STAR Businessweek - 19 May 2018

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FROM WASTE TO WEALTH

How innovators in the private sector are helping solve the Caribbean’s waste crisis It’s not easy convincing companies to care about their waste but Saint Lucian entrepreneur Wayne Neale is doing just that. Managing Director of waste management and recycling firm Greening the Caribbean, Neale is helping the private sector set an example by introducing environmentally friendly practices that are good for the earth, and companies’ bottom line.

BY CATHERINE MORRIS, STAR BUSINESSWEEK CORRESPONDENT Continued on page 4

Cuba in drive to attract foreign investment Cuba is ramping up efforts to attract foreign investment as Miguel Díaz-Canel, who replaced Raúl Castro as president last month, begins the tricky balancing act of trying to solve the country’s economic crisis without undermining Communist party rule Page 3

Home Office counts 63 wrongly removed windrush migrants Immigration officials believe they have wrongly removed as many as 63 members of the “Windrush Generation” of Caribbean migrants from the UK — and the number affected could rise still further, the home secretary admitted on Tuesday Page 7

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The Road Ahead for eGov in the Caribbean

BY ED KENNEDY, STAR BUSINESSWEEK CORRESPONDENT

The STAR Businessweek

BY CHRISTIAN WAYNE – EDITOR AT LARGE

What hypocritical little grandstanders we are.

Gaston Brown, prime minister of Antigua & Barbuda, addressed the UN General Assembly last year and bemoaned—in the wake of his country’s devastating encounter with Hurricane Maria in September—that the Caribbean contributes 0.01% to global emissions but bears the brunt of the effects of climate change . . . or something to that effect. Now, while that often-cited figure may be true, it beguiles people from the stark reality any Caribbean native knows first-hand—islanders are NOT neatniks! This self-evident observation is detailed in this week’s cover story “From Waste to Wealth”. While I won’t ruin the suspense, the World Bank singled out the Caribbean as one of the world’s largest contributors to global waste—and guess which Caribbean country is the worst offender! As history’s most famous slave wrote in his book of sententiae: “God looks at the clean hands. Not the full ones.”

In a universe not too far from here, the government of Saint Lucia will be undertaking an initiative to transform its current method of providing standard government services to citizens. While the project has not yet been officially operationalized—which is hardly a detail significant enough to stop our gregarious prime minister from publicly announcing—The STAR Businessweek decided to consider “What the Road Ahead for eGov in the Caribbean” could actually look like, beginning here on page 2.

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The government of Saint Lucia will soon be operationalizing an eGov initiative designed to increase the accessibility of government services to citizens through the use of ICT technologies

In 2018 the digitisation experienced across our daily life is immense. Underpinned by technological growth, the past decade has seen rapid changes to the way in which we work, travel and have fun, due to the digital economy. And the pace and scale of change is only set to grow in future.

But for all the change we have witnessed across business and entertainment, within the public sector—and specifically surrounding the growth of e-Governance—the shifts have been more gradual, and subtle. But it’ll not stay this way for long, especially with the greater adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and the increased connectivity of human beings to the digital arena.

Let’s look now at the state of e-Governance (eGov): its potential within the Caribbean and what hurdles remain in its adoption.

WHAT DOES AN eGov NATION LOOK LIKE?

In its simplest form, the growth of eGov in public bodies seeks to see the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into existing processes and services.

Accordingly, the growth of eGov in a society is a shift towards a more fair, open and decent community. The values of these high ideals should not be dismissed, but they also mustn’t overshadow that greater eGov means more practical results, too.

The growth of eGov in a nation’s public institutions doesn’t demand huge and sweeping change, Instead, it can remove a number of the existing frustrations in daily life that make a citizen’s interactions with government irritating. Just like online banking removed the need to queue at the bank weekly, eGov streamlines processes.

When a citizen’s health records are stored in a national database, shifting between medical providers becomes seamless, instead of generating a mountain of new paperwork each time. Similarly, while few people find the process of doing their taxes thrilling, a tax database with an employer’s records allows for much of a tax return to be pre-filled digitally before it’s started.

Beyond the individual, the greatest advantage of eGov comes with its benefits community-wide.

That journey between the two doctors?

The doctors save time on paperwork.

The automatic pre-filling of info for a tax-return? This can save countless hours spent by public servants in a government’s finance departments.

