribbean (CARICOM/CARIFORUM) countries and small island states. Part 1: Development of the rationale and objectives Professor Gary Wayne Garcia Retired Professor of Livestock Science The Open Tropical Forage-Animal Production Laboratory [OTF-APOL] Department of Food Production [DFP] Faculty of Food and Agriculture [FFA] The University of the West Indies [UWI] St Augustine, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Email: [email protected] This is Part 1 of a three part paper. The main justification for the paper was the failure of the Jagdeo Initiative that was proposed to in 2002 and accepted by the CARICOM Governments in 2005. These events were 19 and 16 years ago respectively. Not a single initiative has materialised out of this. The objectives of this three part paper are as follows: (1) to provide the justification for this three part paper and to outline the Jagdeo Initiative (2) to redefine and add some clarity to what is agriculture and some relevant terms and concepts associated with it (3) to briefly explain what is CARICOM and CARIFORUM (4) to explain the concept of the multifunctionality of agriculture from several perspectives, (5) to demonstrate/suggest how this multifunctionality needs to be integrated into the economic planning process of CARICOM Countries and this must involve all in society, not only the politicians (6) to justify the need for a grass roots Caribbean approach to service the multifunctionality of agriculture, this would be the Agricultural Multifunctionality Organisation of the Caribbean (AMO Caribbean). Part 1 covers objectives (1), (2) and (3). Part 2 attempts to achieve objective (4) and Part 3 covers objectives (5) and (6). In this part explanations and definitions are also given for the following: agriculture, agricultural extension, policy, food security, the neo-tropics, CARICOM and CARIFORUM. An explanation of the food policy of the Treaty of Rome is presented and the traditional view of the role of agriculture outlined. The paper ended with a linkage to Part 2. Keywords: Multifunctionality of agriculture, CARICOM, CARIFORUM, small island states, Jagdeo Initiative Conference Proceedings 121

The “multifunctionality of agriculture” for the Caribbean (CARICOM/CARIFORUM) countries and small island states. Part 2: An analysis of the multifunctionality concept Professor Garry Wayne Garcia Retired Professor of Livestock Science The Open Tropical Forage-Animal Production Laboratory [OTF-APL] Department of Food Production [DFP] Faculty of Food and Agriculture [FFA] The University of the West Indies [UWI] St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago Email: [email protected] This is Part 2 of a three part paper. The main justification for the paper was the failure of the Jagdeo Initiative that was proposed to in 2002 and accepted by the CARICOM Governments in 2005. These events were 19 and 16 years ago respectively. Not a single initiative has materialised out of this. The objectives of this three part paper are as follows: (1) to provide the justification for this three part paper and to outline the Jagdeo Initiative (2) to redefine and add some clarity to what is agriculture and some relevant terms and concepts associated with it (3) to briefly explain what is CARICOM and CARIFORUM (4) to explain the concept of the multifunctionality of agriculture from several perspectives, (5) to demonstrate/suggest how this multifunctionality needs to be integrated into the economic planning process of CARICOM Countries and this must involve all in society, not only the politicians (6) to justify the need for a grass roots Caribbean approach to service the multifunctionality of agriculture, this would be the Agricultural Multifunctionality Organisation of the Caribbean (AMO Caribbean). Part 1 covers objectives (1), (2) and (3). Part 2 attempts to achieve objective (4) and Part 3 will cover objectives (5) and (6). The “multifunctionality” concept is now 29 years old. It was introduced into the literature at the Rio 1992 Summit. It initially contained three components Welfare Economics, International Aspects of Multifunctionality and Rural Economy and Rural Policy. This paper describes five approaches at discussing “agricultural multifunctionality” the European approach, the French approach, the Asian approach, the multifunctionality of livestock agriculture and the global framework. The agricultural multifunctional considerations for CARICOM/ CARIFORUM and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are listed as earner of foreign exchange, saver of foreign exchange through the production of food for local consumption (and this has become of great importance as a result of the COVID-19 crisis), quick short term generator of employment, the Tourism multifunctionality of agriculture and social stabilisation. The paper ends with a linkage to Part 3. Keywords: Multifunctionality, multifunctionality of agriculture 122 Conference Proceedings

