Ectad Newsletter Green Light Issue No 8

GREENLIGHT ECTAD NEWSLETTER

FOREWORD

ISSUE NO. 08

Diet Nutrition (read more on pages 10 and 11)

We live in a world where changes take place faster and faster, right before our eyes. In fact, these changes occur so rapidly that it sometimes takes a while for us to catch up and adjust to these changes. It is crucial that we set the stage for these changes to take place; we can do this through education. Educating our people means focusing on the aspects of these changes that affect us or will affect most. ECTAD believes that Agriculture is one of the most important sectors of our economy and has been from its inception, emphasizing the importance of viewing this sector as a money making, food security, and futuristic sector. ECTAD believes that we must start at the beginning to educate our young about this important part of our economy. We begin this process by including our children in Agriculture, whether in the homes or the schools. We secure our future by educating and training our children today for a better stronger tomorrow.

Corn is a good source of many nutrients including thiamin (vitamin B1), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), folate, dietary fiber, vitamin C, phosphorus and manganese.

This issue will focus on:

Educating our children in aspects of Agriculture as it relates to food security, finance, health and development

Capturing

the true essence of Nature and the Environment within Agriculture

Training

our children in the food, financial, economic, commercial and business aspects of Agriculture

Advantages derived each day from Agriculture and its linkages to Tourism, Health and Nutrition, etc

Developments Captivating the interest of our children: our nation’s future

Agriculture

and decisions made each day in

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Nyasha Durrant Administrative Officer

Dear Readers

Sustang Fergus It is indeed a pleasure to present you with issue number eight (8) of our newsletter.

Research Assistant

ECTAD has long taken an active role in the gathering and sharing of information in an effort to keep you informed of the seriousness of the changes happening around you everyday. This newsletter is ECTAD’S way of keeping our readers up-to-date with the realities of our changing times. We have so far been receiving very positive feedback and we are very excited about the effects the information in our newsletter have had on our readers.

Billidorn Haywood Area Coordinator

As we continue this quest together, the issue, therefore, is not getting the information, but what we do with this information. ECTAD has high expectations for the future and we look forward to seeing you there. Happy exploring!

Jeff Trotman Communications Advisor

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KEEPING THE POSITIVE IMAGE ALIVE A message from the Jethro T. Greene, Chief Coordinator of the Eastern Caribbean Trading Agriculture and Development Organisation (ECTAD)

The farmers in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) are resolute despite the many constraints and the recent decline in agriculture. St. Vincent and the Grenadines was able to feed its sister island of Grenada after hurricane Ivan.

Jethro T. Greene has over 30 years experience in the field of agriculture and rural development. He has proven himself to be a leader and motivator with excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Mr. Greene’s extensive skills include agricultural management; agricultural marketing; farmers’ organisation and consultant development; and rural development, among others. Mr. Greene is also the founding member of several local and regional organisations that work to eliminate poverty and improve the quality of life for less privilege people throughout the Caribbean. Such organisations include, the Eastern Caribbean Trading Agriculture and Development Organisation (ECTAD), the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN), the Organisation of Rural Development (ORD), the St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Development Foundation (NDF), and the St. Vincent/Long Island New York Partners of the Americas. Mr. Greene, “Hopelessness and failure are not words in my vocabulary”.

Special thanks to Jethro Greene for his commitment and contribution to agriculture, in general to the farmers and rural farm families of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Another example of farmers’ determination, was when ECTAD, working with over one hundred farmers with no financing from the commercial/Government sectors was able to move production and marketing of Dasheen by 300% in less than one year because of a market led approach. Many people talk about the fact that young people are shying away from agriculture, but empirical observation and evidence have proven that once money can be made from farming activity, the so-called stigma is less significant. What is needed is for us to stop analyzing the agriculture sector with focus on “difficult and what cannot be done”. Let us instead focus on some of the amazing positives that comes from our farmers and agriculture sector; Things that may not be widely promoted, but have affected change and promoted development. We have a lot of success stories and the best practices that can be used as examples to create a new image of agriculture. Now, with the talk about the food crisis, it seems as though everyone wants to get on the agriculture band wagon, this includes the government. This is the ideal time for us to lobby for agriculture to be placed on the priority development agenda. We as a farmers’ organization have to ensure that the accrued benefits coming from increased food prices positively affect our farmers. Let us work together to ensure that the most important person in the chain-the consumer, is not unduly negatively affected by increased food prices. We can do this, by ensuring that we shorten the chain to the consumer.