But make no mistake, eGov is also engaging and inspiring. Whatever your views, all can agree liberal democracies usually see two opposing viewpoints when it comes to government. The first, often right-leaning, seeks a truly lean government of essential services only. The second, usually left-leaning, seeks a bigger government to ensure it leads economic

growth and welfare.

It’s here that the potential for eGov is really exciting as it could bring these two perspectives closer. Its greater growth would see conservatives happy that government money is not being ill-spent on an over-staffed public service. Liberals see in eGov a way for all citizens to get fair access to services, and expand those services affordably.

WHAT CHANGE DOES eGov DELIVER?

The optimism for eGov globally is well-founded. Especially given that its processes have already been implemented successfully in numerous nations. For those looking for a proof of concept, many states are looking to provide a leading example.

As is often the case in the digital sphere, the Eastern European nation of Estonia is a leader in showing how eGov can work.

Estonia’s government claims 99% of its digital services are online.

The national government in Tallinn has made commendable progress. In under 30 years Estonia has grown from a new republic emerging from the shadow of the USSR, to now being acclaimed as the most advanced digital society in the world. eGov is at the core of this shift, and has been closely tied into Estonia’s e-Democracy initiatives.

Continued on page 5

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© The Financial Times Limited [2018]. All Rights Reserved. Not to be redistributed, copied or modified in anyway. Star Publishing Company is solely responsible for providing this translated content and the Financial Times Limited does not accept any liability for the accuracy or quality of the translation

CUBA IN DRIVE TO ATTRACT FOREIGN INVESTMENT Negotiations on some projects are under way as country endures economic crisis

BY FT CORRESPONDENT

Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel, left, and former president Raúl Castro watch the May Day parade in Havana

Cuba is ramping up efforts to attract foreign investment as Miguel Díaz-Canel, who replaced Raúl Castro as president last month, begins the tricky balancing act of trying to solve the country’s economic crisis without undermining Communist party rule.

Although it is still early days for Mr Díaz-Canel, a party apparatchik, diplomats and foreign businessmen report that a number of negotiations are under way — from infrastructure and agriculture to tourism and energy.

Total, the French energy company, and Siemens, the German industrial group, are leading a conglomerate to open a 600 megawatt gas-fired power plant on the socialist island.

Last week Ceiba Investments, a Guernsey-incorporated company with more than 20 years of experience in Cuba,

announced a $150m investment to upgrade four hotels and build a fifth with Cuban partner Cubanacan and Spanish hotel chain Club Meliá.

“The negotiations and implementation of these transactions took six months, which I really believe is quite a record,” Sebastiaan Berger, Ceiba’s chief executive, told the Financial Times. “Hopefully [it is] a sign on the wall that the investment processes in Cuba are starting to pick up speed.”

Cuba’s need for investment is urgent. Aid from crisis-stricken Venezuela is drying up, a fleeting US tourist boom popped after US president Donald Trump partially reversed the detente begun by his predecessor and annual revenue from the export of goods and services has fallen more than $4bn, or 23 per cent, since 2014.

But stymied by dense bureaucracy, the inefficiency of Cuba’s Soviet-style economy and its dual currency system, and discouraged by tighter US restrictions, Havana’s record of

“Cuba will not get economic growth until its leaders decide to change the state from an obstacle of development into a facilitator,” said Carlos Saladrigas, a prominent Miamibased businessman who is in favour of closer engagement

luring foreign investors has been poor.

“The Communist party has few options but to move boldly forward,” a mid-level party member said. “They either have to allow more domestic capitalism, which they do not want, or quickly reform the state sector in conjunction with an increase in foreign capital. Díaz-Canel is tasked with carrying out the latter.”

Mr Berger said his project, which includes an upgrade to the Meliá Habana, a five-star business-oriented hotel, was ready to go, with funds largely provided by Ceiba, but with Cubanacan and Meliá also making a “real cash contribution”.

Over the past two years Cuba has signed foreign investment deals valued at a record $3.5bn, but little money has arrived.

Plans for an upgrade to Havana’s main airport and a Russian-led upgrade of Cuba’s railways have been delayed for more than a year. No ground has yet been broken on four golf projects worth a total $2bn, agreed over the past three years. The Total-Siemens energy project is also not yet finalised, although tendered last year.

This year authorities have said only $600m in foreign capital will actually enter the country.

