ADO and  TCCFG distribute nearly 200 backyard farming kits at CG Atlantic’s Zest Festival

#TheBahamas, December 7, 2022 – Agricultural Development Organization (ADO) Bahamas distributed 195 backyard farming kits to interested members of the general public at CG Atlantic’s Zest Festival, which took place on Saturday at the CG Atlantic House Grounds.

Hundreds of attendees showed up at the festival, many of whom jumped at the opportunity to take home one of ADO’s kits and get started producing food in their own yards.

ADO Executive Chairman Philip Smith said it’s just the latest in the organization’s efforts to equip more Bahamians with the tools to improve food security.

“We view food security and our pursuit of it as a nation as a holistic effort, one that should involve all levels of society, from government, to businesses to individuals,” said Smith.

“And through our backyard farming initiative, we are seeking to provide individuals and their families with resources to grow some of their own food and reduce dependence on imported goods.”

Members of The Commercial Church Faming Group (TCCFG) were on hand at the Zest Festival to demonstrate to members of the public how to use the kits.

The giveaway was ADO’s most recent, with the organization having also handed out 50 kits last week at Campbell Shipping, which were purchased as a Christmas gift to their staff. The company also donated $6,000 to ADO.

The backyard farming initiative is part of a larger effort by ADO, in partnership with TCCFG, to support agricultural development for greater food independence.

With the cost of living and inflation continuing to be a major issue for many Bahamian families, Smith said he is hopeful that the organization can help to provide a stable and sustainable local food production industry.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and the food shortages and inflation that has followed has emphasized that as a country, we need be able to feed ourselves,” he said.

“And that’s a key part of our mission here at ADO. We believe that the importance of being able to grow our own food cannot be emphasized enough and will go a long way towards increasing our resilience as a nation to global economic shocks.”

In a country where nearly 90 percent of the food consumed is imported, food security has been at the forefront of national discussion in recent years, with crisis after crisis highlighting the urgent need to reduce The Bahamas’ annual food import bill of more than $1 billion.

Both governing parties have called for a greater focus on increasing food production in The Bahamas in an effort to move towards greater food independence.

Launched in February, ADO has already become a driving force in that effort, committed to working with the government and various sectors of society to support agricultural development.

In recognition of Giving Tuesday, which takes place tomorrow, ADO is seeking the public’s help in raising funds to be able to continue its work of empowering Bahamians to grow their own food in an effort to increase the country’s food security.

Those interested in donating to ADO’s cause find more information on how to do that at https://adobahamas.org/donations-page.

Photo Captions: 

Header: Carroll demonstrating how to use farming kits to members of the public.

Insert: Agricultural Development Organization (ADO) and The Church Commercial Farming Group (TCCFG) officials were at Zest Festival ready to equip members of the public with their own backyard farming kits. (L-R: ADO Office Manager Michelle Shepherd, TCCFG Extension Officer Sydney Carroll, TCCFG Agricultural Expert Basil Miller, ADO Volunteer Maya Ingraham, ADO Donations Officer Millie Wong)