Caribbean Export is the regional trade and investment promotion agency focused on building a resilient Caribbean by providing cutting-edge and high-impact support to the private sector.
Whether it’s for medicinal or recreational use, tea is one of the most consumed hot beverages worldwide. In 2017 the global tea market was valued at almost US 50 billions dollars and it is expected to exceed US 73 billion dollars by 2024.
Certainly, European traders in the 16th century knew they were onto something great when they introduced tea leaves from China to the continent. Only growing in popularity, tea remains not only a preferred beverage to sip but a wise investment choice in Europe.
The Caribbean Export Development Agency has created a unique opportunity for European buyers and distributers interested in natural teas from the Caribbean to be introduced to export ready tea brands at the upcoming 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum.
Slated for September 26 to 28 at the Union Halle, Frankfurt, Germany the high profile event will be hosted by Caribbean Export in collaboration with the European Commission and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ).
Over 150 Caribbean and European counterparts will get the unique opportunity to meet under one roof to discover tantalizing Caribbean products and services as well as network and build international partnerships. The purpose is to help companies from 15 CARIFORUM countries start or increase exports to Europe.
Caribbean Cure, the award-winning tea company from Trinidad and Tobago, is one of the natural ingredient companies seeking to get its tasty and earthy concoctions sold in Europe.
Brewing nothing but pure natural Caribbean goodness, owners Sophia Stone and Stacy Seeterram were inspired by tradition to produce five deliciously healthy infusions.
The brews pleased more than just the palates of family and friends. In fact, Caribbean Cure has been recognized as producers of world class teas. In 2017 and 2018 the company won bronze for its Tropical Relaxation blend and its Island Breeze blend respectively at the Global Tea Championships hosted by the World Tea Expo in Colorado.
And if that wasn’t impressive enough, Caribbean Cure was shortlisted for a SIAL Paris 2018 Product Innovation award in the prestigious SIAL Innovation Contest, the world’s largest Food and Beverage Exhibition.
The secret is in the process. The tea leaves are slow dried to maximize nutrient content. Each blend offers a delicate balance formulated to create a memorable and unique experience in every cup, Stacy Seeterram explained.
Co-owner Sophia Stone added, I wanted to honour our long history in the Caribbean of using herbs and bush teas. Backed by science, my goal was to make these healing remedies more efficacious, convenient and attractive to today’s consumer.
Also headed to Frankfurt, Germany in September is Shavuot, a Jamaican brand of exotic teas made from local leaves, seeds and roots such as carassee, ginger, moringa and turmeric.
Owned by Richard Harris and his two sons, Joel and Jordan Harris, the trio decided to produce value added products from crops grown on the family’s farm. Shavuot, which means harvesting goodness, is sold in approximately 15 countries. The family produces thousands of cases of tea each month, with 90 per cent being shipped overseas and the remainder sold in Jamaica.
For buyers interested in sourcing Caribbean teas, the 4th CARIFORUM Business Forum is the only place to be from September 26 to 28.
Did you know that dark chocolate naturally releases a chemical in the brain to make you happy?
When Elizabeth Lady Montano was informed of this by Gillian Goddard, Co-Director of the ARC TT The Alliance of Rural Communities of Trinidad and Tobago, that light-bulb moment went off. Lady Montano had been struggling to find that perfect treat for patrons attending her son’s (International Soca artist Machel Montano) annual Machel Monday Carnival Concert. In 2014 her and her team had been on a quest to find the perfect snack to highlight the theme Happy Nation and as veganism and vegetarianism are lifestyle choices of the Montano’s, creating a vegan chocolate became the obvious choice!
Our brand ambassador Machel Montano is vegan, I am also vegan and most of our family is either vegan or vegetarian. We want to encourage healthy living hence those ingredients. There are no preservatives, no additives, no emulsifiers and no dairy of course. We wanted to keep it pure, healthy and attractive to taste and we have succeeded in doing that. We want to make people aware that you can eat healthy and still enjoy it, Lady Montano said.