“Cuba will not get economic growth until its leaders decide to change the state from an obstacle of development into a facilitator,” said Carlos Saladrigas, a prominent Miami-based businessman who is in favour of closer engagement. “That was the fundamental change in China and Vietnam, and we are still waiting for that in Cuba.”

One of the main exceptions is tourism.

Despite a 6 per cent decline in visitors so far this year, there are four new five-star hotels under construction in Havana, all owned by military-run Gaviota and expected to be managed by foreign groups.

The Trump administration has banned US visitors from staying in Gaviota-owned hotels.

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FROM WASTE TO WEALTH

How innovators in the private sector are helping solve the Caribbean’s waste crisis Continued from page 1

Greening the Caribbean (GtC) began operations in 2014, handpicking select clients to see where it could make the biggest impression. “I look at particular types of clients and waste streams that can have the greatest environmental impact,” says Neale.

“We then offer them a competitive alternative to their current waste management system.

It’s cost effective, we provide a high level of service and they get brand value by being more environmentally responsible. It requires a higher level of accountability from them, but clients see, feel and appreciate the difference.”

GtC’s services include consultancy, collection and recycling. The company instructs businesses on how to divert their waste into the categories of garbage, trash and waste —determining what should go to landfill and what can be re-directed for processing at GtC’s resource recovery centre in Castries. The distinction is important, according to Neale, who says getting the language right is key. “The general perception of waste in the Caribbean is very archaic. Anything that a business is finished with, they generally consider garbage. There’s no clear understanding of the difference between garbage, trash and waste. Most people perceive it as one thing— garbage—but trash is just something you have finished with and waste is something you dispose of that can be repurposed.

“When we approach a business we have to introduce that concept to them. There is that training component.”

GtC recycles bottles, cans, cardboard and e-waste. Neale defines the latter as “any item that uses electricity and/or contains a circuit board” and says this makes up the bulk of GtC’s recovered materials. All materials are sorted and processed at the company’s site and most is then exported, usually to markets in Asia.

Neale’s priority is getting recyclable materials out of landfill and off the island.

He says there is a waste crisis happening in the region and wants to play his part. “There is a lack of strong environmental law in the Caribbean. Governments have not put a waste management infrastructure in place, they only have a waste disposal infrastructure.”

Wayne Neale (left), holding Greening the Caribbean’s 2014 SEA award for Urban and Regional Development, stands with Bradley Googins, a member of the panel that selected the 2014 winners. (SEA)

WASTE CRISIS

It may be small geographically, but the Caribbean is one of the biggest contributors to the world’s waste. According to figures from the World Bank, the region generates around 160m tonnes each year—and Saint Lucia is one of the Caribbean’s worst offenders, producing 4.35kg per person, per day.

This waste falls under the purview of the Saint Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority (SLSWMA) which was established in 1996 and operates the country’s two refuse operations, Deglos sanitary landfill and Vieux Fort’s solid waste management facility.

In 2014, these sites processed over 74,000 tonnes worth of garbage.

Most waste authorities in the Caribbean rely on landfills but dumps are increasingly becoming an undesirable and unsustainable solution. On islands where land is a scarce and expensive resource, sprawling dump sites are taking over valuable property. In addition, these sites can pose serious health risks.

Poorly-managed landfills can catch fire and leakage of unsanitary materials into the water table is also a risk, as is the spread of disease from landfill pests such as insects and rodents.

Managed properly, landfills can play a part in waste disposal but they are rarely a longterm solution (Saint Lucia’s main landfill at Deglos is set to reach the end of its anticipated lifespan by 2023). Finding ways to divert waste away from dump sites is crucial if governments want to protect both citizens and the environment.

“At the end of the day waste management is a human health issue,” says Neale. “A polluted and dirty environment makes for a sickly citizenry. There also doesn’t seem to be any understanding that improper waste disposal is compromising our resilience to climate change. Waste is the low-hanging fruit; we just need to do it better.”

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP Doing it better is a slow journey for GtC

which has been steadily growing its business through proactive marketing and word of mouth. It is making inroads into the private sector in Saint Lucia but wants to go regional with solutions that can help the entire Caribbean. Neale will shortly begin consultancy work in The Bahamas and has also set his sights on Antigua. “The intent has always been to be regional. I want to take this show on the road; replicate the model on other islands.”

