Jamaica 4-H Clubs To Establish School Gardens At Four Infant Schools

The Jamaica 4-H Clubs is to establish modern school gardens at four infant schools in western Jamaica, as part of efforts to cultivate an appreciation for agriculture among children from an early age.

The $20 million ‘Gardens of Excellence’ pilot initiative, which is being supported by the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund, will target schools in sections of western Jamaica impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

Chairman of the Jamaica 4-H Clubs, Colin Virgo, informed that the initiative is intended to introduce youngsters to agriculture at the earliest stages of their development.

“We have to get this appreciation and love and interest in agriculture in our young people from those tender ages,” he stated.

Mr. Virgo was addressing a plenary session titled ‘Dynamic and Inclusive Agriculture and Fisheries: Exchanging Experience for Growth, Productivity and Resilience’, during the 20th Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA), at the Ocean Coral Spring Resort in Trelawny on October 1.

He said the modern school gardens will provide youngsters with practical exposure to agriculture and food production.

The Chairman noted that the initiative is in keeping with the Jamaica 4-H Clubs’ thrust to reach young people in schools and communities and foster greater awareness and understanding of agriculture.

“That’s why, particularly through the 4-H movement, we try to get into as many schools and communities as possible from that young level to build that awareness, that appreciation, that understanding from very early,” Mr. Virgo noted.

He underscored the importance of early exposure in developing a generation of young people, who understand the critical role agriculture plays in their lives and the wider economy.

Mr. Virgo said increasing youth involvement in agriculture is also important to strengthening regional food security, economic resilience and climate adaptation.

He noted that several initiatives are being advanced under the Regional Youth and Agriculture Strategy, including programmes targeting young people across various groups and communities.

Mr. Virgo said public and private sector investments have already been secured for youth agriculture initiatives across the Caribbean, with some projects completed, others under way and additional programmes being developed.

The Gardens of Excellence initiative represents one of Jamaica’s interventions under this wider thrust.

The Chairman said the focus on youth is particularly important as the region seeks to build a sustainable agricultural sector and develop the next generation of farmers, agricultural entrepreneurs and innovators.

He emphasised that agriculture must increasingly be presented to young people as an attractive and viable avenue, for personal and economic development.