Machel Montano Chocolate Ltd will be attending the upcoming 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum, which will be held in Union Halle, Frankfurt, Germany from September 26 to 28, 2019 in an effort to break into the European market.
Organized by the Caribbean Export Development Agency in cooperation with the European Union and the German Development Agency (GIZ), the forum aims to improve trade and exports from the region to Europe, especially in high potential growth areas such as the agro-processed food and natural ingredient industries.
Machel Montano Chocolate Company Ltd produces 60 per cent dark chocolate bar using authentic fine flavoured Trinitario cocoa. The formula is quite simple containing only three ingredients: cocoa nibs, cocoa butter and Guyanese Demerara sugar and has a shelf life of one year. As a handmade product it’s currently ranked as the second best local chocolate in Trinidad, and it now has its eyes on expanding into Europe and the United States.
The Montano’s mission isn’t just to produce a fantastic tasting happiness inducing vegan chocolate, they also want to revitalize the Trinidadian cocoa industry. The company has sought to empower several local communities, which currently supply the cocoa.
Machel through his foundation is working with the Siparia community where he grew up to set up a factory. This is part of our Corporate Social Responsibility and we are working with WHYFARM to achieve that goal, disclosed Lady Montano, adding that the foundation was empowering residents through training and by equipping them with chocolate production tools.
Trinitario cacoa come from the Trinitario cacao trees which are a natural hybrid biological class resulting from cross-pollination. They were created in Trinidad after a hurricane in 1727 destroyed most of the Criollo cacao trees. The Trinidad cacao plantations were then replanted with Forastero resulting in the creation of a hybrid of Criollo and Forastero (source: https://www.caribbeanandco.com/caribbean-chocolate-brands/)
Over 60 Caribbean producers will be attending the Business Forum and other chocolate producers include Cocoa Saint Lucia and Coldbush Organics from Jamaica.
The global cosmetics industry generates billions of dollars each year and Jamaican Dianne Plummer, owner of Your True Shade, a healthy cosmetic line manufactured in her homeland, is hoping to get a slice of that market.
The first Caribbean cosmetics beauty line to be certified by Cruelty Free International in the United Kingdom; Your True Shade is recognised as a green skin care and clean cosmetics brand. Your True Shade was created out of necessity by Dianne while studying sustainable energy and chemical engineering in Sweden and Finland. During that period, she found it difficult to find makeup that offered ideal coverage without irritating her sensitive skin and causing eczema flare ups.
Using her engineering background, Dianne hand-picked natural ingredients to formulate her own skincare and make-up line. As a result, Your True Shade Cosmetics Limited was born. The line has the distinction of being free from harmful chemicals commonly used in some skin care products. And remarkably, it celebrates the diversity of skin tones found in the Caribbean and beyond.
Though her company is only four years old, Dianne is determined to be a trailblazer in natural skin care in the Caribbean and focuses heavily on innovation, research and development. I’m always trying to make everything better, change formulations and tweak things as we go forward, because innovation has to be at the core of the business, she said.
She added that the old way of doing things was not a sustainable business model, but that a revolution was needed. In her opinion, what separates the outstanding entrepreneur from the average Jane or Joe is the ability to bring something new, never before seen or done, to the market. “In an already saturated market, like skincare, one must figure out how to do it differently and be innovative, Dianne stressed.
She does this by fusing technology, science and nature to deliver a safe, efficacious product, thereby successfully changing the narrative surrounding beauty by making it synonymous with health.
Your True Shade cosmetics is known for its ability to conceal and minimise imperfections, as well as promote healing and repair through the locally-sourced, natural, anti-inflammatory and hydrating herbs, spices and plant extracts used to formulate the line. In essence, it’s makeup with skincare benefits.
