IICA recognises Bahamian Deon Gibson For His Endeavours To Reduce Dependence On Food Imports In The Caribbean

 “I’m convinced that a country cannot guarantee national security nor access security in terms of health and employment, or even financial security, without first ensuring food security.” – Deon Da Costa Gibson.

(Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture Press Release) Deon Da Costa Gibson, a Bahamian farmer who works for resilient agriculture and promotes increasing local food production and consumption to reduce the dependence on food imports in the Caribbean, was recognised as a “Leader of Rurality” of the Americas by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

The “Soul of Rurality” award is an initiative by the agency specialised in agricultural and rural development to pay tribute to men and women who are leaving their mark and making a difference in the rural communities of the Americas, a key region for food and nutrition security and the environmental sustainability of the planet.

Gibson was not born into a farming family, but he understood from a young age that The Bahamas needed to increase local food production to become stronger as a country, choosing to study agriculture in Cuba and the United States before returning to his home nation with the idea of developing backyard food production.

Gibson is known in The Bahamas as Gibby da Farma, which is also the name of his business through which he advises other farmers on best agricultural practices. Gibson is also in charge of the farm at One Eleuthera Foundation, named for the Bahamian island on which he resides. The organisation aids rural communities in The Bahamas in becoming self-sufficient, while caring for their ecosystems and increasing production.

The Leaders of Rurality award recognises individuals who are playing a critical dual role as guarantors of food and nutrition security and custodians of the planet’s biodiversity, by producing under any condition. The recognition also highlights these individuals’ capacity to serve as role models in the region’s rural areas.

Read more at: IICA

Source: CARICOM TODAY