As Virgin Islanders mobilize to demand and act to increase their food security, the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) Caribbean Green Technology Center (CGTC) and the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) teamed up to aid farmers and families by donating more than 850 fruit trees on St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. This effort was sponsored by Cruzan Rum’s Island Spirit Fund established in partnership with GlobalGiving and is aimed at increasing access to fresh food across the U.S. Virgin Islands. Farmers and residents of all islands received a selection of mango, avocado and papaya trees to increase their orchards or home gardens. These trees will support the rebuilding of farms across the territory, many of which were devastated by the 2017 hurricanes. Once mature in a few years, fruits from those trees will improve access to healthy food and increase agricultural production in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Christina Chanes, CGTC research specialist and program coordinator of this project indicated that the goal of this unprecedented effort was to provide farmers with trees that would increase their crop production and support rural development in a time of uncertainty and stress due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “This is a wonderful project that was a win-win for UVI and the community overall,” said Chanes, adding that the project was designed to include fruit trees that produce at various times throughout the year so that farmers would have continuous production. “This project is vital to our community. Farmers have been hit hard in recent years and teaming with CFVI to provide ways for them to increase their production and to say thanks to them for working to feed the community is just a great way to share good health and nutrition and promote agriculture in the community.”
More information is available in a news release on the Media Section of the UVI Website-www.uvi.edu/ - and from this direct link.