Published 4 October 2024
Buckie Got It
St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
From: MarquitaJuanne, Sugrim (FAOSLC) <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, October 4, 2024 8:29 AM
Subject: New feature story published: Cocoa’s revival on the tropical island of Saint Lucia
Dear Editor,
As we approach World Food Day on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, it is with pleasure that we share a new Feature Story on Cuthbert Monrocq, a cocoa farmer in Saint Lucia.
Mr Monrocq, now age 67 is a prime example of a Food Hero. He is passionate not only about farming but training a younger generation to be future farmers. In 2018, Cuthbert set up an organization in his community to train young farmers. His passion for the industry ran so deep that he moved out of his home with the goal of converting it into a processing facility for the group. While the remodelling was in progress, he lived in a small 15 feet x 24 feet structure, typically used for storage, on his farm.
This story which our Head Office in Rome, Italy released yesterday is gaining popularity around the world and now available in Arabic, Chinese, Russian, French and Spanish.
We are sharing the story with you in English (attached and below) and kindly ask that you share it with your readers. Let’s collectively honor and give this humble and pleasant farmer all the kudos and praises he deserves not only in Saint Lucia and the Caribbean, but world-wide.
| FEATURE STORY |
| Cocoa’s revival on the tropical island of Saint Lucia |
| © FAO/Sugrim MarquitaJuanne |
| “Our cocoa is one of the best in the world and perfect for making rich chocolate; it presents a golden opportunity to be a major revenue earner for Saint Lucia along with empowering young people to get into cocoa farming,” remarked Cuthbert Monrocq, a local cocoa expert and farmer in Saint Lucia.Derived from its Greek name Theobroma Cacao, which translates to “Food of the Gods,” cocoa has been intricately woven into the tapestry of the Caribbean Island of Saint Lucia since its arrival in the 1660s. From a steaming cup of hot cocoa and tasty marinades to delectable chocolates, its versatility has no bounds. During the peak period of the banana industry in the 1960’s however, cocoa found itself playing second fiddle.Now, the cocoa industry in Saint Lucia is on the rise again, offering new potential for cocoa farmers. FAO, together with the Ministry of Agriculture in Saint Lucia, is providing cocoa producers with new techniques to improve their farming and helping expert farmers like Cuthbert spread his knowledge to others. |
