The THA Division of Food Security is seeking to spark greater interest in agriculture among Tobagonians and encourage more people to get involved in the sector.
Secretary Wane Clarke said the Division hopes to inspire participation through hands-on experiences that highlight the benefits and opportunities available in the sector.
He expressed concern that Tobago’s agricultural output remains unsatisfactorily low.
“Over the years we have been seeing that the monies we have spent is not reflecting in the end product. So we want to move this because it is a disturbing percentage to look at the output as 1% of what we consume. So if we can get it up to two this year, we would have made a 100% increase.”
This year, World Food Day activities will be expanded.
From September 7th to November 26th, each event will focus on various areas of agriculture, such as livestock, the fish industry, crop production and agro-processing. Administrator Julien Skeete said the range of activities is strategic.
“Much more than a single event, World Food Day is the daily actions, the decisions and investments that we make to empower Tobago to feed itself.”
There is a heavy focus on engaging young people through school caravans, which Secretary Clarke deems important to the industry’s future.
“There is a decent living to be derived if you invest yourself into agriculture. Agriculture today is driven by science, precision farming, digital solutions, modern business practices. You are innovators and leaders of the future.”
Meanwhile, Mr Skeete stated that the various activities are meant to help Tobagonians understand the different roles available.
“I remain confident that this collaboration, innovation and shared sense of responsibility, once this continues, we can continue to build a more resilient, productive and food-secure Tobago.”
A 2025 United Nations report indicates that 512,000 citizens in Trinidad and Tobago cannot afford a healthy meal, while close to 200,000 citizens are malnourished. Secretary Clarke says Tobago must be a part of reversing that trend by increasing food production.