Your True Shade will be at the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum being organized by the Caribbean Export Development Agency at the Union Halle in Frankfurt, Germany from September 26 to 28. Together the over 60 Caribbean suppliers, the event organized in collaboration with the European Union and Deutsche Gesellschaft Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) aims to improve trade between the Caribbean and Europe.
Find out more about True Shade Cosmetics: www.yourtrueshade.com and join their community on Facebook @trueshadecosmetics and Instagram @yourtrueshade.
Well executed animations can enhance the viewing experience of both children and adults. Full Circle Animation Studio, from Trinidad and Tobago is just one company in the Caribbean that is excelling in its production of animations and whose body of work is being noticed internationally.
As a result, creators in the company worked tirelessly between December 2017 and May 2018 to perfect the animation for the show.
“This show had a very unique and distinctive style of design and animation. It looks simple and minimalist but it required us to transmit a lot of emotion through the characters using very limited animation movement. Going in, we had underestimated how challenging that could be, while keeping the provocative edge that really defines the style of the show. In that regard, it was a new technical experience for us†said Managing Director Jason Lindsay.
Mr. Lindsay also noted that the experience benefitted his team tremendously. “For a young animation industry like ours here in Trinidad, the main long-term benefit of an opportunity like this is the investment in our human resource. The experience and technical/creative insight gained from our animators working with an experienced production studio like Big Jump Entertainment is invaluable. The entire team benefited from it tremendously,†he stated.
Full Circle has also worked on smaller productions which were broadcast on The Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Universal Studios, DreamWorks TV and RAI as well as on projects in the Caribbean.
The company has also collaborated with other companies in the Caribbean on regional and international projects. “On our very first outsourcing job, we collaborated with animation studios in Barbados and Jamaica. Since then, it’s not uncommon for us to work with animation studios in St. Lucia, Barbados and Jamaica for international outsourcing clients. We’ve collaborated on projects with Malfinis Productions in St. Lucia, Alycone Animation and Skyres in Jamaica and Westoonz and BIMAP in Barbados.
“We’ve also developed working relationships with a network of recording studios, casting directors and voice actors in Grenada, Belize, Suriname, Dominica, and Guyana for projects based on Caribbean content like the CARICOM mini-series Pepperpot Valley,†the Managing Director explained.
Now focused on expansion and growth, Full Circle is looking to offer its services on the European market. To that end they will participate in the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum being held in Frankfurt, Germany by the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) in collaboration with the European Commission and Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ).
This will be an opportunity for them to explore business options available on the European market and to give Europeans some highlights of their vast repertoire.
The Business Forum is a high-profile event which seeks to develop and build international partnerships through business to business meetings, networking and business consultations.
Rum has been
discovered, produced and perfected on sugar plantations in the Caribbean since
the 17th Century. Over the
years the demand for this by-product of sugar cane has grown world-wide.
Global exports of rum from CARIFORUM (a grouping of fifteen Caribbean countries) to Europe have increased by 26.86 % over the last three years to reach a value of $1.45 million Euros. Major importers are Spain and Germany, with Spain’s consumption making up 14 % of the spirits market.
To further improve and strengthen exports in Europe, representatives from CARIFORUM rum producing industries will converge in Frankfurt, Germany from September 26 to 28, 2019 for the 4th CARIFORUM EU Business Forum to build relationships and increase awareness in Europe.
The Business Forum is organized by the Caribbean Export Development Agency which has identified the agro-processed food and natural ingredient industries as well as the cultural and creative industries as sectors with the highest potential for growth in Europe.
Ian Burrell, the world’s ONLY recognised Global Ambassador for the rum, will be leading the Rum Master Class on Day 2 of the business forum.
Speaking to the development of this industry over the years, Manager for Competitiveness and Export Promotion at Caribbean Export, Damie Sinanan noted that over the last decade, the production of rum has diversified to include a wide range of flavours including apple, pineapple, mango and passion fruit. With these changing trends and increased demand, we hope to see a more diverse range of Caribbean rum available in the European market.
