Barbados is the most easterly island of the Caribbean, and one of the leading tourist destinations within the Caribbean. With a population of 277,821, roughly 20% of Barbadians live in poverty, and 10% cannot meet daily food needs.
Trees That Feed Foundation has been donating fruit trees to Barbados since 2010. Our partner there is the dynamic Barney Gibbs of the Future Center Trust. The foundation promotes environmental awareness through the planting of fruit trees. Their big program this year is the Barbados Trailway, which restores abandoned railways that historically traversed sugar cane fields. Barbados was once covered with trees, however, when sugar cane became a very profitable crop, all available land was transitioned into cane production.
The Barbados Trailway will connect opposite sides of the island for walking and biking and will be lined with fruit trees such as mango, breadfruit, guava, pomegranates, which will be partially supplied by TTFF. The fruit will provide food for children on their way home from school, provide shade for passersby, and will create a habitat for native flora. Because breadfruit is hard to propagate and is susceptible at the early stages of growth, Barney has constructed a greenhouse to care for the 1,000 young breadfruit saplings.
In addition to constructing a shelter for incoming shipments, Barney has planted hundreds of fruit trees along roadways, in cooperation with both TTFF and Heidi Clarke of Sandals Foundation. We are most pleased and lucky to be able to collaborate with Barney. He is a key partner of the TTFF who helps us fulfill our mission goals.
