Caribbean News
JAMAICA: Spanish Town ‘Reggae Chef’ Making It Big in New York
#Jamaica, December 11, 2017 – Kingston – He started out selling water to churchgoers in the Valdez Road community of Spanish Town before taking on other small entrepreneural ventures. Today, Peter Ivey is a recognised international chef and owner of The Reggae Chefs – a personal-chef business based in New York.
The Jamaica College old boy says it was his grandfather who first sparked the flame of entrepreneurship inside him at a young age, and it has been burning ever since.
“Growing up on Valdez Road, there was a church beside my yard. At the age of five, my grandfather would fill plastic bags with water, freeze them and give me to go over to the church and sell. That was how I became fascinated with entrepreneurship,” Ivey says.
After graduating from high school, he tried a number of other small business ventures, including selling T-shirts and compact discs (CDs). He moved to the United States in his later teens and continued to seek out opportunities to establish himself as a young entrepreneur. This led to him starting a taxi company in the New York area, but he wanted to do something else. The idea for his most successful venture – Reggae Chefs – came one day while attending a reggae concert in Las Vegas.
“I was living in Las Vegas, and I heard of a reggae concert keeping. Junior Gong, Tony Rebel – all the major reggae acts were performing,” he recounts.
“It was amazing to me to see white people soaking up reggae music, and see people selling curry goat and Rasta hats. It was all white people selling, and everyone purchasing was white also,” he notes.
He reveals that from that day, he began to ponder how he could combine everything he saw, package it and market it as “an authentic Jamaican product”. He spent the next two years toying with the idea until he decided to partner with a Jamaican chef to start a personal-chef business. The idea was to not just offer Jamaican food but the Jamaican experience as well.
“The Reggae Chefs fuses Jamaican culture and Jamaican food in a way that is creative. Our clients are able to go to the website and pair entertainment options with dining options, and two chefs come out to your home and provide that service,” he explains.
“So, you can book us, tell us what you want, and we come and cook. We bring the ludo board, bring the rum and set up your living room or your house or wherever you want us to be,” he explains.
Ivey says a total of 13 chefs now make up the team; four employed full-time and the rest on contract. He adds that while the team is mainly based in the New York area, they also travel outside the US to service clients upon request.
“Whenever I talk to vulnerable youth, what I tell them is that if you have a dream, get up every single day and focus on your dream. Only optimism will get you out of a dark hole,” he says.
By: Nedburn Thaffe
Release: JIS
Bahamas News
CCCCC Secures US$6.73M for Climate Resilience Projects in The Bahamas, St.Kitts and Nevis
April 17, 2025 – The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) has announced the Green Climate Fund’s (GCF) approval of three critical climate resilience projects for St. Kitts and Nevis and The Bahamas. The projects, collectively securing nearly US$6.73M in funding, will support national adaptation planning and climate-smart agricultural initiatives to strengthen regional resilience against climate change impacts.
St. Kitts and Nevis secured an approved funding allocation of US$732,616.00 to develop the St. Kitts and Nevis Climate Smart Agriculture Project (SKN CSA-P) through the GCF’s Project Preparation Facility (PPF). The PPF grant proposal received formal approval on 14 February 2025.
The PPF grant will be used to fully develop the SKN CSA Project through several critical studies, such as a Feasibility Study, Environmental and Social Action Plan, and Gender Assessment and Action Plan. Designed to advance sustainable agricultural practices, the SKN CSA-P aims to strengthen food security, enhance climate resilience, and mitigate environmental degradation across the twin-island nation.
The twin-island Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is poised to strengthen its national adaptation efforts through strategic investments in institutional capacity-building, policy development, and climate risk assessments—critical components for fostering long-term climate resilience. Formally approved on 10 March 2025, this initiative will be driven by the Building Resilience Through National Adaptation Planning in St. Kitts and Nevis (SKN-NAP) Project, which has successfully secured US$2,998,365.00 in funding.
Spearheaded by Ryan Phillip, Project Development Specialist at the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC), the SKN-NAP
project will enhance the country’s ability to anticipate, plan for, and respond to climate challenges. By integrating climate risk considerations into national policies and strengthening institutional frameworks, this initiative will lay the groundwork for a more resilient and climate-adaptive future for St. Kitts and Nevis.
Phillip shared, “The development of a National Adaptation Plan for St. Kitts and Nevis marks a pivotal milestone in the country’s efforts to build resilience against the impacts of climate change. This initiative will establish a clear roadmap for strengthening adaptive capacity and addressing climate vulnerabilities through targeted interventions. Through this process, St. Kitts and Nevis will be better equipped to anticipate, plan for, and respond to climate challenges. Additionally, it will enhance the country’s ability to attract much-needed financial resources to implement large-scale climate-adaptation initiatives in key sectors such as health, tourism, and agriculture. I am grateful to have spearheaded the development of this proposal and deeply appreciate the support of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) throughout this process and their ongoing commitment to supporting Small Island Developing States (SIDS).”
The Bahamas also secured US$2,999,997.00 in funding through the approval of the Advancing National Adaptation Planning in The Bahamas (BAH-NAP) Project. Formally approved on 18 February 2025, this transformative initiative is designed to enhance the country’s long-term climate resilience by embedding climate adaptation strategies into national policies and planning frameworks.
Dr. Donneil Cain, Former Lead Project Development Specialist at the CCCCC, led the development of this project, which will strengthen institutional capacity, improve risk management, and ensure that The Bahamas is better equipped to address climate vulnerabilities and future environmental challenges. By mainstreaming climate resilience into national development strategies, the project will foster sustainable growth while safeguarding critical sectors from the impacts of climate change.
This approval underscores the Caribbean’s steadfast dedication to proactive climate action and resilience-building. Continuing to build on the momentum of the recently held GCF Regional Dialogue, the CCCCC reaffirms its unwavering commitment to supporting Caribbean nations in their climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. The CCCCC will continue to collaborate closely with regional governments, international partners, and key stakeholders to mobilise critical resources, drive innovative solutions, and implement strategic interventions that empower vulnerable communities to navigate and thrive amid growing climate challenges.
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