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Solution

“NO SUCH THING AS CHEAP FOOD” “There’s no such thing as cheap food,” insists Jethro Greene, Chief Coordinator of the Eastern Caribbean Trading and Development Organization (ECTAD). However, he strongly feels that food prices should remain “affordable” to Vincentian consumers. Greene reiterated in a recent interactive radio programme that Caribbean farmers and farmers’ representatives have for years been calling for agriculture to be made the cornerstone of our economies but the calls have been ignored until recently by politicians and economic development planners. He said now that alarm bells are being sounded around the world and regional politicians are following the international cue and are talking about the food crisis, “we have a great opportunity in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the rest of the Caribbean to create a facilitating environment in which the private sector can commit more investment in the food sector, particularly agriculture”. According to him, it is for this reason that ECTAD joined the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Chamber of Industry and Commerce two years ago. Greene believes that the same factors that influence the cost of export crops influence the cost of producing crops for the local market. According to him, it is only recently that food security is being seen as a challenge in the Caribbean. He said this challenge has been caused by Caribbean consumers becoming complacent as a result of the ready availability of cheap, imported food. “Only now that there is a threat we are beginning to realize the full value of food security.” In relation to rising food prices, Greene said: “We should not fool ourselves, thinking that farmers are benefiting greatly from the recent increases,” since, according to him, “80-85% of food costs are outside of the farmers’ hands in the form of storage, packaging, distribution, marketing and so on.”

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Stressing the need to focus beyond the farm gate to genuinely stabilize food prices, Greene said ECTAD, which is the coordinating body of the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN), is advancing the importance of action rather than talk. Greene firmly believes that farmers will increase production if they make money. “Our farmers have shown over and over again that if they are justly rewarded; if they can make reasonably decent incomes, they will produce,” Greene said as he referred to success ECTAD has received over the past two years in encouraging small farmers at Greggs to produce dasheen for exportation to the United Kingdom. In this regard, he said, ECTAD with help from the Ministry of Agriculture and CARDI was instrumental in training farmers to organize their own marketing – eradicating middlemen – so that farmers have a straight line to consumers. Greene is adamant that in this way, farmers can obtain higher rewards while prices remain stable for consumers. “All we did,” he contended, “was cut out waste.”

Inputs He is also suggesting that another way of keeping prices of agricultural produce affordable is by making inputs available to farmers at reasonable prices through bulk purchasing and relevant tax incentives. Greene is also suggesting there should be collaboration amongst stakeholders such as the Ministry of Agriculture, CARDI, IICA, the private sector and NGOs with vested interest in agriculture to look at setting up district markets close to the farmers so that farm gate prices can be passed on to the consumer.

BACKYARD GARDENING With increasingly strident concerns being voiced across the region about impending food shortages and rising food prices, ECTAD/CaFAN is advocating action to promote backyard and home gardening across the Caribbean. “This will be good supplement to regular food production,” Jethro Greene advocates. The ECTAD Chief Coordinator is also suggesting that such promotion could be another collaborative effort by the Ministries of Agriculture, the private sector, schools and agricultural institutes, particularly in relation to the widespread supply of seeds at affordable prices. He further echoed a commonly held notion in the St. Vincent and the Grenadines that agriculture should be returned to the general school curriculum as was the case in former years. “This would stimulate awareness and greater appreciation for agriculture among young people,” Greene said, and commended the Vincentian Government for bringing forward the law against theft, noting that the law would force bona fide farmers to keep proper records of their produce. Linkages Reiterating that ECTAD/CaFAN has begun pointing the way forward in agricultural linkages to health and nutrition, and to tourism, Greene said: “These linkages will help boost production of and appreciation for using our local foods”. The ECTAD Chief Coordinator further stated that the pilot project ECTAD launched in St. Vincent and the Grenadines of linking agriculture to health and nutrition is beginning to bear fruit. Research and Development Greene also pointed to the relevance of research and development to efficiency in agricultural production and environmental health. He said that local farmers should begin to focus more on integrated farming systems, using small ruminants such as sheep, goats, even pigs and rabbits, etc.

KEEPING SCIENCE ON CURRICULUM

AGRICULTURAL THE SCHOOL’S

Foods from a backyard garden

Returning to school gardens A conversation pertaining to the reintroduction of school gardening on the national school curriculum was started on the opening day of ECTAD’S nine-month pilot programme of Linking Agriculture to Health and Nutrition last September. This conversation is even more relevant today with the increasing concern being raised about the impending scarcity of food staples – rice, wheat and corn - on the world market The conversation arose as ECTAD’S affiliates sought for workable solutions to combat the growing tendency of Vincentian to eschew locally produced fresh root crops and vegetables preferring to eat imported foreign fruits and vegetables including those that are canned. While the conversation, at the time, was aimed at cutting back on the high food importation bill and at the same time foster increased wealth among local farmers by encouraging import substitution, a critical issue was the growing incidence of chronic non communicable diseases – diabetes, hypertension, strokes, heart attacks – which are responsible for 60% of deaths annually in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and other Caribbean countries. Now, the conversation has become relevant with respect to going beyond self sufficiency in food to the attainment of national food security. One participant recalled that secondary schools had gardens which were tilled by students, who grew mainly vegetables. The participant also recalls school gardening competitions were held from time to time.

