Bajan Harvest Hub to connect farmers with tourism sector

Barbados’ tourism sector is moving to put more local food on hotel and restaurant plates with the launch of the Bajan Harvest Hub.

The hub connects farmers directly with hospitality buyers, strengthens local supply chains and reduces the island’s reliance on imported produce.

Launched recently by the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA), the initiative aims to give farmers a more reliable market while helping hotels and restaurants better plan their purchases of locally-grown produce.

BHTA operations manager Greg Broomes said the project was developed over two years to address the disconnect between what farmers produce and what the tourism sector needs.

“Farmers do not have a clear understanding of the demand patterns of the tourism sector, and the tourism sector does not understand what is available on island and at what time.”

He said the hub would bring together farmers, packaging facilities and hospitality businesses to establish a more coordinated supply chain.

“The main goal is to increase the use of Barbadian produce within the tourism sector, reduce reliance on imports, retain more value from the tourism dollar within our shores, and, of course, at the core of it, improve the livelihoods of those who rely on both of our respective sectors to survive.”

Broomes noted that inconsistent supplies, quality concerns and price fluctuations remained challenges, particularly because agriculture was vulnerable to climate-related shocks.

He said the hub was intended to help address those issues by providing farmers with a clearer picture of market demand, allowing them to plan production and giving them greater confidence to invest in climate-resilient technologies.

The project also aims to create more predictable purchasing opportunities for farmers while helping hospitality businesses secure a consistent supply of local produce.

Broomes said 17 hospitality enterprises had been brought into the initiative, up from an initial 11, with additional businesses at various stages of joining. Participating enterprises are required to provide a year’s worth of purchasing data so farmers can better understand the sector’s needs.

The Barbados Agricultural Society and the Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation are serving as packaging partners, helping to aggregate, grade, package and distribute produce to participating businesses.

BHTA chief executive officer Senator Ryan Forde said the launch marked an important step in strengthening the relationship between agriculture and tourism, following years of discussions about how the sectors could work more closely together.

He recalled that the association had faced criticism about tourism’s contribution to other sectors but said greater attention needed to be placed on evidence and practical solutions.

“Where is the data to support your arguments? If you have data, what are the proposals, the next steps to improve the situation?” he said, describing questions that had helped shape the approach to the project.

Forde said the hub offered an opportunity to move beyond previous attempts at improving agricultural and tourism linkages by learning from past experiences and developing better solutions.

“We will do it again, and we will learn from where you left it, and we will improve it together.”

He added that the project reflected a wider effort to diversify the tourism product and increase the benefits reaching Barbadians and local businesses.

Forde also pointed to the Barbados national culinary team’s samples, noting that the team had been incorporating more locally-sourced ingredients into competition menus and its day-to-day operations in restaurants and bars since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Broomes said the initiative could also benefit consumers and workers beyond the two sectors, as stronger local supply chains could create employment opportunities and allow more tourism spending to remain in the Barbadian economy.

He said the model did not have to be limited to agriculture or produce, suggesting that similar partnerships could eventually be applied to other sectors and countries.

The BHTA said the initiative would build on earlier work, including the Chefs for Development project, which showcased how local produce could be used to create dishes for the hospitality sector. The launch brought together representatives from the tourism and agriculture industries, government officials, funding agencies, farmers and hospitality leaders.

Tourism Liaison Officer Sade Dean, said the project represented “the beginning of a transformative journey, for tourism and agriculture in Barbados”.

(LE)

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