Over the past few years, the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Rural Development in Saint Lucia have forged an increasingly beneficial partnership to strengthen the Caribbean island’s agricultural sector and improve its food security.
That partnership resulted in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding that established the “Enhancement of the Efficiency of Production-Distribution Supply Chain in Fruit and Vegetable Sector Project”, commonly known as the “Seven Crops Project”. The Project’s first phase began in January 2019 and lasted for three years, while the ongoing second phase runs from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2026.
The Project responded to Saint Lucia’s high food import bill and focused on seven major heavily imported crops: bell pepper, lettuce, cantaloupe, cabbage, tomato, pineapple, and watermelon. Under the Project, interventions are being made to reduce the importation of these crops by at least 25% by 2030 by increasing local production. A marketing component also seeks to gain market access for farmers.
In March 2025, Mr. Edward Wilson attended a two-week training workshop on artificial intelligence (AI) in Taiwan on how technology can help boost production. Saint Lucia’s agricultural sector currently faces a labour shortage, which is worsened by many youths who see agriculture as unattractive.
Wilson, the Seven Crops Project’s technical production officer, has been employed with the Taiwan Technical Mission for six years. He oversees production by working alongside trained specialists from Taiwan.
“Since many youths use cellphones, it was determined at the Taiwan workshop that a system whereby youth farmers can monitor their crops via real-time data readings on their cellphone apps can help,” Wilson added. “As a small island developing state, Saint Lucia faces many challenges adapting to technology due to its ageing farmer population. However, devising a way to marry the local climate with the technology received from Taiwan is crucial. It’s something we need to implement if we are to realize the projected production levels.”
Wilson believes identifying weather forecasts, soil temperature and humidity, and knowing what to plant and when would be huge pluses. The workshop in Taiwan also included discussions on how to reduce the carbon footprint by lowering greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector.
The Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) also sponsored another project, “Assisting the Economic Empowerment of Youth and Women in Latin America and the Caribbean in the Post-Pandemic of COVID-19,” commonly known as the “Jennès Vocational Skills Training Program”. The program was administered by Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC), and it upskilled hundreds of Saint Lucian youth and women to participate positively in Saint Lucia’s economy. Through the Project, a Mango Festival was held to promote the various ways the tropical fruit can be used to create nutritious dishes.
Wilson’s exposure and knowledge in Taiwan have enthused him with renewed optimism that the Seven Crops Project will continue to dent Saint Lucia’s food import bill. He also believes that the various agricultural methods he learned in Taiwan can positively impact Saint Lucia’s agricultural landscape if implemented in Saint Lucia.