Dominica is inspiring young farmers

Dominica is trying to cultivate the next generation of agriculturalists with a new project.

Junior Achievement Dominica, the implementing organisation for the Grow Project in Dominica is collaborating with the Ministry of Blue and Green Economy, Agriculture and National Food Security and Dominica 4-H Clubs to carry out this garden-based project which encourages students and parents to invest in agriculture and back yard gardening at home and school.

The schools involved are St John’s Primary School, Grandbay Primary School, Grandfond Primary School, Pioneer Preparatory School, Massacre Primary School, Achievement Learning Centre, Newtown Primary School, North East Comprehensive Secondary School, Berean Christian Academy, Savanne Paille Primary School and Salybia Primary School.

The organisations encourage initiatives to teach children and youth the necessary skills to plant, maintain and expand school gardens and green spaces. In the final phase of this project, the programme introduces an agricultural curriculum. The plan is to get all schools to teach the youth how to grow sustainable gardens and invest in small scale vegetable gardens for their homes and communities.

The goal is to get more youngsters involved in agriculture, one of Dominica’s main revenue streams which has been in decline for decades because millennials prefer to pursue other, more lucrative careers.