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According to this participant, this not only helped the students to develop appreciation for the challenges faced by farmers to produce successful crops but it also influenced them into developing a taste for their agricultural produce. “I think today, that has gone out the window to some extent,” the participant said. “How many schools are now practicing that? But I think this is something that we need to get back to and keep the children engaged in this.”

ECTAD’S Chief Coordinator, Jethro Greene approvingly noted that promoting fruit as a snack is a very good approach. But Billidorn Haywood, head of ECTAD’s farmers group at Greggs, who is in his early thirties, observed that in his growing up days parents encourage their children to pursue upward mobility by doing well academically so that they could become professionals such as medical doctors and lawyers, teachers and nurses.

Noting that Bishops College, Kingstown had a very nice school garden, the participant said, “I don’t know what is the status now, but … from my vantage point at the nutrition support programme, where we are supplying these schools with foodstuff to prepare lunches for the children, here is where these schools could produce these fruits and vegetables to supply to the children rather than having to go outside and seek for it. This is one of the problems they say they are having in obtaining a supply of these fruits and vegetables for the children in the schools. Someone has to look at it from that level. Probably, start developing a competition among those schools and get the children engaged in those activities again.”

According to Haywood, students who were not academically successful were regarded as dropouts even when they got into agriculture and were successful. “This is something that I believe come from slavery,” he said. “We believe that we do it too much in slavery time. So, you are a slave when you use a hoe.” Haywood further opined that the current generations of young people, who do not excel academically, are encouraged by their parents to become a sailor, or join the British Army and not to become farmers. “So, the thing is that we have to go back to the school and get agriculture as one of those careers. So that it start in Kindergarten because if it isn’t started in Kindergarten then we would have a problem because if you ask young people here why they do agriculture, you will have different answers. You see, because at the end of the day, agriculture, to me, is one of the last stages in the education system.”

During the discussion, ECTAD Director Telojo Onu said that she had recently attended a meeting where the World Bank highlighted that basic life skills that would help us function in a normal work environment are missing in our education system. “There was a little case study done, even in terms of eating habits, and the fact that you have people eating badly and then they are not productive and that has to be linked back to the education system,” Onu said.

In the meantime, Greene insists that the issues lead right back to developing life skills. “As part of life skills, we used to train our people how to help themselves with foods,” Greene said. “As part of life skills, people need to know how plants are germinated, the value of trees and plants. Going to school, we used to germinate seeds.

She suggested that ECTAD in collaboration with stakeholders in the Nutrition Unit of the Ministry of Health and the Environment as well as personnel from the Ministry of Agriculture “should probably set up a team and go out into the schools and have one day promotional campaigns for the children to understand that eating healthy is important”. She also suggested that the children, in turn, would talk to their parents on the importance of healthy eating. She said at her son’s school, students are encouraged to take fruits instead of other snacks to school on Wednesdays and this has encouraged him to develop a preference for local fruit over packaged snacks such as corn curls. She added: “He’s taking more and more fruits to school and not snacks. It used to be Wednesday. Now, it’s a Thursday and it’s a Friday.”

“It’s not going to be necessary for everybody to go into agriculture. But my point is you want everybody to have an appreciation for agriculture and farming. The point about it is that I may choose to go into agriculture as a business but I may also choose to take my small backyard and grow some tomato and cabbage and vegetables to put in my dishes, or simply some herbs. The big new thing now in some of the countries is to grow your herbs to put in your cooking – that’s now being promoted a lot on television.”

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FOOD SECURITY: AN IMPORTANT MEASURE OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Food security is not only important to health; it is a very important influence on urban development, trade and national development. An official from the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI), Dr. Ballyram made the comment during a three-day training workshop organized by the National Food and Nutrition Security Council (NFNSC) of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, held from Monday 25 – Wednesday 27 February 2008 at the Ministry of Health conference room. The NFNSC has been mandated by Cabinet to coordinate a national focus on all matters dealing with food and nutrition security in St. Vincent and the Grenadines including the drafting of a national food security policy. Pointing out that food security is more than food self sufficiency, which occurs when a country is able to meet its food needs from its domestic sources, Dr. Ballyram said food might be available but people may not have access to such food; food might be available but it is not healthy; or food might be subjected to glut or serious shortages. According to him, food security refers to a situation in which “all people at all times have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences. He said food comes from two sources in the Caribbean – domestic production and importation - while in the bigger countries there is a third source, storage. The CFNI official also explained that food security has four main components: (1) food must be available; (2) residents and citizens of a country must have the ability to purchase food or prices must be reasonable compared to income (access can also be pinned with safety programmes, remittances and good food price policy by the government); (3) dietary needs for healthy lives (two aspects – internal and external) – which also involve food availability, accessibility, utilization and consumption; (4)

