Flex Farms to be used to grow fresh greens year-round, promote sustainability, empower vulnerable communities

A non-profit organisation in Barbados is one of three beneficiaries of a new climate-smart agriculture pilot project to address food insecurity in the Caribbean.

The Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator (CCSA) through funding from Sony Global Justice Fund and the support of agriculture technology company Fork Farms has granted 12 vertical indoor hydroponics systems to the Walkers Institute for Regenerative Research, Education and Design (WIRRED) in St Andrew as well as to the governments of Anguilla and the Cayman Islands.

The CCSA pilot includes five Flex Farms for each of the two governments and two units for WIRRED, a non-profit organisation and charity born out of the regeneration of the 277-acre Walkers Reserve. 

According to Josh Mahlik, partnership development director of Fork Farms, a Flex Farm is a mobile hydroponic farm that can grow lettuce, greens, herbs and a variety of other foods on-site, quickly, efficiently, affordably and all year long.  

One Flex Farm can grow 25 pounds of lettuce every 28 days. The farm requires only nine square feet of space and a standard electrical outlet for operation. Compared to traditional agriculture, the Flex Farm requires zero food miles to be travelled, provides 45 times more food production, and uses 98 per cent less water and land.

Both units for WIRRED will be housed at Walkers Reserve, a former sand quarry that is now the largest regeneration project of its kind in the region and a model for climate adaptation and resilience. Training will be done with members of the Walkers Reserve’s team and community stakeholders, increasing their knowledge of and skills in regenerative agricultural techniques.

WIRRED and the other two beneficiaries of the pilot project will receive support to operate the Flex Farms and will monitor production yields for a one-year period. 

Racquel Moses, chief executive officer of the CCSA noted that The World Food Programme and Caribbean Livelihoods Survey – May 2023 shows that 52 per cent of the population in the English-speaking Caribbean remains food insecure. 

“Everyone should have access to fresh, nutritious, locally grown food, especially in the global South and for vulnerable groups like youth and women. This is a climate and social justice goal we hold in common with Fork Farms and the Sony Global Justice Fund,” she said.

“We applaud these islands for their leadership and ongoing efforts to bolster food security and are delighted to support them with this initiative.”

The CCSA plans to expand the project to other countries and has called on individuals, organisations, and stakeholders to join them in promoting food security, sustainability, and social inclusion in the Caribbean. (PR/BT)

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