Did you know…
1. Not all rums
are sweet
Most rums are made from molasses a byproduct of sugarcane through a process of fermentation and distillation, and after this process all that remains is alcohol. As a result, rum in its natural state is sugar free and the natural sweetness of rum comes from aging in mostly American oak wooden barrels. Some rum producers do add sugar to the distilled rum to sweeten and smoothen out the product, making it seem more thick and luxurious. However, you won’t find this in authentic rum producing countries like Barbados, Jamaica, and Martinique, which have regulations that prohibit adding sugar and other preservatives.
2. Pirates didn’t just drink rum
While rum was considered the drink of choice for pirates during the 1660s to 1730s when piracy flourished in the Caribbean, pirates didn’t just drink rum. Famous pirates like real life Captain Morgan (born 1635 in Wales and died 1688 in Jamaica), Edward Teach aka Blackbeard and others drank all types of alcohol and spirits like brandy, port, and Spanish wine. Most of the rum consumed during the 17th-century was drunk by people who lived in the Caribbean, not pirates.
3. Rhum is French
for rum
Rhum with an H is
not a spelling mistake but refers to French style rum that is made from freshly
squeezed sugar cane juice rather than molasses. The official name is Rhum
Agricole and this style of rum is traditionally made in former French Caribbean
colonies such as Martinique which labels its rum AOC Martinique Rhum
Agricole.
4. Ron is Spanish
for rum
Just as the French have a different way of spelling rum, so do the Spanish. In fact, if you’re in a Spanish speaking country, then rum will be spelled Ron. Beyond the French and Spanish variation, there are also other names for rum. In fact, rum has many unofficial names including Aguadiente, Brebaje, Barbados Water, Clarin, Demon Water, Guildive, Killdevil, Nelson’s Blood, Red Eye, Pirates Drink, Navy Neaters, Guildive, and Tafia. As for the origin of the word rum itself, it is thought to be from an old English word called Rumbullion that was used to describe cane spirit in Barbados during the mid-1600’s and is meant as an uproar or tumult. Another linkage is to the word Rumbustious due to the effects of drinking rum.
5. Not all aged
rums are dark
There
are different types of rum including gold, dark, white, spiced,
flavored and overproof. Aged rum tends
to be dark, but there are also some aged white rums. Aged white rum is achieved
by putting distilled rum in an oak barrel which is charcoal-filtered, and this
takes away the dark color but still leaves the rum with the rich flavor of darker
rums. The clarity and crispness of white rums make them a perfect choice to
drink neat (by itself), or with ice and lime or in a full-blown rum cocktail.
Beyond Cane Spirit Rothschild (CSR) and Brinley Gold Shipwreck, two white rums
from St Kitts, an extremely popular aged white rum is Barcardi with origins in
Cuba but now produced in Puerto Rico.
6. There are
different ways to experience and savor rum
Rum is often paired with (diet) coke or fruits juices, but there are other ways of drinking this global spirit. For premium rums with complex flavors and aromas, its best to drink neat or with a splash of water or cube of ice. Premium rums also work well in classic cocktails such as Old fashions and Manhattans. A growing trend is to pair rum with different types of food including chocolate and marshmallows. Enjoying a glass of premium rum neat while smoking a cigar is also another favorite pastime. Note that when visiting a Caribbean bar or rum shop, you may hear straight or straight up instead of neat for a shot of rum.
7. Rum comes in
all price ranges
Like all other spirits, prices for rum range from low to high with entry-level bottles of rum ranging from US$20 to US$60 but prices go much higher. For example, an Appleton Estate 50-year-old Independence Rum which was distilled in 1962 but bottled in 2012, sells for around US$5,000. This is not surprising as only 800 bottles of the Jamaican Appleton Estate 50-year-old Independence Rum was put into circulation. Even more costly is a Wray & Nephew 17-year-old Jamaican rum used in the original Mai Tai in 1944 which is valued at around US$52,000. Another highly prized and expensive rum was The Harewood Estate Rum uncovered circa 2011 which has the distinction of being the oldest rum in the world. Bottled initially in Barbados circa 1780, 24 bottles were auctioned by Christie’s in London in 2013 & 2014 for £250,000 (approx. US$332,000).
