This week, Ms. Perch conducted field visits as part of stakeholder consultations with local farmers for the Barbados Accelerating Transition to Climate-Resilient Agrifood Systems (BATCRAS) project.  

These consultations had representation and active participation from men, women, and youth, and will inform the project document and the Stakeholder Engagement Plan. 

Each consultation session aimed to gather qualitative data on: 

• Farmers’ current practices and experiences with climate adaptation, 

• Awareness and use of agrometeorological data in decision-making, 

• Familiarity with and openness to climate-smart agriculture (CSA) techniques, 

• Barriers and enablers to adopt low-emission agricultural technologies, 

• Accessibility and perceptions of financial and grant support mechanisms. 

Meeting in River Plantation, St. Philip.

The stakeholder consultations employed a participatory and inclusive approach, centred around facilitated focus group discussions (FGDs) with farmers in the target parishes, including Christ Church, St. Lucy, St. George, St. Michael, and St. Philip. Among the areas visited include River Plantation and the Three Houses Spring in St. Philip, as well as Mt. Poyer in St. Lucy and Lears in St. Michael. See photos below from the site visits and FGDs. 

BATCRAS, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organisation and executed by the Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC), aims to enhance the resilience of Barbados’ agricultural sector to climate change while promoting gender- sensitive, low-emission practices.