Participants in the agroecology programme at Spaceless Gardens.
ST. PETERS--Minister of Public Health, Social Affairs and Labor VSA Richard Panneflek received a guided tour of Spaceless Gardens and expressed his support for the agroecology programme, calling it a “remarkable” initiative.
“Instead of reinventing the wheel,” Panneflek encouraged the Department of Community Development, Family and Humanitarian Affairs (CDFHA) “to continue building on outstanding initiatives such as this one.”
CDFHA, in collaboration with Spaceless Gardens, rolled out its agroecology programme on November 9 with the objective to “improve the skills and knowledge of participants through a diverse hands-on educational programme that focuses on agroecology and home gardening.”
The programme promotes food security and encourages the community to grow what they eat and eat what they grow.
Some 40 persons registered to take part in the programme, with sessions taking place four days a week from 9:00 to 10:00am at St. Maarten Agricultural Research and Development Center in St. Peters. There are currently four groups consisting of a maximum of 10 persons.
The agroecology programme combines face-to-face learning and practical sessions on various topics relating to home gardening. Thus far, participants learned about the implications of climate change, the importance of seed germination, plant science, layers of the soil, soil types, plant-production systems, plant care and maintenance, and the necessity to create resilient and sustainable communities.
The programme combines face-to-face learning and practical sessions on various topics relating to home gardening. Thus far, participants learned about the implications of climate change, the importance of seed germination and the necessity to create resilient and sustainable communities.
Several participants have demonstrated a great interest and the potential to specialise in agroecology as an accredited course in collaboration with University of St. Martin (USM) in the near future and/or professionally because of the programme, organisers said.
The registration was closed after the project reached its maximum capacity due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Notwithstanding that, persons continue to sign up to participate in the future.
The initiative reflects CDFHA’s ongoing commitment to Sustainable Development Goal #1 “No Poverty” and Goal #2 “Zero Hunger” in the reduction of food insecurity and community-based initiatives to reduce poverty and hunger and the empowerment of groups and communities.
The project will break for the holidays from December 20, 2020, until January 10, 2021. Classes resume on January 11, 2021. Participants will receive a certificate of completion.
