‘Growing tomorrow’: Students spearhead food security initiative

As Barbados grapples with soaring food prices and a staggering $600 million import bill, a pioneering school-based initiative is empowering students to become the vanguard of the country’s food security and climate resilience efforts.

The “Growing Tomorrow’s Harvest” project, launched at Grantley Adams Memorial School, equips students with sustainable farming skills using innovative, low-cost wick garden beds made from recycled buckets, aiming to transform schoolyards into thriving food hubs.

The project is spearheaded by CARICOM Youth Ambassador Ashley Lashley and supported by the Ministries of Health and Agriculture.

The launch comes amid rising food prices, growing childhood obesity rates, and a $600 million national food import bill—all issues speakers at the event said must be tackled with urgency and innovation.

“Food shouldn’t feel like a luxury. Yet for many across our region, it is,” Lashley said, reflecting on the rising cost of fresh produce and the often impossible choices families face daily.

She underscored the importance and urgency of involving students in shaping sustainable food systems: “Our youth are not future farmers, they are today’s food warriors.”

The project introduces students to wick beds—small, self-watering garden systems made from recycled buckets—allowing them to grow food in tight spaces with minimal resources.

“That’s the beauty of them. They meet people where they are at. You can grow vegetables right on a balcony, in a school courtyard, or even outside your front door,” Lashley said.

The project begins in three secondary schools—Grantley Adams Memorial, Parkinson Memorial, and The Alleyne School—and introduces students to sustainable farming techniques over a six-week period.

Students will grow lettuces and carrots among other greens, manage watering schedules, and personalise their gardens with climate messages, with ongoing support from the project team.

PAHO/WHO Representative Dr Amalia Del Riego called the initiative a model for cross-sectoral action: “Our children are facing the consequences of increasingly unbalanced diets and sedentary lifestyles.”

“This initiative creates immersive learning, connects them with nature, and supports healthy choices and planetary health,” she added, citing Ministry of Health data showing that 28 per cent of Barbadian children are overweight and that non-communicable diseases are responsible for 80 per cent of deaths nationally.

Further praising the project as a model for multisectoral collaboration, Riego said: “This initiative stands as a powerful testament to what is possible when education, health, agriculture, community, and development partners come together with purpose and vision.”

Agricultural Officer Tony Rawlins delivered remarks on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, noting that the Growing Tomorrow’s Harvest project aligns with the government’s food security goals.

He further revealed that the flagship project will be supported by two existing national programmes—FEED (Farmers Empowerment and Environment Drive) and CARE (Community Agricultural Response and Enfranchisement).

“This is not just a programme—it is a movement. It will equip students with hands-on agricultural skills, foster a culture of sustainability and turn schoolyards into thriving hubs of food production,” he said.

“By doing so, we are planting the roots of food security today so that our children reap the harvest tomorrow.”

He outlined plans for schools to become “living labs”, using solar-powered irrigation and composting, and connecting with local farmers and agri-entrepreneurs through the CARE programme.

Further painting a picture of what is to come, Rawlins said: “School gardens of tomorrow—climate-smart gardens in every participating school, equipped with rainwater harvesting and composting systems.”

“These gardens will double as living laboratories with data shared across the network. Youth agro-innovators clubs. Students will tackle reducing food waste…. A national young farmers network where top students will receive mentorship and access to FEED’s father training resources…”

He noted that the project also links with the broader CARICOM agenda, which calls for a 25 per cent reduction in regional food imports by 2030.

“We cannot achieve food security unless we reach some level of food sovereignty,” he said.

“We must not only grow what we eat but also eat what we grow.”

The event also saw the handover of agricultural supplies, including garden kits and wick beds, to Parkinson Memorial and Alleyne schools. (SM)