CASTRIES, St Lucia — In the Minerva Ward food security letter addressed to Prime Minister Philip J Pierre, Ward urged the government to rethink its public push for citizens to “grow what they eat and eat what they grow,” arguing that backyard gardening cannot be the centerpiece of a national strategy to tackle food insecurity.
Ward said household gardens and small fruit trees are already common across St Lucia, with many families relying on breadfruit, mangoes, bananas, and small kitchen plots to supplement their diets. While these efforts can support household consumption, she argued they remain seasonal and limited by land space, time, and household capacity.
Ward said such small-scale production cannot provide a stable and reliable food supply for the entire country or significantly reduce St Lucia’s dependence on imported food. The issue has become increasingly visible amid rising food prices in St Lucia, including recent public outrage over the cost of basic imported goods.
Policy gaps raised in the Minerva Ward food security letter
The Minerva Ward food security letter calls for a comprehensive national strategy focused on expanding domestic food production at scale. Ward said one of the first priorities should be improving access to agricultural land, particularly for young people interested in entering the sector.
She suggested that the government identify idle or underutilized state lands and make them available at low or no cost for targeted crop production. Ward described land access as a major barrier that keeps potential farmers, especially younger entrants, from moving into agriculture.
Ward also argued that agriculture must be repositioned as a modern and viable career rather than work associated with low income and limited opportunity. Policies encouraging agribusiness development, training programs, access to financing, startup support, and clear pathways for young entrepreneurs could help reshape the sector, she wrote.
Without deliberate incentives and a clear economic pathway, Ward warned that calls for citizens to plant more food risk remaining symbolic rather than transformational.
Climate resilience and protection for farmers
Climate vulnerability also featured prominently in Ward’s letter. She said St Lucia’s farmers remain highly exposed to hurricanes, flooding, drought, and other weather-related shocks that disrupt production and undermine consistency in supply.
Ward recommended greater investment in protected agriculture, including greenhouse systems similar to those used in countries such as Canada, to allow more reliable production despite extreme weather. She also called for expanded irrigation systems, improved water storage, and other climate-resilient technologies to strengthen local output.
Ward pointed to praedial larceny as another barrier that discourages farmers from scaling up. She argued that producers cannot be expected to expand if crops and livestock are frequently stolen with little consequence.
Stronger enforcement, better surveillance, and more effective legal deterrents are necessary to protect farmers’ investments and restore confidence in agricultural production, she said.
Strengthening agro-processing and local food industries
Ward argued that national food security must also include stronger agro-processing and food manufacturing capacity, not only the expansion of raw crop production. She noted that many small entrepreneurs already make juices, sauces, preserves, baked goods, and other value-added products from home.
However, she said many remain stuck at the household scale because they lack access to commercial-grade facilities that meet health and safety standards. Ward proposed the creation of shared, affordable processing spaces, potentially inside factory shells, where small producers could rent commercial kitchens and processing areas.
She said incubator-style hubs could help home-based producers formalize their businesses, increase output, and eventually transition into independent facilities as demand grows.
Ward also called for public education on which crops St Lucia should prioritize and where opportunities exist for local production. She said a coordinated approach linking farmers, processors, markets, schools, and public institutions could help create steadier demand for locally produced food and reduce reliance on imports.
Ward urged St Lucia to study examples from other Caribbean countries that have advanced toward greater food self-reliance. She pointed to Guyana as a case where agricultural expansion and investment have increased food production, suggesting lessons could be drawn on land use and scaling domestic supply.
Ward said backyard gardens and household food production can be useful supplements, but cannot replace a coordinated national strategy. Addressing food insecurity, she argued, requires deliberate policy that expands agricultural production, supports farmers, builds processing capacity, protects investments, and strengthens resilience so the country can feed itself more consistently.
