A wave of new innovation and entrepreneurial energy has swept across global agricultural communities following the successful completion of the 2026 Caribbean Climate-Resilient Agriculture Forum (CCRAF) three-part Beginner-to-Business (B2B) Webinar Series. Designed to guide aspiring agri-entrepreneurs from foundational knowledge to operational business management, the multi-session initiative drew a diverse international audience that included working farmers, emerging business founders, young innovators, and international development practitioners from regions spanning the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia and Africa.
Official press statements confirm that the program consistently maintained high engagement throughout its three segments, with more than 430 participants from over 30 countries joining each individual session. By the end of the series, hundreds of attendees had gained actionable, practical tools to launch and scale climate-focused, sustainable agricultural ventures.
CCRAF functions as a regional collaborative network backed by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), with a core mission centered on expanding knowledge sharing of climate-resilient farming methods across small island and tropical agricultural contexts. Beyond education, the network also works to strengthen cross-stakeholder collaboration, build a connected regional agricultural community, and turn academic and practical knowledge into tangible, on-the-ground action that strengthens regional food security.
For CCRAF Coordinator Nekelia Gregoire Carai, the annual webinar series extends far beyond traditional skills training. “The CCRAF Yearly 3-Part Webinar Series is about more than training—it’s about empowering people to take action. Our goal is to continue connecting knowledge with real opportunities and immediate actions that can transform livelihoods and strengthen food systems across the region,” Gregoire Carai explained in her remarks following the conclusion of the series.
IICA representatives note that the 2026 series centered content on insights from experienced, locally based Caribbean agricultural practitioners, who shared on-the-ground perspectives and flexible business models tailored to the unique economic and environmental realities of the Caribbean region.
One of the most popular sessions focused on launching small-scale hydroponic enterprises, led by Sherrie-Ann Brazier, founder of SHAADE Hydroponics based in Antigua and Barbuda. Brazier walked attendees through her journey of building a profitable, growing hydroponics business entirely from the ground up. “You don’t need to know everything to start—just begin, learn as you go, and stay committed. Agriculture can truly transform not just your income, but your family and your purpose,” Brazier told participants.
Her presentation highlighted the extraordinary efficiency of small-scale hydroponics: her operation produces up to 2,500 heads of lettuce per week on a plot smaller than one-eighth of an acre, while using a fraction of the water and land required for conventional open-field farming. She also emphasized that incremental learning and adaptive innovation are the most critical factors for growing a successful family-owned agricultural enterprise.
A second breakout session focused on vermicomposting, led by Micah Martin, co-founder and general manager of Trinidad and Tobago-based Compost-Inn. Martin demonstrated how a scalable local business can repurpose common organic waste into high-value soil amendment products, with a model specifically adapted to the warm, humid tropical conditions of the Caribbean. “What many people see as waste is actually a resource. With the right approach, you can convert it into a product that improves soil, supports food production, and creates income,” Martin said. Attendees left the session with actionable knowledge to transform organic waste into nutrient-dense “black gold” compost, select worm species suited for tropical climates, manage growing conditions, and build multiple revenue streams through value-added compost products.
The series also highlighted commercial mushroom cultivation as an underutilized, highly profitable climate-resilient enterprise opportunity ideal for small producers. Pauline Smith, CEO and co-founder of Jamaica Exotic Mushrooms, broke down the advantages of the sector for new entrepreneurs. “Mushroom farming is one of the fastest ways to generate income in agriculture. In just a few weeks, you can go from production to profit—while building a business that is resilient and sustainable,” Smith explained. Her session outlined that oyster mushrooms, one of the most popular commercial varieties, can go from spawn to market-ready harvest in roughly four weeks, using low-cost, locally available growing materials including bamboo and lemongrass as growing substrates. She also noted consistent, high demand from the Caribbean’s large tourism and hospitality sector, and highlighted that the low-barrier to entry creates unique economic opportunities for women, young entrepreneurs, and small-scale producers with limited starting capital.
Across all three program segments, a unifying core theme emerged: aspiring agri-entrepreneurs do not need large amounts of starting capital or vast tracts of land to launch successful sustainable ventures. Participants are encouraged to start small with the resources they already have, then scale their operations gradually to build consistent, long-term sustainable income streams. For many first-time attendees, the 2026 webinar series served as a critical first step to entering the agricultural sector, equipping them with innovative, climate-resilient business concepts tailored to local market conditions.
Looking forward, CCRAF plans to expand its role as the Caribbean’s leading regional platform for climate-resilient agricultural knowledge exchange and practical implementation. Building on the strong engagement and positive outcomes of the 2026 B2B series, the network will launch a lineup of Special Edition Webinars alongside in-person training workshops through its new “CCRAF On the Road” Knowledge-to-Action Initiative. The program will continue working to close the gap between agricultural research and knowledge, and on-the-ground implementation across Caribbean communities.