At the core of GtC is a desire for lasting environmental change but it’s also a profit-driven enterprise. The company generates income through consultancy and transportation fees, as well as selling recyclable materials, and last year received a business development grant from the Caribbean Climate Innovation Center.

Neale admits, however, that it is a tough business and says that to be successful, operators need to be driven by more than just money. “This mode of business

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requires social entrepreneurship. Scrap merchants work off a fast money concept, they buy and sell. An entrepreneurship model challenges the status quo. We work for solutions to society’s problems, we are not solely motivated by profit.”

While there are other operators in the waste sector in Saint Lucia, GtC is the only company of its kind. Other firms are either haulage services for transporting waste to landfill or scrap merchants who trade in metals such as copper, iron and brass. Neale says there is an opportunity for more private sector involvement but cautions that it takes a wealth of on-the-ground experience to truly understand the issues. “Waste management is a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide.

There’s no reason for it not to be a viable business. You do not need expensive equipment [to recycle]; you just need to know what you are doing.”

TIME FOR CHANGE

While the private sector is driving change, there are signs that the public sector is catching up. In 2016 SLSWMA received Small Scale Funding Assistance from the United Nations Environment Programme to develop a national strategy for waste management. While this 10-year plan is yet to be released, the final stakeholder consultation took place in October 2017.

Governments across the region are also taking tentative steps in the right direction.

The US Virgin Islands, Aruba, and Antigua and Barbuda have all banned plastic bags.

Guyana and St Vincent and the Grenadines have banned Styrofoam products and many

It may be small geographically, but the Caribbean is one of the biggest contributors to the world’s waste

more nations are looking to follow their example. Neale says he is optimistic about the future but warns that a true shift will take time and must go back to basics.

“The dialogue is there. It is trending in the right direction [but] I see it as a process.

Before you get to things like recycling you need a national strategy. You have to get people to reduce their littering. You are dealing with societal norms. There is a lack of respect for the waste industry and a lack of awareness [of its importance].”

Shifting mindsets will take time. In the meantime, a handful of Saint Lucia’s corporations are quietly leading the way.

GtC’s current clients include Dive Saint Lucia, Rubis St Lucia, JE Bergasse, Rodney Bay Marina and Buckeye Partners LP. Neale says: “Our clients, through their visionary and pragmatic leadership, are demonstrating that the private sector can move beyond compliance with outdated national laws to championing environmental action.”

According to the IDB, SLSWMA’s Deglos Landfill receives 4 million tons of waste on a monthly basis

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The Road Ahead for eGov in the Caribbean Continued from page 2

It’s true that eGov and e-Democracy (eDem) are separate. Authoritarians can digitise government processes (with surveillance and suppression of people usually at the top of this), while really good democratic nations can observe civil freedom, even if slow to introduce new technological processes.

But while eGov and eDem can be separate, they are best interwoven, particularly in developing nations, and developed nations who have strong democratic foundations already.

Ultimately, the advent of technology that allows for a greater adoption of both eGov and eDem does place greater pressure on authoritarian regimes.

This dynamic has many implications for our region as Caribbean nations explore a future with eGov.

eGov IN THE CARIBBEAN

Within the Caribbean’s 30 nations there’s diverse experience with eGov. At one end of the spectrum is Jamaica. Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced mid-last year his government’s ambition to become the first fully digital government in our region.

This would spearhead a new chapter that Trinidad and Tobago, and many other regional nations, have contributed to.

Holness emphasised the benefits in service provision.

A digitised Jamaican government would mean

cutting queues, optimising government efficiencies, and freeing citizens from long and bothersome ‘red tape’ of many present interactions with government. This goal required a bold but clearcut first step: establish the National Identification Systems (NIDS), but the public rancour since, illustrates a key hurdle to eGov adoption.

The challenges for Kingston notwithstanding, in Cuba the real tension between an eGov programme and eDem initiatives can be seen.

While eGov adoption can occur independently of eDem from a technical perspective, suspicion of the latter invariably delays progress of the former.

Recently Cuba’s ruling political party elected a new leader, the first of the postCastro era. New president Miguel Díaz-Canel had previously cited internet use as an area for reform, but his latest comments were accompanied by other public musings praising journalists for their role as official supporters of the government’s agenda. A technologically open Cuban internet won’t find great use if suppression of free speech remains.

