The Ministry of Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are partnering to promote food security and healthy eating habits in primary schools. One of the initiatives under the School Feeding Program is an Agricultural Field Trip for students. The trip, organized by the FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture, provides students with an opportunity to learn about local farming operations and the production of the food they eat in school.

During the excursion to the Roseau Valley area, students engaged with local farmers and witnessed the various stages of farming. The principal of Anse-Laye Primary School, Flavian Isembert, stressed the importance of such initiatives in helping students develop an appreciation for local agriculture and learn about the origin of their food. Isembert also highlighted that students were educated on viewing agriculture as a potential career that contributes to the overall development of the country.

The Agricultural Field Trip complements the FAO’s ongoing initiative to develop school garden demonstration plots in six schools across the island, aimed at supporting the feeding program. According to Cherry-Ann Smith, the National Project Coordinator for the FAO’s school feeding program, the organization hopes that the field trip and other similar initiatives will encourage more students to take an interest in eating locally produced foods. The FAO is also hoping that the students will be able to eat whatever they plant in the school.

By fostering an appreciation for local agriculture and promoting healthy eating habits, the Ministry aims to improve the overall food sovereignty of the country and the well-being of school children.