8. Not all rums
marketed as rum are rum
With the increasing popularity and global demand for rums, it’s perhaps no surprise that there are now fake rum brands. Counterfeit rums are standard in Europe where no sugar cane is grown. For example, Tuzem a distilled drink from the Czech Republic has been marketed as rum, but it is made not from sugar cane or byproducts but potatoes or sugar beets. Other fake rums to watch out for are Rum Verschnitt from Germany and Inlander Rum from Austria. As such, stick to well-known rum brands and for the Caribbean choose those with the Authentic Caribbean Rum Marque label.
Take a look at the Caribbean rum producers that will be in Frankfurt, Germany from September 26 to 28, 2019 for the 4th CARIFORUM EU Business Forum.
Caribbean Export has identified the cultural and creative industries as high potential growth areas in Europe and in collaboration with the European Union and Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) the event will see over 60 Caribbean companies showcase their products and services to the attending audiences.
With the realization that there is an increase in the demand for Caribbean music at a number of cultural events in Europe, including Summerjam Reggae Festival in Germany, Ibiza Soca Festival in Spain and Reggae Sun Ska Festival in France, Caribbean Export is hoping to promote more Caribbean music to Europeans. This is part of their larger efforts to encourage the export of work done by cultural industries in CARIFORUM countries to Europe.
Other activities on the Discover the Caribbean Day include a film festival where patrons can watch a range films and animations produced in the Caribbean. There will be over 60 different food and beverage producers sampling products enabling consumers curious about what the Caribbean has to offer, to come out and Discover the Caribbean.Â
The demand for natural medicine in Europe has grown at a tremendous rate as Europeans becoming more and more conscious about their health and the quality of the goods they consume.
In 2017, the global nutraceuticals product market reached US$204 billion. With an abundance of medicinal plants, the Caribbean is ripe with natural remedies to supply the increase in demand for natural ingredients.
A common experience for many people living in the Caribbean and visitors is the irritating mosquito bite. It’s an unwanted experience of millions all over the world and with this desire to use natural remedies drove medical doctors Gayle Devaux-Segovia and Carlos Segovia to develop natural repellent prior to the birth of their first child. They wanted to make a natural insect repellent safe enough to use on a baby.
“When our son was born, we used the insect repellent on him and it worked very well. We got a lot of encouragement from people so in 1997 we formed a company called Natmed Ltd. We branded the product under Caribbean Blue Naturals and twenty years later, it is still one of our best sellers,†Dr. Gayle Devaux-Segovia explained.
Over the years, Dr. Gayle and her husband added more products to Caribbean Blue Naturals: deodorant, body spray, hand sanitizers and sun screen to list a few. They are all natural, cruelty-free, reef-safe, non-GMO, 100% biodegradable and mostly vegan as they use beeswax in their lip balm and candles.
Dr. Carlos Segovia said they source the majority of their ingredients locally. According to him, these ingredients included Saint Lucia cocoa, aloe vera, seaweed extract, nutmeg and other Caribbean spices. Our mission is to produce all natural products of the highest quality and make them affordable to the general public, he noted.
The Saint Lucian company will showcase its wide range of natural products at the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum organized by the Caribbean Export Development Agency in collaboration with the European Union and Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ). Along with over 60 other Caribbean companies, the Business Forum enables buyers and consumers to meet suppliers and source products from the Caribbean over 3 days from 26th to the 28th September 2019 at the Union Halle, Frankfurt, Germany.
