Agriculture Ministry Through The OCOP Initiate Drives Community Empowerment And Local Economic Growth
November 14, 2025
Saint Lucians are seeing real economic and social benefits as the One Community One Product (OCOP) initiative accelerates across the island. Designed to strengthen rural livelihoods and elevate community-made products, OCOP is equipping small producers with the skills, visibility, and market access needed to thrive in a competitive and evolving local economy.
To build on this momentum, the Ministry continues to provide focused training, branding support, and product development guidance to farmers, fishers, artisans, and youth. Communities in Babonneau, Micoud, Soufriere and others have begun forming OCOP committees to take the lead and ensure community-driven sustainability.
Supported by a successful JICA pilot, OCOP Saint Lucia has expanded through community fairs, product catalogs, and strengthened marketing efforts, boosting innovation, widening market access, and elevating the cultural identity of participating communities.
Speaking on the programme’s direction and its next steps is Assistant OCOP Coordinator Apral Deterville who emphasized the importance of community leadership and the strategic actions planned to deepen OCOP’s national impact.“OCOP should not be led by the governmentcommunity. Our role is to provide the training and resources that allow them to take ownership, but capacity building is still needed. Looking ahead, we plan to host farmers’ markets, increase product visibility, and launch a website featuring compliant producers. We also intend to organize stakeholder forums to connect community businesses with private-sector partners who can support labeling, packaging, and product development. JICA is developing a documentary showcasing producers, and we are preparing additional promotional content, including advertisements and radio and social media campaigns. OCOP must reflect the unique identity of each community, just as sea moss is to Micoud and handicrafts are to Soufriere,” she added.
With strong partnerships and a renewed focus on community-driven growth, OCOP Saint Lucia continues to uplift local producers, strengthen rural development, and build a more resilient national economy.
