Across four Windward Islands, children will soon be learning about food security not only from textbooks, but from the soil beneath their hands, the crops growing in their schoolyards and the meals served on their plates.
At a time when Caribbean families and schools are navigating rising food prices, climate pressures on agriculture and deep dependence on imported food, the EU-CaN Cultivating Futures: Empowering Youths for a Food Secure Region project will help transform school gardens into living classrooms for healthier children, stronger schools and more resilient communities.
The 18-month regional initiative, funded by the European Union under the EU Caribbean Fund for Nutrition (EU-CaN) programme, was officially launched on July 16 at the University of the West Indies Global Campus in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Hosted by the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Zero Hunger Trust Fund (ZHTF), the launch brought together government officials, school representatives, students, development partners and technical teams from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Grenada and Dominica.
Cultivating Futures will support ten primary schools to establish or strengthen resilient school gardens, expand nutrition education, promote environmental stewardship and connect classroom learning with the food children grow, prepare and eat. Through practical training in sustainable agriculture, nutrition and climate-resilient practices, students will build healthier eating habits, a stronger appreciation for local food production and the confidence to see themselves as young leaders in food security.
The selected schools are Soufriere Primary School and Bagatelle Primary School in Dominica; Paraclete Government School, River Sallee Government School and St. Martin de Porres Catholic School in Grenada; Augier Combined School and Ciceron R.C. Combined School in Saint Lucia; and Bequia Anglican Primary and Early Childhood Centre, Calliaqua Anglican School and Chateaubelair Methodist School in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
ZHTF Director/Chief Executive Officer and Project Manager Safiya Horne-Bique said the initiative is designed to produce benefits far beyond the visible school gardens. “This project will cultivate gardens, certainly. But more importantly, we will cultivate knowledge, responsibility, confidence, healthier habits and a stronger appreciation among young people of where food comes from and the role they can play in shaping the future of our regional food systems,” Horne-Bique said.
“The outcome we seek is stronger schools, healthier children and more resilient communities.”
A core strength of the project is its regional learning network, which will allow schools to share experiences, compare approaches and develop models that can be adapted or replicated across the Caribbean.
Delivering the feature address, Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Sustainable Development in St. Vincent and the Grenadines Hon. Dr. Kishore Shallow described the Cultivating Futures project as a timely investment in youth, education and regional resilience. He thanked the European Union for its support and commended ZHTF for its continued leadership in strengthening food security.
Also addressing the launch virtually, Jeannine Blanchard, Project Officer for Governance, Digital Security and Human Development at the Delegation of the European Union to Barbados, said investing in children is essential to achieving long-term food and nutrition security.
“When children do not have access to healthy food, their learning, development and future opportunities are all put at risk. That is why this initiative matters so much,” Blanchard said. “If we want a food secure future, we must start with children, schools and communities.”
Ugnė Chmeliauskaitė, Head of the Global Europe Partnership Division at Lithuania’s Central Project Management Agency (CPVA), said the project reflects a collective commitment to healthier communities and stronger partnerships. She encouraged participants to embrace the curiosity and bravery young people bring to change.
Project Coordinator Chanda Davis said the launch demonstrated the power of regional cooperation and the importance of placing young people at the centre of solutions to food insecurity. “This project is not simply being delivered for you. It is being developed and implemented with you. We look forward to your energy, curiosity, ideas and honesty,” Davis told students in attendance.
Davis added that the initiative strengthens the connection between education, nutrition and community resilience, showing that practical solutions to regional food security challenges can begin in schools and schoolyards.
Brief remarks were also delivered by Javan Williams, Permanent Secretary in Grenada’s Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Forestry; Dwayne Mitchel, Parent Focus at Saint Lucia’s Augier Combined School; and Keian Stephenson, Director of Agriculture in Dominica’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Blue and Green Economies.
Updates on the project will be available via the ZHTF website https://zerohungersvg.com/eu-cultivatingfutures/ and ZHTF’s LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram platforms.
The ‘Cultivating Futures’ project is funded by the European Union under its EU-CaN programme and is implemented by FIAP and Central Project Management Agency (CPVA). Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CPVA. Neither the European Union nor the contracting authority can be held responsible for them.