The global fertility industry has seen robust year-on year growth as new advances in in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), and a steady increase in infertility rates, have shored up demand for assisted pregnancies. And while the United States and Europe still command the largest share of the industry, a small clinic in Barbados is heading off global competition to eke out a niche for itself with world-leading IVF success rates, and the unique value-added of Barbados’ tourism brand. Formed in 2002, the Barbados Fertility Centre is a partnership between Barbadian doctor Juliet Skinner and Irish IVF nurse, Anna Hosford. The Centre became their joint vision following Skinner’s return to Barbados in 1998, where local infertility rates showed up an untapped market for IVF solutions. Inevitably, the Centre’s ambitions were global. In an industry where one IVF unit typically serves a population of 750,000, the Barbados Fertility Centre has been outward looking from the outset. Today, it is a major lynchpin in Barbados’ medical tourism offering. By 2017, the Centre had facilitated thousands of pregnancies for clients in the Caribbean, the far East, Australia, the United States and Europe. “On any given day, our waiting room is like the United Nations,†BFC Chief Operations Officer, Rachel de Gale, told Caribbean Export’s Outlook. Patients are drawn to the Centre’s high success rates — now at 67 per cent for women under-35 — and treatment costs that average around 40 per cent below that of fertility treatments in the United States. An aggressive marketing campaign in North America has paid dividends for the Centre, with 25% of its patients coming from the US, second only to the burgeoning Caribbean home market.
The production of cacao is globally concentrated in the regions between 10 degrees north and 10 degrees south of the equator, namely Central and South America, West Africa and the Caribbean. The Caribbean is held in high regard as a cacao-producing region because it yields a fine, aromatic bean. In fact, fine flavoured cacao accounts for only 5% of the world production and is concentrated in a few countries, one of which is Suriname.
It is the soil that determines the quality of the cacao bean and Suriname is perfectly positioned to generate nutrient rich soil for the native cacao tree to thrive from. The method of making Surinamese cacao, called skrati in Surinamese Creole language, has been used for centuries to produce cacao based products.
However, the skrati was losing interest among many of the natives when a young artist traveled to Suriname to complete a project and fell in love with the exotic plant and its qualities in 2005. Five years later, she set out to revive the tradition and with that Tan Bun Skrati was established. As a smallscale cacao enterprise, Tan Bun Skrati is a grower and processor of artisan cacao products such as tea, butter, chocolate bars, cupcakes, truffles and bonbons filled with the finest Surinamese fruit.
“The company really started as an art project, but I was so intrigued by the Surinamese cacao that I decided to explore the properties of the bean some more,†recalled Ellen Lem Ligteringen , Managing Director. “This is what motivated me to actually start to produce chocolate from the cacao.†In the beginning there were a few challenges for the company as there were not many cacao trees available and the machines to process the bean were also inadequate. But as a sculptor, Ellen was able to make her own machines and with that the business started to develop.
In the Caribbean, there is no shortage of talented DJs. Names like DJ Crown Prince from Antigua and Barbuda, Trinidad’s DJ Private Ryan and Black Chiney from Jamaica, are known for their creative remixes and ability to push the conventional boundaries. Beyond this, Caribbean DJs are the ideal cultural ambassadors to serve on the front lines of the region’s mission of transporting its music to the world.
When thinking about ambassadors, one DJ that comes to mind is DJ Puffy, the 2016 Red Bull Thre3style World DJ Champion. Born Andre Curtis Parris, the Barbadian turntablist started DJ-ing as a hobby during his teens, but it is evident that music is a part of his DNA.
What started as a passionate adolescent pastime, eventually turned into a rewarding world-class career; one that has led to Puffy performing at parties attended by A-listers such as Rihanna and Amber Rose, and sharing the stage with Hed Kandi and Rick Ross among others. Puffy’s raw talent has propelled him into the global spotlight, but his success has not overshadowed his Caribbean influence. In fact, many will argue that staying true to his culture and background as an artist is what makes his sound so unique. Other influences include the likes of Ryan Leslie, Swizz Beatz, Machel Montano, Funkmaster Flex, Scratch Master, Private Ryan, DJ Crown Prince, Hypasounds, Peter Coppin, and DJ Jazzy Jeff.