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stability of the three previous components. Dr. Ballyram explained: “A truly comprehensive food security assessment will require indicators of all those four components in addition to an analysis of what is happening at the national level in terms of macro economics - how the food is produced, domestic or imported, and how much of the respective produce is available – determined by income, prices and food distribution systems.” In looking at different levels of food security, ranging from secure to mildly insecure through moderately insecure and severely insecure or indigent, Dr. Ballyram said those who worry about becoming food insecure or those who skip meals occasionally for financial reasons are mildly food insecure; those who skip meals every month are moderately food insecure while the indigent cannot afford a proper diet. He said the NFNSC will have the challenge of analyzing all the indicators of food security in trying to find out the most vulnerable people in the country. He said the methodology that can help them to do so would involve profiling, including information on people’s assets, social and physical capital. In reiterating that food security, which is defined as physical access to food at all times per head, transcends the issue of food self sufficiency, Dr. Ballyram said poverty is a major determinant of food security in the Caribbean. The development economist said, while a lot of people ought to take their lives into their own hands, the NFNSC should continually publicize the minimum cost for a nutritious basket and a food security bulletin that inform people of choices of nutritious diets at minimum costs. He said the NFNSC will have to impress the right decision makers of the importance of conducting a food security survey in the country, how it could be done and where the money to conduct the survey could be obtained. He gave the assurance that CFNI will provide invaluable support to the NFNSC in conducting the surveys.

Green alert Agriculture to Health and Nutrition. Greene said that since the nine-month project was launched in September 2007, there has been a series of newspaper articles, aimed at sensitizing Vincentian to purchasing local fruits and vegetables for healthy eating and enhancing the wealth of rural farmers. He said a successful workshop was held in keeping with the pilot project - in the Leeward Area in November 2007. He also said that the pilot project is beginning to be noticed throughout the state since people are beginning to take “a visible interest in fruits and vegetables”. Mr. Greene also noted that a lot of people did not eat salted hams during the recent Christmas season because they had become more conscious through the media of eating healthier. He added that promotion of the wellness revolution by the government is beginning to impact people’s consciousness.

Increased information flow ECTAD is increasing its information flow to its members and the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN), respectively with the development of a small newsletter in addition to the Greenlight, called Green Flash, which would be an immediate update of the ECTAD Website of information within ECTAD, and a similar update called Agriflash for CaFAN’s Agrivybz. “We’re trying to keep a caption of everything that happens,” explains ECTAD’s Chief Coordinator, Jethro Greene. “If somebody goes to a meeting, if we ship ten shipments of dasheen - we keep our membership informed and this is not expensive to produce.”

Consolidated marketing Some farmers have expressed concern at the move by WIBDECO to join with the National Properties Ltd. to form an exclusive marketing company, the Lauders Agro Processing Incorporated, to purchase local agricultural produce for exportation. Mr. Jethro Greene, Chief Coordinator of ECTAD says while ECTAD will receive increased competition by this move, the various marketing bodies including private traffickers should meet to determine a consolidated approach to marketing their respective produce. He also claims that farmers must be empowered to state with confidence that they have their own markets. And said CaFAN should unite farmers’ organizations. He also said focus should be placed on farmers with emphasis on better production planning.

Backyard Garden ECTAD will distribute seeds at each of the workshops to encourage people to begin backyard gardens. ECTAD has already approached the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SVGCIC) for seeds – broccoli, tomato, pumpkin and cabbage – for the exercise. The seeds will be distributed at the upcoming ECTAD workshops to launch zonal backyard garden competitions. During the respective workshops, an agriculture extension officer will address participants on proper seed setting techniques. Meanwhile, the SVGCIC has asked ECTAD to work along with the Chamber to revive the Bishop’s College, Kingstown, and school garden.

Printed export boxes Farmers, who export their produce through ECTAD, will soon be able to do so with labeled boxes. ECTAD will have its boxes printed. Plates for printing the labels have already been acquired but ECTAD is seeking funding to pay for them and to do the printing, which should be achieved within a month or two.

Booklet ECTAD has produced a booklet entitled: “Living Healthy, Eating Right” - a simple nutrition guide for everybody including children. Copies of the booklet have been made available to the general public.