A more open society will create the conditions for greater progress on eGov initiatives, even if they don’t occur handin-hand with eDem reforms. All governments have to consider hurdles surrounding privacy and

security when pursuing initiatives and reforms, but when a foundation of transparency and accountability exists, it’s conducive to eGov growth.

WINNING THE PUBLIC VOTE

Any assessment of eGov’s future in the Caribbean must also consider existing infrastructure. Increasing internet connectivity and the speed of connections are key goals. Also, decreasing electricity prices, as any expectation that people of the Caribbean will happily engage in wider eGov and eDem services would be tested if it also means a more costly bill each month.

While these challenges are real, greater eGov adoptions remains an exciting prospect, and there are terrific opportunities in our region and beyond. Though still in its infancy, the D7 (until recently the D5, prior to Uruguay and Canada’s joining) is recognised as a leading global group of aspiring digital government nations—and they are keen for more members.

In complement to the greater growth of eGov and eDem processes, the D7 also holds wider goals, most notably to see children taught to code. This is something we in the Caribbean can commend, and support. With the addition of some Caribbean nations in the group, the region could play a leading role in the global shift towards greater eGov and eDem around the globe.

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CREATING SUSTAINABLE AGRIBUSINESS FOR SAINT LUCIA Saint Lucia has traditionally depended heavily on banana production as a driver of exports and GDP. However, the combination of loss of access to preferential EU markets and an accelerated impact of climate change (specifically, increased temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns) has resulted in a significant decline in the island’s agricultural sector and fish catch, negatively impacting both livelihoods of rural populations and heightening exposure to food security issues.

To enhance the productivity and sustainability of livelihoods in local agro production, particularly in the context of climate change, two parallel but inter-related changes are needed. First, as illustrated by a recent study, there is a need for training and technical support for producers in the adoption of more climate resilient technologies and practices to increase both productivity and quality of output. Second, as demonstrated in the Caribbean region, small-scale producers that dominate the regional agricultural sector require an incentive in the form of greater access to higher value markets if they are to invest time and finances in the adoption of new ways of farming.

In this context, the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF)—a member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group and the IDB Climate change Division—joined forces with the Laborie Co-operative Credit Union (LCCU) on a project that will help farmers and fishers in the southern region of Saint Lucia to transition from fishing and farming to agribusiness operations while improving their resilience to climate change.

The project is known locally as SABLE (Sustainable Agribusiness for Laborie and Environs) and it is the first project prepared by the IDB for Saint Lucia.

This is a concrete collaboration between the IDB and Caribbean Development Bank based on a memorandum

The multilateral project is aimed at transitioning fishers and farmers to agri-business industries

of understanding signed in 2017, in which both institutions renewed their commitment to collaborating on projects that contribute to sustainable economic development in the region.

Specifically, this project is funded by the MIF, the Pilot Project for Climate Resilience (PPCR) and the PROADAPT programme. It will: • Develop financial support for the adoption of climate resilient practices and technology.

• Set up an insurance facility to provide farmers with insurance products to protect their investments and loan liabilities.

• Enable the Black Bay Farmers and Consumers Cooperative (BBFC) and the Laborie Fishers and Consumer Cooperative (LFCC) to become viable co-operatives, capable of organising their members to ensure that quality,

pricing and quantities of produce required by the market are achieved and maintained.

• Develop and leverage sustainable and profitable markets for producers.

At the project launch, held last week in Castries, Prime Minister Allen Chastanet pledged support for the project and congratulated the IDB/MIF and Laborie Co-operative Credit Union for structuring the first private sector-led approach to expanding climate-smart agricultural practices. He noted in his remarks the importance of expanding the agricultural sector’s linkages with the island’s tourism economy, particularly with the planned addition of over 500 hotel rooms and a home cruise terminal in the south of the island, in close proximity to the targeted farming communities.

The Saint Lucia Government Gazette Company Registration Name: FG Plumbing Service Ltd.

Name: Kriss Luxury Service Inc.

Description: Plumbing

Description: Tours, transfers, and luxury taxi

Directors: Frank Griffith; Alison Griffith

Directors: Nicodemus Thompson

Date Incorporated: 21-Mar-18

Date Incorporated: 4-May-18

Chamber: Alberton Richelieu Chambers,

Chamber: Leevie Herelle

Saint Lucia

& Associates

Name: Supreme Foods Ltd.

