Entrepreneurial agriculture, agricultural entrepreneurship and cocoa-farming communities in Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica

Professor Thompson of the University of Trinidad and Tobago’s (UTT) Centre for Production Systems speaks in her presentation about entrepreneurship in cocoa farming with a role for agricultural research and innovation. An interdisciplinary approach is highlighted to aim for economically viable, environmentally sound and socially responsible farming. Key learnings from Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica illustrate the story. The need for agricultural entrepreneurship in cocoa farming is emphasized. Sustainable farms are defined as: (1) economically viable, i.e. providing a living wage for farmers and farm workers, and involving direct marketing, cooperatives, informed inter-cropping; (2) environmentally sound, i.e. promoting biodiversity, preserving habitats, conserving natural resources, reducing dependence on fuel & chemical inputs; and (3) socially responsible, i.e. contributing to community food security and a positive quality of life. (http://www.caribbeanfinecocoa.org/speakers_and_presentations.html)