The “multifunctionality of agriculture” for the Caribbean (CARICOM/CARIFORUM) countries and small island states. Part 3: The way forward for Caribbean agriculture using the multifunctionality considerations Professor Garry Wayne Garcia Professor of Livestock Science The Open Tropical Forage-Animal Production Laboratory [OTF-APL] Department of Food Production [DFP] Faculty of Food and Agriculture [FFA] The University of the West Indies [UWI] St Augustine, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Email: [email protected] This is Part 3 of a three part paper. The main justification for the paper was the failure of the Jagdeo Initiative that was proposed to in 2002 and accepted by the CARICOM Governments in 2005. These events were 19 and 16 years ago respectively. Not a single initiative has materialised out of this. The objectives of this three part paper are as follows: (1) to provide the justification for this three part paper and to outline the Jagdeo Initiative (2) to redefine and add some clarity to what is agriculture and some relevant terms and concepts associated with it (3) to briefly explain what is CARICOM and CARIFORUM (4) to explain the concept of the multifunctionality of agriculture from several perspectives, (5) to demonstrate/suggest how this multifunctionality needs to be integrated into the economic planning process of CARICOM Countries and this must involve all in society, not only the politicians (6) to justify the need for a grass roots Caribbean approach to service the multifunctionality of agriculture, this would be the Agricultural Multifunctionality Organisation of the Caribbean (AMO Caribbean). Part I covers objectives (1), (2) and (3). Part II attempts to achieve objective (4) and Part III covers objectives (5) and (6). In this part the five pillars for the future vision strategy for tropical agriculture policy and extension are outlined. A way in which to integrate an understanding of agricultural multifunctionality into the agricultural planning process is suggested with the following components: a philosophy, the establishment of virtual centres of excellence and the networking of physical centres of excellence (both in the public and private domain. Some tools to be used have been suggested. New ways of teaching agriculture within the university system are outlined and the framework for the grass roots Agricultural Multifunctionality Organisation of the Caribbean are outlined. Keywords: Agricultural multifunctionality, Agricultural education Conference Proceedings 123

Playing in the park: exploring the dynamic performance of Jamaican agroparks Genius Ose Edokpa MPhil/PhD student in Economic Development Policy, Sir Arthur Lewis Institute for Social and Economic Studies, SALISES, UWI, Mona, Jamaica The Jamaican agricultural sector is subject to multiple pressures driven by endogenous as well as exogenous forces, ranging from low productivity to climate change and COVID-19 shocks. The agropark initiative may, however, offer a sustainable solution strategy in response to the complex set of global and local, socio-economic, and environmental pressures facing the local agricultural sector. While there is no precise definition of what an agropark is, an agropark may be defined as a cluster of crops and/or livestock production and other related economic activities in a specific location, utilising high levels of knowledge and technology as a major input. Since the launch of this initiative in 2012, the Jamaican agropark model has arguably had limited success with its own developmental goals. It has thus become necessary to explore the factors which hinder or contribute to the transformative potential of the agropark - an initiative that requires a combination of multifaceted innovations and cooperation amongst diverse stakeholders. The methodology of this study is rooted in institutional economics, systems innovation theory, industrial ecology and resource use efficiency theory. Using an embedded case study design methodology, non-probability sampling is used for in-depth analysis of two selected case studies: Ebony Agropark and Agroparks. New institutional economics (NIE) is employed to determine how institutional factors influence the success or failure of agroparks and the resource use efficiency theory is used to analyse the resources available to the agroparks. In addition, a fault tree analysis (FTA) will be used to uncover and assess the probable risks and causes of their successes or failures. Keywords: Agroparks; resource use efficiency; new institutional economics 124 Conference Proceedings

Food fight! The science question in the transformation of food systems and why the decolonisation of science matters Patricia Northover Senior Fellow SALISES, UWI, Mona The 2021 UN Food Summit is locked into a food fight. Despite its aim of acting as a catalyst for achieving the sustainable development goals and as a driver for “transforming the way the world produces, consumes and thinks about food” over 300 global civil society organisations have boycotted the summit protesting against its corporate capture and a narrowing of the agenda for radical change. They argue that it represents a top down approach that excludes many food system actors and substitutes an impoverished view of “whose food system knowledge matters.” Thus, at a time when our industrialised food systems have failed people and the planet, and in the context of a COVID-19 pandemic that has led to over 800 million chronically undernourished persons, the “Science Question” in food systems has taken centre stage. In the confrontation, the UN Food Summit Scientific Group has been accused of acting as “the effective arbiters of what counts as science for the Food Systems Summit.” But what does count as science? Can these standard bearers for science (backed by corporate food regimes) stand as the gatekeepers for our food system? This paper will address the ‘impossibility conditions’ of positivist narratives of science and highlight the racial exclusionary history and racist double consciousness that underpins the dominant science orientation. It argues that we must not only think about how we eat, but also about the epistemological regimes being weaponised for sustainability through “science.” At a minimum, this paper calls for the deepening of the decolonisation of science if we are to really transform food systems in crises. Conference Proceedings 125



Published by the Communications and Publications Unit, Faculty of Food and Agriculture November 2022