Name: Dragonfly Holdings Inc.

Description: Importing and selling of dry goods

Description: Holding company

Directors: Bibiana Florent;

Directors: Deborah Raoul

Darran Moses; Becky Florent

Date Incorporated: 7-May-18

Date Incorporated: 20-Apr-18

Chamber: SEDU, Saint Lucia

Chamber: Lorne Theophilus Chambers, Saint Lucia

Name: Gold Leaf Corporate Secretarial Services Ltd.

Name: CHC Inc.

Description: Corporate and secretarial services

Description: Prefabricated

Directors: Thomas Theobalds;

houses and structures

Duane Jean Baptiste

Directors: Ken Packard; Sheik Ramessar

Date Incorporated: 8-May-18

Date Incorporated: 3-May-18

Chamber: Brickstone Law, Saint Lucia

Chamber: Amicus Legal, Saint Lucia Name: 3D Holdings Inc. Name: Insite Holdings Inc.

Description: Holding company

Description: Property holding

Directors: Dwight Lascaris; Daniel Francis

Directors: Andie Wilkie

Date Incorporated: 9-May-18

Date Incorporated: 3-May-18

Chamber: Norman Francis Chambers,

Chamber: Gordon, Gordon & Co., Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia

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HOME OFFICE COUNTS 63 WRONGLY REMOVED WINDRUSH MIGRANTS Number affected could rise and affect other groups, says Javid

BY FT CORRESPONDENTS ALLIE RENISON AND PETER MANDELSON

Home secretary Sajid Javid has given figures to MPs on the Commons home affairs select committee

Immigration officials believe they have wrongly removed as many as 63 members of the “Windrush Generation” of Caribbean migrants from the UK — and the number affected could rise still further, the home secretary admitted on Tuesday.

Sajid Javid made the revelation as he was giving evidence to the Commons home affairs select committee about the treatment of the Windrush Generation — Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK before 1973. Many have faced harassment from Home Office officials because they lacked documents to prove their right to remain in the UK. Mr Javid’s predecessor, Amber Rudd, said last month that the department was not aware of any Windrush migrants who had been wrongly removed from the UK. Giving evidence before the committee last week, Hugh Ind, the Home

Office’s director-general of immigration enforcement, said that no more than “a handful” of people had been incorrectly forced to leave the country.

Home Office officials have been looking through records of 8,000 removals from the UK to the Caribbean — deportations of criminals and administrative removals of people over their immigration status — to assess how many were members of the Windrush Generation.

“We have found 63 cases where individuals could have entered the UK before 1973,” Mr Javid told the committee.

Of the 63, 32 were deported as foreign national offenders, while the remaining 31 were people who either left of their own accord after being told they had no right to remain or were detained and forcibly removed.

He added that the number could rise further. “I would say it’s not the final

“I would say it’s not the final number at the moment because the work is continuing” - Sajid Javid

number at the moment because the work is continuing,” Mr Javid said.

The home secretary also made it clear that the department was examining only the records of people from the Caribbean countries, although some citizens of other Commonwealth countries who arrived before 1973 are affected.

Mr Javid was unable to tell the committee how many members of the Windrush Generation had been wrongly detained under threat of removal. He said he had made it a priority to discover how many people had been removed from the country.

He also admitted that the “hostile environment” policy of harassing people over their immigration status may have wrongly affected groups other than the Windrush Generation. Ms Rudd had insisted the policy was correct and that the problem arose because of the failure to provide the Windrush Generation with proper documents.

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COMMUNITIES INNOVATE TO ADDRESS SARGASSUM SEAWEED ON COASTS OF SAINT LUCIA Sargassum is free-floating brown macro-algae that lives in the temperate and tropical oceans of the world. In the open ocean, the floating seaweed provides important ecosystem services by acting as habitats for a diverse group of marine animals. It provides food, shade and shelter to many types of specialized fish, crustaceans and turtles. When it reaches the coastline, it provides fertilizer for the plant ecosystems that protect the shoreline from erosion and promotes biodiversity of marine bird and wildlife.

Since 2011, excessively large quantities of Sargassum have accumulated in the Caribbean Sea, only to wash ashore in several Caribbean countries. Massive Sargassum seaweed blooms are becoming increasingly frequent in the Caribbean. The seaweed covers the beaches in huge, stinking blankets that sometimes measure up to 10 feet in depth. As it rots, the seaweed emits a toxic gas known as hydrogen sulphide, which smells of rotting eggs.

