Pioneering national institute launches to transform agriculture, inspire next-gen farmers

Barbados is set to revolutionise its food and farming with the launch of a pioneering national institute aimed at boosting domestic production, combating the climate crisis, and creating new career opportunities for the next generation.

The Barbados Institute of Food and Agriculture (BIFA) will open at Hope Plantation, St Lucy, by January, consolidating all tertiary-level agricultural education and research under one roof.

The BIFA will bring together all tertiary-level agricultural training programmes currently offered at the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute, Barbados Community College and the Barbados Vocational Training Board, creating a centralised hub for agricultural learning, research, and entrepreneurship.

The 45-acre site will feature more than 57 000 square feet of building space, laid out in three zones: an eastern section for livestock, including sheep, rabbits, pigs, and chickens; a central area for classrooms and administration; and a western section with student dormitories and housing for on-site staff.

Additional infrastructure includes crop storage facilities, a fire control centre, a photovoltaic energy system, and biosecurity-controlled access to animal pens.

The announcement was made during a ministerial tour of the Chinese-built Hope Agricultural Training Institute and the Centre for Food Security and Entrepreneurship at Dukes, St. Thomas, led by Minister of Training and Tertiary Education Sandra Husbands and Minister of Agriculture Indar Weir.

“This institute is not just about training farmers. It’s about transforming how Barbados thinks about food,” said Husbands, as she outlined the vision for the BIFA.

“We must grow what we consume, but we must also change mindsets and build dignity into food production. That starts with formal education from the primary school level straight through to advanced agribusiness and climate-smart techniques.”

The BIFA will offer a wide range of programmes, from teacher training and short certificates to associate degrees in farm management, agro-processing, and food technology, and eventually a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, delivered in partnership with the University of the West Indies St Augustine, the UWI’s agriculture research and education hub.

“There’s no point in telling people to eat healthily if there isn’t a sustained supply,” she added.

“And it’s hard to promote breadfruit and yam to a population raised on macaroni pie and fried chicken. So we must teach differently, and grow differently.”

Also speaking during the tour, Weir said BIFA would play a crucial role in addressing the ageing demographic of Barbados’ farming population, while preparing younger, tech-savvy generations to lead the sector in the face of climate threats, war-driven import costs, and global food insecurity.

“We can’t have a Ministry of Food Security in name only. We must build out the full capacity that title demands and that begins with succession planning for a sector still dominated by experienced but ageing farmers,” he said.

He framed the moment as a national opportunity to move beyond traditional farming towards food sovereignty, where Barbadians have control over what they grow, how they grow it, and what they eat.

“If we are going to manage the climate crisis, we must modernise using agricultural technology that reduces water use, accelerates time to harvest, and enables climate control for poultry, dairy, fruits and vegetables,” he said. “BIFA puts us on that path.”

Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS), James Paul, welcomed the institute as a potential game-changer for a sector long in need of renewed focus and operational support.

“The sector’s biggest challenge is production, that is, how we grow more, faster, and better,” he said. “Facilities like these can help us improve efficiency on farms and teach our people how to do things smarter, not just harder.”.

The establishment of the BIFA marks the latest phase of a multi-year initiative first unveiled in 2022, when the government outlined a series of agriculture-focused projects, including the Hope and Dukes sites, to build national capacity and reduce reliance on food imports.

That plan has now evolved into a full-fledged institutional model, with regional ambitions as well.

Both ministers confirmed that CARICOM nationals could also benefit from the training offered at BIFA, aligning Barbados with the 25 by 2025 food import reduction goal set by the Caribbean Community.

“This is how we future-proof agriculture,” said Husbands.

“We grow our own food, teach our people to value it, and give them the tools to thrive in it.”

shannamoore@barbadostoday.bb