ECTAD reports success Chief Coordinator of ECTAD, Jethro Greene is satisfied with the success of the pilot project, Linking

ICT for ECTAD farmers ECTAD is moving to enroll all its members in government’s ICT programme. ECTAD’S Chief

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more than having availability of food; it is being assured of food at all times. Ms. Ramessar said the facilitators pointed to natural disasters such as hurricanes that could negatively affect ready access to food. She quoted one of the workshop facilitators, Dr. Ballayram that the vulnerability of Caribbean countries could be highlighted in the aftermath of a hurricane when they would probably have to wait on the next boat from Miami to get food, rather than relying on stored food to offset shortages as in the more developed countries. “That is a very vulnerable situation for our country to be in,” Ramessar said as she disclosed that NFNSC has been given the mandate to develop a food and nutrition policy for SVG, which would be linked to “the whole idea of wellness”. The Environmentalist stressed that ECTAD will participate fully in the Council “and feed into that policy and a food and nutrition bulletin for St. Vincent and the Grenadines”. She added that the Council has been mandated by Cabinet to coordinate a national focus on all matters dealing with food and nutrition security in St. Vincent and the Grenadines including the drafting of a national food security policy.

Coordinator, Jethro Greene says the government’s ICT programme covers a wide range of levels including training for farmers and everyone needs to look at the level at which they would like to be trained. Greene wants all ECTAD farmers and farmers’ leaders to make use of the ICT training which will soon be made available.

Upcoming workshops ECTAD will be holding three other workshops as part of its nine-month pilot project, Linking Agriculture to Health and Nutrition. The workshops will be held in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The first workshop will be held on 11 June, 2008 at the Learning Resource Centre at Questelles for farmers in the South Leeward Area. This workshop will be held from 9.00A.M. To 2.00P.M. It is intended to attract sixty participants including students from the Barrouallie and Campden Park Secondary Schools as well as young people groups in the South Leeward Area. The second workshop is scheduled for 18 June, 2008 in the Central Windward Area. It is expected to attract farmers from Diamond, Lowmans (Windward), Richland Park and New Grounds. This workshop will be held at the Greggs Government School from 3.00 P.M to 7.00P.M. It is also expected to attract 60 persons including five students from each of the five secondary schools in the area as well as farmers and housewives.

ECTAD/CARDI cooperation ECTAD and CaFAN have agreed to cooperate with the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) on hot pepper, cassava and sweet potato. In making the disclosure, ECTAD’s Chief Coordinator Jethro Greene said ECTAD has also received a specific request from a private entrepreneur to grow five acres of hot pepper. He said if ECTAD gets into hot pepper, it would adopt the market-led approach of its dasheen project.

The third workshop will be held on 25 June, 2008 from 9.30A.M. To 2.00P.M., at Bishop’s College, Georgetown, for the North Windward Zone. Plans are also being made to hold a meeting at Fancy at a date to be announced later.

CaFAN/Oxfam collaboration CaFAN and Oxfam are developing a cooperation agreement to influence regional policy on agriculture. This agreement would involve continuous monitoring of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) between regional governments and the European Union (EU) to ensure they are in the best interest of Caribbean farmers and to monitor the development aide (to ensure that it) does not happen like what is happening in the diversification programme where it goes to those who do not need it. “We want any development aide must come straight to the grass root and that’s what we’re working on and lobbying to try to see what we could get,” says ECTAD’S Chief Coordinator, Jethro Greene.

Food and Nutrition ECTAD is now represented on the National Food and Nutrition Security Council (NFNSC). ECTAD’S environment consultant, Candice Ramessar, was selected on the NFNSC at a three-day training workshop, held Monday 25 – Wednesday 27 February 2008 at the Ministry of Health conference room. The workshop, a collaboration between the NFNSC and the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI/PAHO/WHO), stressed that Food Security is

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MANGO AND DIET NUTRITION The nutritional value of the mango fruit makes it an excellent choice for both weight control and general health. Mangoes are very nutritious and excellent source of carotene as compared to other fruits. Eating mangoes in the season may provide a store of vitamin A in the liver, sufficient to last for the rest of the year and highly beneficial for the prevention of vitamin A deficient disorders like night blindness. Both ripe and green mangoes are very good sources of vitamin C. Both vitamins A and C are anti oxidants and help to reduce the risk of certain cancers. Ripe mango provides a good source of calories. A ripe mango supplies 74kcal per 100 grams (mainly derived from fructose). Unripe mango has fewer calories compared to ripe mango. The ripe mango fruit is also a good source of potassium and traces of sodium make it suitable for hypertensive patients. The mango fruit also contains some Vitamin E and useful amounts of iron and nicotinic acid! In fact, mango fruit has a mild to moderate enhancing effect on iron absorption. Those on potassium restricted diet like renal failure diet should avoid mangoes. Usefulness: The ripe fruit is a good laxative, increases the urine flow and cools the blood. The unripe fruit can be made into a cooling hot summer drink and also into various mango pickles.

