Promoting ‘good food’ … the Tobago Good Foods Project

TOBAGO:  April 18, 2016:- The Tobago Good Foods Project of the European Business Chamber in Trinidad and Tobago (EUROCHAMTT), promotes food from producers that practice good agricultural and processing practices that respect the environment and promote community and sustainable development, and is financed with a contribution from the Enabling Competitive Business Strategy (ECB Strategy), a programme of the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprise Development. The ECB Strategy is the focal point for financial support of the European Union. The main purpose of this project is to facilitate the expansion and upgrade of groups of producers and agro processors in Tobago who practice sustainable and natural agriculture consistent with eco labels. With the aim of having more natural and high quality specialty foods for the tourism sector (hotels, restaurants, gift shops in Tobago which earn foreign exchange).
The project has derived benefits for both the agricultural producers and for the tourism sector as a whole. For Producers – access to expertise in specialised areas; access to specialised tools and equipment which provide a demonstrative impact on how to improve productivity; access to new markets. For Tobago – more natural and innovative products available; contribution to the brand of Tobago as green and natural, and now associated with more organic foods; and new agro-tourism tours introduced. Workshops were hosted in the areas of Opportunities for Dairy Goat Farming in Tobago; Cocoa and Coconut Rehabilitation in Tobago; Sustainable Agriculture and Eco Labels (Permaculture, Organic, SLOW FOODS, BIO, Fairtrade); Dehydration of local fruit; Organic Certification – Gaining Access to International Markets for Locally Produced Organic Food Through Certification; Training for Experienced Beekeepers – Queen Bee Rearing – Grafting.
Beneficiaries of the Project included Orange Hill Nature Ranch, Farm Mapp, DKM Farming, Footprints Eco Resort and Spa, Audrey’s Garden Centre, Paradise Island Products, Adventure Eco Villas, Glorious Farms, Charlotteville Estates Ltd, Blue Haven Hotel, The Villas at Stonehaven, Black Rock, Audrey Garden Centre, Glorious Farms, among others.
 Photo Caption: Paradise Products Limited: Carnbee Gardens is an agricultural park that sits on four and a half acres and comprises over 200 fruit trees and plants including several varieties of mango, citrus, banana, guava, coconut and exotic and rarely seen fruit trees.  The park also features a hydroponics section where herbs and vegetables are grown and a small, processing centre which produces a variety of healthy, fruit products for the hotel, restaurant, retail and bakery sectors as well as walk in customers