Secondary schools across Antigua and Barbuda have been invited to participate in a region-wide agricultural video competition that offers significant cash rewards for winning teams, launched by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
The CARICOM Regional High School Youth in Agriculture Video Competition requires participating institutions to craft an original, engaging one-minute video created by students. Entries must center on student-led agricultural production projects, and clearly articulate the critical role that agriculture plays in sustaining local communities, national economies, and the broader Caribbean regional ecosystem. For emerging winners, the rewards are structured as $1,700 for the first-place team, $1,300 for second place, and $1,000 for the third-place finisher.
According to a statement from the CARICOM Secretariat, the competition serves multiple core strategic goals. Beyond celebrating high-performing agricultural education programs already operating at secondary schools across the region, organizers aim to raise awareness of sustainable farming practices and open young people’s eyes to agriculture as a viable, rewarding professional path and entrepreneurial opportunity. Too often framed as a declining industry, the competition seeks to reframe agriculture as an innovative, essential sector that welcomes young new talent.
This initiative is not a solo effort by CARICOM: it is a collaborative project developed alongside the CARICOM Youth Advisory Body, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute, and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture. This cross-organizational partnership brings together expertise in youth engagement, global agricultural development, regional research, and agricultural cooperation to support the competition’s mission.
Aspiring participating schools have ample time to prepare their submissions, with a final entry deadline set for September 4, 2026. Full official competition guidelines and all required entry information are currently available for review directly through the CARICOM Secretariat for interested institutions.