MANGO MEDICINE The mango’s high antioxidant values have been reported to be excellent for the immune system and to help protect against cancer. Benefits of mango beta-carotene ingestion, which is converted in the body to Vitamin A, are many: it may reduce the risk of heart attack, protect against cataracts and promote healthy eyes and skin. It may also help boost the immune response to colds and ‘flu. Vitamin C is best known as a cell protector and immune system booster, countering the effects of cell damage by free radicals, aiding the body’s ligaments, tendons and collagen. It is especially useful to help against the severity of colds and ‘flu symptoms and duration.

Diets high in potassium-rich food may help to protect against heart disease and stroke, as well as aiding regular heartbeat and heart-rhythm abnormalities. Vitamin E content may prevent blood clots, the formation of fatty plaques and cell proliferation on the walls of arteries, protect against stroke caused by blocked arteries and reduce the risk of some cancers by preventing cancer cell proliferation and causing cancer cells to die.

PAPAW Many of us take the papaya plant and fruit for granted but the fruit can play a very important role in the lives of those who eat it. Believed to be originally endemic to Mexico and neighboring Central American countries, the papaw fruit is easily digestible. It also contributes to the digestion of other food. The Papaya fruit contains carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Papaya is rich in potassium and significant amounts of calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and iron. Stomach disorders: Papaya is recommended in cases of difficult digestion since it helps neutralize excess gastric acid. It could be eaten to reduce the discomfort of ulcer. Intestinal disorders: Papaya is of value because of its effect on all digestive processes and its very low fat content. The Papaya’s emollient and antiseptic effect on the digestive mucosa makes it useful in any type of case of gastroenteritis or colitis. Studies have shown that Papaya, particularly when it is slightly green, impedes the development of many enter pathogens that cause intestinal infections. Papaya is highly recommended for infectious diarrhea. Intestinal parasites: Papaya sap or latex and to a lesser extent the pulp, can be effective against intestinal parasites, particularly Tania (tape worm). Skin disorder: People with skin disorders such as eczema and acne should also eat Papaya because of its richness in provitamin A. Pawpaw contains papain that helps digestion and is good at tenderizing meat.

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GUAVA

AVOCADO

The guava is a tropical fruit. There are several varieties of the fruit with different shapes, colors and flavors. The flesh may be creamy white or pink.

The avocado is considered a complete food, rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, calories and fiber with no cholesterol and is sodium free. It is ideal for adult children, babies and especially athletes.

Nutritional Value: The guava is among the richest fruits in Vitamin C. The fruit is also rich in carotenoids -substances that transform to vitamin A and have powerful antioxidant effect within the cell. Nutritionists determine that 100g of guava pulp supplies 8% of the daily need of vitamin A. The variety with reddish pulp is the richest in carotenoids, and contains lycopene, the same carotenoid found in tomatoes. Most of the 5.4% of fiber in the guava is soluble, composed of pectin and mucilage. It contain significant amounts of B group vitamins (except B12), and vitamin E, as well as calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, and iron. Its most abundant mineral is potassium. It also is relatively rich in trace elements such as zinc, copper, and manganese. A three-month study conducted in India and published in the American Journal of Cardiology, found that adding guava to a daily diet of 61 hypertensive volunteers lowered their systolic blood pressure. The same experiment produced overall cholesterol reduction and reduction in triglycerides in the blood. Guava is an excellent fruit for maintaining good arterial health. Its consumption prevents the risk factors that cause arteriosclerosis: hypertension and high cholesterol. It has been recommended that persons who wish to quit smoking should eat two or three guavas a day. Nicotine hardens the arteries. The large amount of Vitamin C found in guavas could help those in treatment for nicotine addiction since this vitamin neutralizes nicotine. Guava has an invigorating effect on the body. It is particularly beneficial for persons, who are convalescing from infectious illnesses, or fatigue and weakness provoked by chronic disease.

Nutritional value: The avocado is among the richest fruits in fats including fats containing phosphorous in their molecule and perform very important functions in the nervous system. The avocado is the richest fresh food in Vitamin E. No animal based food possesses as much Vitamin E as the avocado - not even eggs and butter. Avocado promotes reproductive functions, but because it is a powerful antioxidant it protects against cancer and cellular aging. The avocado is, together with banana, the richest fresh fruit in Vitamin B6; superior, even, to beef. The avocado also has the highest iron content and fibre of any fresh food. Health Benefits Excess cholesterol: An avocado paradox was revealed in 1960 when W.C Grant discovered that eating this fruit, so rich in fats, actually lowered blood cholesterol levels. These first studies were conducted by feeding 16 males aged 27 to 72 various amounts of avocado (one-half to one and a half a day). Half the subjects showed a reduction in cholesterol. No subject showed any increase. Circulatory disorders: Avocados cannot be more highly recommended for cases of arteriosclerosis, hypertension, and coronary heart disease in general. Anemia: The iron in avocados is relatively well assimilated. Nervous disorders: Avocado contains fats that are very important to the metabolism of the pervious system such as linoleic acid and phospholipids. Additionally, they are very rich in vitamin B6, one of the most important for proper neuron function, therefore appropriate for those suffering from nervousness, irritability, or depression. Digestive disorders: Avocados are appropriate for the diet of those suffering from stomach ulcers or gastritis because of their alkalinity and the emollient and productive effects of their fats on the mucosa.