“I’m influenced by everything around me. What defines a living organism is the fact that it’s extremely sensitive to changes or elements in its environment and I’m no different.â€
This adaptability also fuels Puffy’s creativity. His music, much like his personal style, is somewhat of an evolution, and this creativity is instrumental to his craft. Puffy’s ability to connect with the crowd and the performer, and his knack for bringing the element of surprise to the set came to the fore during his run to the finals of the Red Bull Thre3style World DJ Championship in 2016. He entered the competition as a Wild Card, following encouragement from a fellow competitor and colleague, United Statesbased DJ Trayze.
How did you get started in business? When Grace Foster Reid found herself unemployed after the closure of the two bauxite factories in the central Jamaican town of Mandeville she looked to her father’s farm for inspiration.
As an engineer and graduate from MIT, innovation comes as second nature, and so when she saw the bee hives on her father’s farm and learned about their versatility, she knew there was something she could do.
Hives provide five salable products – honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly and wax. Grace decided bees would provide employment for herself, and at least 100 community members made redundant by the factory closures, including those at risk.
What helped to make the Ecofarmsâ„¢ dream a reality? Like most entrepreneurs, Grace experienced numerous obstacles. Staffing issues, lack of capital and funding, and low profit margins all threatened to derail her social enterprise.
But innovation is in the engineer’s blood, and she produced a product with a difference. Grace unveiled Buzz™ HoneyStix™ in 2011, straw-shaped sachets, each with a teaspoon of honey. They include island infusions of cinnamon, ginger, lemongrass, mango, tamarind and watermelon. The sachets now retail in over 50 stores across Jamaica, including the global coffee giant Starbucks, which placed an initial order of 3,000 when they opened doors in Jamaica in the fall of 2018.
Ecofarms’ product offerings expanded in 2013 with the inclusion of “Buzzâ„¢ Honey Wineâ€, a product birthed after Foster accidentally left a bottled honey/passionfruit infusion in a cupboard. Six months later, it had turned to the oldest alcoholic beverage known to man – mead honey wine. Grace employed science to commence production of an award-winning product with infusions of Malay (Otaheite) apple, sorrel and carambola.
What’s next for Ecofarms™? Two new products are on the cards Ecofarms™, one in the drinks category, the other in confectionary. They are both slated for release in winter 2019.
In keeping with Grace’s goal to assist vulnerable members of her community, Ecofarms™ will expand operations to the Jamaica Deaf Village, where they will mostly employ the hearing impaired. Two deaf youths are currently training as beekeepers.
“We plan on moving to the Jamaica Deaf Village next, because the hearing impaired are…underemployed, and often paid below minimum wage,†Foster-Reid said.
The social enterprise company is also scaling up, having recently purchased production lines for their HoneyStixâ„¢, Honey Wine and honey packaging. Ecofarmsâ„¢ is also looking into select export markets in the Caribbean, North America and Europe, and is pursuing food safety certification.
Grace Foster Reid
A few takeaways for budding & aspiring entrepreneurs “Reassess those things you currently consider obstacles or setbacks,†Grace advises, “because in them, you just may find the fuel you need to keep going.â€
Ecofarms’ greatest periods of growth emerged from their most emotionally and financially trying times. That’s because, Grace said, these periods forced her to innovate, increase productivity, improve efficiency and research the training and funding opportunities available. She also warns against being overly optimistic. “Our natural optimism as entrepreneurs can lead us to over project, failing to account for possible mishaps. So, halve your projected revenue and double your expenses, and then ask yourself if the business is still viable.â€
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT Ecofarmsâ„¢: Facebook and Instagram – @ecofarms, Twitter – @ecofarmsja, and by visiting their website: www.ecofarmsjamaica.com.
