Message from Safiya Horne-Bique, Director/Chief Executive Officer, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Zero Hunger Trust Fund | 16 October 2026
As we observe World Food Day under the global theme “Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow.”, we do so with the experiences of the past days close to our hearts.
The floods and landslides of 6 October brought distress and disruption to communities across Saint Vincent. To the families whose homes were damaged, those displaced, and everyone facing the difficult work of recovery, we extend our solidarity. We also recognise the emergency responders, public officers, volunteers and neighbours who stepped forward to help.
These events remind us how quickly the foundations of daily life can be unsettled. A flooded home, an interrupted water supply or a blocked road can affect a family’s ability to prepare a meal, reach essential services or earn an income. For households already managing limited resources, the consequences can be especially difficult.
This is why food security must be understood in the context of people’s lives. It depends on reliable access to nutritious food, safe water, secure livelihoods and the support needed to withstand hardship. It also depends on how well we prepare, how effectively we work together, and how fairly we respond when disruption comes.
This year’s World Food Day theme invites us to consider what innovation should mean in our circumstances. It can mean using new knowledge and technology to improve production. It can also mean conserving water, protecting soil, reducing food waste, strengthening local supply arrangements, or finding better ways to reach people who need support.
Much of the knowledge we need already exists within our communities. Our farmers, fishers, home gardeners, cooks and elders hold experience that deserves to be valued and shared. Our young people bring ideas and energy that deserve opportunities to develop. Progress comes when we bring these strengths together and turn them into practical action.
At the Zero Hunger Trust Fund, our work in school nutrition, support for older persons, household food production and youth development reflects this responsibility. Through initiatives such as LENS, Golden Years Nutrition Support, the National Food Security Drive and YASIP, we contribute to meeting immediate needs while helping to strengthen longer-term food security. Our regional EU-CaN Cultivating Futures initiative carries this approach into school gardens, learning and nutrition across four Eastern Caribbean countries.
As we mark ten years of service, we recognise both the value of this work and the responsibility to keep improving it. The measure of our progress must be found in people’s lives: children better nourished, older persons supported with dignity, households more secure, and young people better equipped to build their futures.
The recent floods sharpen the urgency of strengthening resilience to climate and disaster risks. We must carry the lessons of disruption into how we plan, invest and work. This includes protecting the resources on which food production depends, strengthening preparedness, and ensuring that vulnerable households remain central to recovery and longer-term development.
On this World Food Day, I ask us to make our commitment practical. Check on a neighbour, especially an older person or a family facing difficulty. Support recovery through coordinated community efforts and recognised response channels. Where you are able, contribute food, time, skills or resources in response to identified needs.
Beyond the immediate recovery, support our farmers and fishers. Grow food where it is feasible and safe. Reduce waste. Share knowledge with a young person. Help sustain a school or community garden. Take preparedness seriously, and participate in the local conversations that shape how we protect our communities.
For institutions, businesses and development partners, the invitation is equally clear: invest in solutions that make nutritious food more accessible, strengthen livelihoods and help communities withstand future shocks.
Let us carry the care shown in difficult moments into our everyday decisions. Let us make room for new ideas while respecting the knowledge that has sustained us. And let us keep the dignity of every person at the centre of our efforts.
May this World Food Day renew our resolve to nourish one another, strengthen our communities and build a more secure future—together.
Safiya Horne-Bique
Director/Chief Executive Officer
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Zero Hunger Trust Fund