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FARMERS’ CORNER Q Can eating guava help one to stop smoking cigarettes?

A Question ‘n’ Answer column Q A representative from ECTAD has recently been selected to serve on an entity that has been mandated by Cabinet to develop a food and nutrition policy for St. Vincent and the Grenadines and to coordinate a national focus on all matters dealing with food and nutrition security in SVG including the drafting of a national food security policy. What is that entity?

It has been recommended that persons who wish to quit smoking should eat two or three guavas a day. Nicotine hardens the arteries. The large amount of Vitamin C found in guavas could help those in treatment for nicotine addiction since this vitamin neutralizes nicotine. ________________________________________

Q

A The National Food and Nutrition Security Council (NFNSC).

Some people rate the avocado as one of the most complete fresh foods. Is this so?

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A

Q

The avocado is among the richest fruits in fats including fats containing phosphorous in their molecule and perform very important functions in the nervous system. The avocado is the richest fresh food in Vitamin E. No animal – based food possesses as much Vitamin E as the avocado - not even eggs and butter. Avocado promotes reproductive functions, but because it is a powerful antioxidant it protects against cancer and cellular aging. The avocado is, together with banana, the richest fresh fruit in Vitamin B6; superior, even, to beef. The avocado also has the highest iron content and fibre of any fresh food.

The pawpaw fruit contains papain that helps digestion and is good at tenderizing meat. Would you recommend eating pawpaw for someone with skin disorder?

A Yes. People with skin disorders such as eczema and acne should also eat papaya because of its richness in provitamin A

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Avocado dip

LOCAL RECIPE

1 cup chopped onion 1 cup lean ground beef 1 cup cumin 1 tsp chill powder 1 cup chili without beans 16 ounces cheese (Velveeta) 1 pinch salt 1 large ripe avocado sliced

Brown ground beef in skillet; add onion until cooked, pour off excess water and fat. Add chili powder, cumin and cheese, cook. Stir occasionally until cheese is melted, add salt. Let cool the mix in avocado. Serve with chip or crackers.

Mango bread 2 Cups flour 1 Table spoon baking Powder 2 tsp cumin ¾ tsp vegetable oil ¼ tsp salt 1 ½ cup sugar ½ tsp vanilla 3 eggs 2 cups mango

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, make and opening in the middle, mix other ingredients add to the mixture. Pour into greased and floured pan. Let sit for 20 minutes. Bake at 350degrees for 1 hour or until wooden pick insert in the center come out dry.

Pawpaw pie Guava pie

½ cup brown sugar ½ cup granulated white sugar 2 cups pawpaw ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg ¼ tsp salt 1 egg 1 graham cracker pie crust

3 table spoons flour ½ cup sugar 1 pinch salt 1 pie crust 4 cups guava peeled, sliced and seeded 1 tsp lemon juice 3 tsp butter

Mix flour, sugar and salt together, fill pie crust with guava slices, sprinkle with flour and sugar mixture. Sprinkle with lemon juice and dot with butter, Pre heat oven at 450 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes then at 350degrees for 30 minutes.

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Pre heat oven 350 degrees Whisk brown and white sugar, add Pawpaw, let sit for 5 minutes. Place in a heavy saucepan simmer for 10 minutes, stir in cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir occasionally until soft. Remove from heat and set to cool stir in egg and pour in a graham cracker pie crust. Bake for 40 minutes.

NATIONAL FOOD PRODUCTION PLAN TO ADDRESSING RISING FOOD PRICES In November 2007, the Ministry of Agriculture in St. Vincent and the Grenadines prepared a document entitled, “National Food Production Plan to address Rising Food Prices. This document stated that according to and FAO publication on global trends in food prices, “food prices have increased in some cases by three and four folds since the last quarter of 2006”. This trend is expected to continue until about March of 2008, at which time most of the commodity producing countries would have been able to respond to the high prices by increasing their supply (FAO Global Trend in Food Prices Report 2007). The document stated that the major commodities affected include maize, rice, wheat and other cereals, vegetables and livestock and livestock products. It also stated that the reason for these high prices were the fact that maize is uses to produce ethanol and since maize is a major ingredient in livestock feed, the price will increase resulting in increase in the price of livestock and livestock products. Also contributing to the high price is global warming impact pests and diseases. Locally, issues of high input cost, shortage of labour, limited credit, inadequate marketing and distribution systems and praedial larceny have all impacted on agricultural production and prices. It went on to state that while rising food prices is a global phenomenon, net food importing countries are now more vulnerable under the circumstances. Such countries include all member states of Caricom and to a lesser extent Belize. Within Caricom, the Heads of States have recognize rising food prices as a serious problem which requires urgent government intervention to arrest the incidence of poverty, malnutrition and the increasing trend of Non-communicable diseases.

