One of Barbados’ newest entrepreneurs is on a mission to put a dent in the island’s massive food import bill and help improve food security. Through the use of new and innovative technologies, Candyse Griffith is seeking to help Barbadians eat more locally grown fruits and vegetables.
In May of this year, the 35-year-old St Michael resident founded the company GreenGrub Barbados, a technologicallu savvy indoor and outdoor gardening supply drop shipping store. GreenGrub Barbados specialises in do it yourself hydroponics systems and technologically enhanced hydroponic greenhouses. There is also a consultancy service.
Griffith said that while she wanted the systems to be in every school across the country to help teach children more about agriculture using modern technologies, her wish was also to see one in most households across the island. She said so far there has been a high level of interest among individuals in the systems, which were becoming increasingly popular globally. “You can grow anything using these systems. Anything you can think of, even strawberries and flowers. So there are a range of industries that they can be used in,” she said, adding that some of the structures were built to withstand up to a category-five hurricane.
“My wish is for residents to grow their own food to help them with the rising food prices. We import so many different things, but if you can do some things at your house for yourself then it will help with prices because of the lowering in the demand for those items.”
Griffith works alongside a business consultant in the United States who does research on hydroponics advances. She is an agent for three companies, two innovative residential indoor and outdoor garden supply stores and the other is a supplier of hydroponic farm stands. The systems grow crops fully organic and do not require the use of pesticides or herbicides. Pointing out that many schools around the world were using these types of systems to help students learn about crop farming, Griffith said she has already reached out to the Ministry of Education with the hopes of having them set up in schools in Barbados.
“This will help children to understand the importance of growing your own organic food, how to grow it using scientific principles with the technology and it can also use to teach secondary school students how to build their own systems. We need to get into the advances of the smart agriculture industry,” she said.
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