The seaweed creates an extreme lack of oxygen in the sea close to shore, killing off native species and resulting in dead zones by first robbing the water of nutrients before the species die and then absorbing oxygen out of the water to decompose. It fouls the beaches, not just for the visiting tourists who contribute to the local economies, but also for several endangered species of marine turtles. The turtles have to dig through several feet of seaweed to lay their eggs or climb beyond the seaweed mats to find clear sand. Later, their hatchlings get entangled in the seaweed on their way to the ocean and die.

On the east coast of Saint Lucia, a local youth by the name of Johanan Dujon noticed how the piles of seaweed were causing trouble for the local fishermen by damaging their equipment and boat engines, as well as complicating their daily lives by making landing difficult upon return from fishing trips. The budding entrepreneur recognized an opportunity to capitalize on this freely available resource to create valuable organic agricultural inputs, which could, in turn, reduce and eventually replace the environmentally harmful synthetic chemicals used to grow food in Saint Lucia.

In 2014, Dujon founded Algas Organics and began experimentation with formulations to make this idea a reality. Dujon successfully formulated the Algas Total Plant Tonic after several rounds of experimentation in 2015.

This all-natural, seaweed-based bio-stimulant optimizes plants’ nutrient uptake through strong root development. Algas Organics, the Caribbean’s first indigenous biotech manufacturing company, made its debut with the Total Plant Tonic on the Saint Lucian market in August 2015, and was warmly received by the gardening and farming community of the island.

With demand for the product on the rise, Dujon recognized the positive impact this could have on the livelihoods of fishermen as an alternative source of income. Dujon approached the Saint Lucia Fisher Folk Cooperative Society Ltd. to partner with him in order to scale up the initiative, and to provide the fishermen with some relief from the vexing seaweed. The partnership received technical and financial support from

Massive Sargassum seaweed blooms are becoming increasingly frequent in the Caribbean. The seaweed covers the beaches in huge, stinking blankets that sometimes measure up to 10 feet in depth. As it rots, the seaweed emits a toxic gas known as hydrogen sulphide, which smells of rotting eggs.

the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, and the government of Saint Lucia.

Algas Organics and the Saint Lucia Fisher Folk Cooperative Society Ltd have removed over 298 tonnes of wet seaweed from the beaches in eastern Saint Lucia since the start of the partnership in 2015. This has provided a livelihood for six local community members who have been trained in harvesting and drying techniques, as well as fertilizer processing, packaging and quality control. The product has since become well known in Saint Lucia’s agriculture sector and was recently introduced to Barbados.

To verify its efficacy, Algas Organics has had its fertilizer tonic tested by a recognized ISO 9000 laboratory, and the results show that the product holds its own against similar top international brands of fertilizer. In 2017 Algas Organics sold a total of 1,680 bottles of fertilizer, up from 289 bottles sold between 2015 and 2016, which constitutes a 481% increase in sales. A projected 5,000 bottles will be sold in 2018.

The strong partnership between Algas Organics and the Saint Lucia Fisher Folk Cooperative

The seaweed creates an extreme lack of oxygen in the sea close to shore, killing off native species and resulting in dead zones by first robbing the water of nutrients before the species die and then absorbing oxygen out of the water to decompose

Society Ltd has led to the establishment of the first Sargassum Seaweed Processing Facility in the Caribbean, and Algas Organics is currently pursuing a certification from the Organic Materials Review Institute.

In the next phase of the project, the Sargassum Seaweed Processing Facility will be further expanded in terms of community members hired and fertilizer production capacity. A Research and Development Lab will be established to continue research into improved formulations and to begin scientific enquiry into other indigenous plants from Saint Lucia’s vast biodiversity treasury.

This research facility will also develop partnerships with reputable and ISO certified laboratories whose role would be to enable international certification. The vison for the future is to develop this community facility as the core of an emerging bio-stimulant and bio-fertiliser industry in Saint Lucia.

In addition to the capacity expansion, the processing facility will also be fully solarized by the end of 2018, and rain water harvesting systems will be installed to augment the existing water supply as a means of increasing resilience to climate change and reducing the average cost of production.

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