LOCAL FOOD HERO’S WHYFARM By Ms. Kerri Griffith - Training Assistant Ms. Zozrina Edghil - Administrative Assistant
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orld Food Day is scheduled to take place on October 16th 2020 with the theme Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together. This theme seems fairly simple however, it has become significantly more potent in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications for food security. One of the major sub themes presented was that of Food Heroes who have continued to produce food during these uncertain times. These Food Heroes are considered part of our frontline workers and they require our attention and support more than ever during this time. Trinidad
Mr. Alpha Sennon Executive Director and Founder of WHYFARM
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and Tobago has a multitude of Food Heroes who strive to Grow, Nourish and Sustain our nation daily. One such noteworthy Food Hero is Alpha Sennon who is the founder and executive director of the non-governmental organisation WHYFARM (We Help You-th Farm). Mr. Sennon is an Agripreneur (agricultural entrepreneur) who’s skillsets allows him to operate on all levels of the agricultural spectrum. He works from the ground up beginning at the farm level, to working with local, regional, and international bodies to help make our food systems more sustainable.
WHYFARM is a local NGO with international recognition from major international bodies such as The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). One of the methods to do this was through the development of the superhero character known as AGRIman. This superhero is featured in published comic books with intentions of eventually being a television series. Mr Sennon stated that the vision behind AGRIman was for “Youth to now have a superhero that they can look up to in society” and that “We keep telling young persons that AGRIman is a farmer and this is important”. The character was based around Captain Planet, a show from Mr. Sennons childhood and this is what cultivated the idea to have a branded superhero for agriculture that a child can read about and see on television. Mr Sennon aimed to make the character as relatable and realistic as possible because as he emphasised the fight against key concerns such as drought, hunger and famine are very real. An interest of Mr. Sennon’s is
CARIBBEAN FISHERIES TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