The regional strategy is to have each member state developing and implementing an agricultural production plan that will make food readily available and affordable and at the same time, creating the link to food and nutrition for a wellness revolution. This is consistent with economic theory when there is a market distortion the government intervenes through its policies and programmes. The document continued by stating that the National Food Plan includes strategies and initiatives geared towards the stimulation of increased domestic food production so that food to the local population can be made more readily available at avoidable prices. The food plan is to be implemented over the period 2008-2020 and will have two components- the short term and medium to long term strategies. This framework is important to allow for sustainability of food production and low prices. General Objectives of the plan:
To increase the production/supply of food within the six food groups.
To make locally produced foods more affordable to consumers Short Term Strategy: To use the government policies(e.g.) fiscal measures and financing under the capital and recurrent expenditure programs and financing under the European Union Agriculture Diversification Program and other support programs to drive the increase in agriculture production over the fiscal year 2008. This strategy looked at five major crops (Carrot, Cabbage, Tomato, Lettuce and Sweet Pepper) to make available year round.

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Area Representatives

ECTAD Executive Volunteers Chief Coordinator: Administrative Officer: Accounts Manager: Technical Project Officer: Information/Media Communications: Agricultural Resource Management Specialist: Agriculture and Communications: Research Assistant: Office Assistant:

Jethro T. Greene Nyasha Durrant Pethion Richards Telojo Onu

North Windward Fancy

Juney Baptiste

Jeff Trotman

Owia

Avalou Baptiste, Deon Osment

George Town

Vanda Lewis

Candice Ramessar Winston George Sustang Fergus Ronalia Jackson

South Windward

ECTAD Directors Chairman: Deputy Chairman: Director: Director: Director: Director –Leeward: Director - Diamonds Village: Director -Richland Park Director - Rose Hall Director – Georgetown: Director - Spring Village Director: Windward Director: Greggs Director: Vermont

Jethro T. Greene James Clarke Telojo Onu Pethion Richards Nyasha Durrant Norgie Tucker Valcina Fergus Rebecca Peters Francilo Wyllie Vanda Lewis Maria Porter Billidorn Haywood Vanessa Joseph Keisha Malcolm

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• •

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Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) (ACP-EU) Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN) Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute (CARDI) Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries, Windward Island Farmers Association (WINFA) Oxfam GB (Barbados) Grenada Marketing and National Import Board

(GMNIB) • • •

St. Lucia Association of Farmers Cooperatives (SLAOFC) National Development Foundation (NDF) SVG Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SVGCIC)

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Vanessa Joseph, Billidorn Haywood

Richland Park

Carmel Williams Rebecca Peters

Diamond Village

Valcina Fergus Totsie Douglas

South Leeward

Collaborating Partners •

Greggs

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Vermont

Keisha Malcolm James Clarke

Penniston

Princina Mitchel

Retreat

Louise Charles

Barroullie

Cherly Smith, Sydney Joseph

North Leeward Spring Village

Miranda Porter Marleen Ashton

Chateaubelair

Norgie Tucker Pat Ottley

Rose Hall

Nicole Morris

The Eastern Caribbean Trading Agriculture Development Organization (ECTAD) is a registered nonnon-profit farmers' organization that was established in 1995. familiess throughout St. Vincent Its mission is to improve the quality of life for rural farm familie and the Grenadines and the Caribbean. It has over 60 volunteer coordinators and over 1000 members/project participants covering over 18 villages. thatt ECTAD believes in building and strengthening local capacity at village level so tha farm families can become more independent and stronger and in turn, the community will be developed and involved in all aspects of issues affecting them and the country in general.

Please send comments to: EASTERN CARIBBEAN TRADING AGRICULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION (ECTAD) Tel: (784) 453-1004 ● Fax: (784) 453 1239 Beachmont, P.O Box 827, Kingstown St. Vincent and the Grenadines, West Indies [email protected] or [email protected] http://www.ectadsvg.org

We look forward to meeting partners who can help provide training, financing and technical assistance for our development programmes.

On behalf of the farmers throughout the rural villages of St. Vincent and the Grenadines we extend special thanks and appreciation to the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (ACP-EC) (CTA). CTA has been a major part of ECTAD’S development drive to help small farmers in SVG. Without whose help ECTAD would not have gotten this far this quickly.

Thank You!

This document has been produced with the financial assistance of CTA. The views expressed herein are those of ECTAD and can therefore - - in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of CTA.