Building Business Success within the Caribbean Aquaculture Sector
28/03/2023
Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago - Business plan development training for aquaponics farmers was held from October through to December 2022 for Caribbean countries participating in the projects ‘Harnessing Blue Economy Finance for SIDS Recovery and Sustainable Development’ and ‘Resilient Aquaculture for Food Security and Well-being in the Caribbean’. Both projects are being implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The ‘Aquaponics Business Plan’ course guided more than fifty (50) participants from Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago through business plan development, market research, financial management, time management, and the process for aquaponics system selection. The training also included a “Train the Trainers” workshop to empower national stakeholders towards increased participation of aquaponics in target countries’ economies. The virtual training allowed for communication across participating countries granting attendees the opportunity to develop an aquaponics network for future support and collaboration.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines training participant Joylyn Lampkin of Lampkin 's Natural Farm lauded the benefits of the training noting that “These progressive steps will no doubt bring about radical and permanent change to achieve some level of farm resiliency from the service offerings in our quest to guarantee our customers fresh quality produce and visitors satisfaction in an eco- friendly setting.”
Her sentiments were echoed by Kristy Naidoo-Kurban, Director of 3D Aquaponic Solutions from Trinidad and Tobago who expressed appreciation for the training stating that “the program offered by the FAO has been very insightful and gave a lot of new perspectives we had not considered. This program is vital for upcoming aquaponic farmers and for existing farmers. Thank you, FAO for allowing us to be a part of this amazing initiative.”
FAO Aquaculture Development Specialist Risha Alleyne commented that “There were several meetings between my FAO colleagues and I to formalize the training agenda and draft the terms of reference for the facilitators/business consultants. We wanted to ensure that the aquaponics farmers would benefit fully from the topics and the materials developed.”
FAO will continue to support the advancement of aquaponics through collaboration with the farmers and participants of this workshop. Strengthening the aquaponics sector in these countries is one of the Blue Economy Project’s strategies to support Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to build resiliency to natural disasters, manmade or financial crises, and global viral pandemics, while preserving natural heritage.
The ‘Aquaponics Business Plan’ course guided more than fifty (50) participants from Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago through business plan development, market research, financial management, time management, and the process for aquaponics system selection. The training also included a “Train the Trainers” workshop to empower national stakeholders towards increased participation of aquaponics in target countries’ economies. The virtual training allowed for communication across participating countries granting attendees the opportunity to develop an aquaponics network for future support and collaboration.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines training participant Joylyn Lampkin of Lampkin 's Natural Farm lauded the benefits of the training noting that “These progressive steps will no doubt bring about radical and permanent change to achieve some level of farm resiliency from the service offerings in our quest to guarantee our customers fresh quality produce and visitors satisfaction in an eco- friendly setting.”
Her sentiments were echoed by Kristy Naidoo-Kurban, Director of 3D Aquaponic Solutions from Trinidad and Tobago who expressed appreciation for the training stating that “the program offered by the FAO has been very insightful and gave a lot of new perspectives we had not considered. This program is vital for upcoming aquaponic farmers and for existing farmers. Thank you, FAO for allowing us to be a part of this amazing initiative.”
FAO Aquaculture Development Specialist Risha Alleyne commented that “There were several meetings between my FAO colleagues and I to formalize the training agenda and draft the terms of reference for the facilitators/business consultants. We wanted to ensure that the aquaponics farmers would benefit fully from the topics and the materials developed.”
FAO will continue to support the advancement of aquaponics through collaboration with the farmers and participants of this workshop. Strengthening the aquaponics sector in these countries is one of the Blue Economy Project’s strategies to support Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to build resiliency to natural disasters, manmade or financial crises, and global viral pandemics, while preserving natural heritage.