On a momentous Thursday at the St. Lucy campus of the Hope Agricultural Training Institute (HATI), more than 40 trailblazing graduates from the institute’s inaugural Farming and Fishing Gateway Initiative cohort crossed the stage after completing 10 weeks of intensive hands-on training. The milestone event carried more than just celebratory weight: it marked the launch of a national push to redefine agriculture in Barbados from a subsistence practice to a profitable, innovation-led entrepreneurial sector. The call for this paradigm shift came from Dr. Chelston Brathwaite, a veteran agricultural leader and HATI consultant, who addressed the newly minted graduates with a clear, ambitious vision for their futures.
Brathwaite, who previously served decades as the head of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), emphasized that the training program was not designed to prepare participants for small-scale, hand-to-mouth farming. Instead, it is a foundational stepping stone for a new generation of Barbadian agri-entrepreneurs equipped to leverage modern technology to build scalable, wealth-generating businesses. “We are not here to teach people to eke out a living,” Brathwaite told the assembly. “Our goal is to cultivate a new cohort of informed, skilled Barbadians who can use cutting-edge agricultural technologies to build lasting wealth for themselves and our nation.”
A core pillar of Brathwaite’s message was the urgent need to move beyond traditional raw commodity production and unlock the massive potential of value-added agriculture. He reminded attendees of a vision he first articulated more than 10 years ago: transforming breadfruit from a simple staple crop into the center of a full-fledged domestic industry. Rather than just exporting or selling whole unprocessed breadfruit, Brathwaite argued, Barbados could build a market for value-added breadfruit products ranging from chips, flour, and pancake mix to wine and baked goods. This approach, he said, creates far greater economic value than raw production alone.
“Only 30 percent of the total value of any agricultural product exists in the initial growing stage,” Brathwaite explained. “Seventy percent of the value comes after production: in processing, marketing, transportation, cold storage, and distribution. When you harvest a raw crop, that is just the starting line, not the finish line. Your job is to add that value and capture those economic gains for yourself.”
He also stressed the importance of aligning product development with evolving modern consumer preferences, noting that convenience, nutrition, and organic certification have become non-negotiable priorities for today’s buyers. “Convenience is the new watchword in global food markets,” Brathwaite said. “Consumers do not want to put in hours of preparation; they want safe, nutrient-dense, organic options that are ready to use. As you build your businesses, you must prioritize what the market demands, not just what you are able to produce. That customer focus is what will drive your success.”
In addition to his advice for graduates, Brathwaite framed the shift to value-added agribusiness as a critical opportunity for Barbados to diversify its national economy, which has long leaned heavily on tourism and international services. A robust, innovative agricultural sector, he argued, can create new jobs, reduce food import dependency, and open new export markets for Barbadian goods.
Liesel Daisley, project manager for the Farming and Fishing Gateway Training Initiative, echoed Brathwaite’s encouragement while highlighting additional support systems available to graduates. Daisley reminded the cohort that the government-funded Gateway Initiative offers a range of free training programs across other high-demand sectors, including construction and hospitality, all of which include stipends for participants, job placement attachments, and starter toolkits. “These free opportunities will not be available permanently,” Daisley said. “I urge every graduate to continue building your skills by taking advantage of every resource offered to you.” She also encouraged new business owners to stay connected to their HATI instructors for ongoing guidance and to embrace resilience as they navigate the early stages of launching their ventures. “Our goal was to give you a springboard for success,” Daisley told the graduates. “We do not just want to see you build successful businesses in Barbados – we want to see you become change-makers for sustainable agriculture across the entire Caribbean region.”
Subject instructors shared their own targeted hopes for the graduates’ work. Bernard Thompson, who taught apiculture (beekeeping) to the cohort, said he looks forward to the day when Barbados shifts from being a net importer of honey to a leading exporter of high-quality local Barbadian honey, a goal he said graduates are well-positioned to achieve. Christina Adams, the program’s aquaponics instructor who worked directly with 21 students in the fish farming track, said she expects many of her students will quickly launch their own commercial aquaponics operations. She noted that fish farming can serve multiple purposes, from improving household food security for part-time producers to serving as a full-time profitable commercial venture. “Whether you are growing to feed your own family, earn supplementary income alongside a full-time job, or build a large commercial enterprise, this training has given you the foundation to succeed,” Adams said. “I hope you all maintain that passion for agriculture and strengthening Barbados’ food security that you showed throughout this program.”