Vóór de wereldwijde gezondheidscrisis COVID-19 was er al veel vraag naar natuurlijke producten en ingrediënten, maar de pandemie heeft de markt een extra impuls gegeven doordat consumenten op zoek zijn naar gezonde producten die ook zo zuiver mogelijk zijn.

Uit onderzoek blijkt dat de wereldwijde markt voor natuurlijke voeding en dranken in 2020 werd gewaardeerd op 120 miljoen dollar en tegen 2031 naar verwachting 361 miljoen dollar zal bedragen, met een samengesteld gemiddeld groeipercentage van 11,44% van 2022 tot 2031.

Het woord ‘natuurlijk’ heeft verschillende connotaties, maar volgens een wereldwijd onderzoek dat in 2018 door Ipsos werd uitgevoerd, zijn de drie meest voorkomende associaties die consumenten maken wanneer ze de term op etiketten zien, de volgende:

1. Gezond.

2. Geen kunstmatige ingrediënten.

3. 100% uit de natuur.

Consumenten verwachten dat natuurlijke producten goed voor hen zijn, zo weinig mogelijk zijn bewerkt en vrij zijn van kunstmatige kleurstoffen, zoetstoffen, smaakstoffen en additieven.

Aangezien de vraag naar gezonde en natuurlijke producten waarschijnlijk alleen maar zal toenemen, zijn voedingsdistributeurs altijd op zoek naar partners die eten en drinken kunnen leveren dat lekker smaakt en er goed uitziet, en die, als bonus, op een milieuvriendelijke manier zijn geteeld.

Als de leverancier bovendien een impactvol verhaal bij zijn aanbod voegt, vergroot dit element de verkoopbaarheid van het product en overtuigt het de consument ervan dat wat hij eet of drinkt niet alleen goed is voor hem, maar ook voor de mensen die het produceren.

In het Caribisch gebied gebruiken plaatselijke producenten regelmatig inheemse vruchten, kruiden en specerijen in handgemaakte huid- en haarverzorgingsproducten, alsook in voedsel en drank.

Caraïbische “superfoods” worden gecombineerd met overgeleverde generatierecepten om geleien, thee, sauzen, jam enz. te maken die barsten van smaak en vergezeld gaan van een achtergrond en geschiedenis die niet kunnen worden gekopieerd of nagemaakt.

Sugar Town Organics, een bedrijf in Saint Kitts, is een lichtend voorbeeld van een micro-onderneming die de natuurlijke rijkdom van het Caribisch gebied combineert met duurzame praktijken en een krachtig oorsprongsverhaal.

Het idee voor deze botanische onderneming, die is opgericht door de vrouwelijke ondernemer Anastasha Elliott, ontstond toen bij haar moeder Myrtrice baarmoederhalskanker werd vastgesteld.

Mrytrice kreeg te horen dat ze nog maar vier maanden te leven had, maar ze besloot de ziekte te bestrijden met een holistische aanpak. Ze veranderde haar eet- en leefgewoonten en werd kort daarna kankervrij verklaard.

Anastasha zag hoe haar moeder de kracht van de natuur gebruikte om haar te helpen herstellen, en wilde delen wat de familie had geleerd, samen met wat generaties daarvoor hen al hadden geleerd via traditionele recepten voor zepen, shampoos, oliën, sauzen en boters.

Flauriel werd opgericht onder de paraplu “Sugar Town Organics” als een veganistisch voedingsmerk dat hulde brengt aan de Caraïbische landbouw en voorouderlijke praktijken.

Anastasha oogst een groot deel van het fruit in haar producten, samen met geneeskrachtige kruiden en specerijen, van een miniboerderij in de achtertuin van haar huis, en ze werkt ook samen met lokale, biologische boeren in haar land en in de regio om een grotere verscheidenheid aan grondstoffen te verkrijgen.

Anastasha’s diploma in culinaire kunsten stelt haar in staat om zuivelvrije en natriumvrije geleien, wijnen, theeën, jams, kazen, sauzen en siropen te formuleren die een hoge voedingswaarde hebben en lang houdbaar zijn. Enkele van de ingrediënten die in de producten van Flauriel worden gebruikt, zijn kokosnoot, hibiscus, mango, zuring, sourop, avocado, guave en gember.

Elk product wordt methodisch met de hand gemaakt door Anastasha en haar kleine team, met gebruikmaking van langdurige extractie-, meng-, mix- en infusietechnieken.

Sprekend over het starten van haar merk, zei Anastasha: “Ik keek naar hoe we in het Caribisch gebied voedsel gebruiken om onze gezondheid, schoonheid en families te onderhouden, en om te genezen van ziekte. Onze merken zijn daarom zeer voedselgericht, en zeer Caribisch, natuurlijk met culturele invloeden die zowel het Caribisch gebied beïnvloedden als een rol spelen in de geografische oorsprong van mijn familie.”

Het volledige aanbod van Flauriel zal te zien zijn op de komende Speciality & Fine Food Fair van 5 tot 6 september 2022 in Olympia, Londen. Anastasha zal deel uitmaken van een groep van het Absolutely Caribbean paviljoen dat bestaat uit kleine ondernemers die worden gesteund door het Caribbean Export Development Agency en de Europese Unie.

De beurs presenteert opkomende en gevestigde merken binnen de ambachtelijke, fijne voedsel- en drankindustrie en is een schatkamer voor innovatieve en inspirerende producten en opkomende trends.

Flauriel’s assortiment past in het rijtje van meer dan 700 andere leveranciers van voedingsmiddelen en dranken uit de hele wereld, die een voortrekkersrol spelen in enkele van ‘s werelds belangrijkste voedseltrends. Maar het achtergrondverhaal van Anastasha’s bedrijf, samen met Flauriel’s unieke gebruik van smaakvol fruit, kruiden en specerijen uit het Caribisch gebied, zullen haar producten anders maken dan alle andere.

Gedurfd, impactvol, vers, divers, kleurrijk, heet en pittig” zijn slechts enkele van de woorden die je zou kunnen gebruiken om de Caribische keuken te beschrijven, die internationale fans aan het winnen is via supermarkten en straatkraampjes en ook steeds meer invloed heeft op de high-end restaurantscene.

Caraïbisch eten staat al een tijdje aan de vooravond van wereldwijde erkenning en werd onlangs door de National Restaurant Association aangemerkt als een van de toptrends om in 2022 in de gaten te houden.

Het zeer gerespecteerde jaarlijkse rapport over gastvrijheidstrends voor 2022 van adviesbureau af&co. en communicatiespecialist Carbonate, ging nog verder door de Caraïbische keuken tot “keuken van het jaar” uit te roepen.

Het jaarlijkse rapport (‘Through the Looking Glass: Finding Your Way in a New Era of Hospitality‘), dat nu voor de 14e keer verschijnt, probeert de trends en praktijken te identificeren die de gastvrijheidsindustrie in 2022 vorm zullen geven door de belangrijkste invloeden op het gebied van eten, drinken, duurzaamheid en andere gebieden in kaart te brengen.

In het rapport stond: “Caribisch koken is hot! – en dan hebben we het niet over de chili’s. De Caraïbische keuken verovert het podium nu chef-koks de diverse smaken, ingrediënten en culinaire invloeden van deze regio verkennen. “Caraïben” is een verzamelnaam voor de eilanden van West-Indië en de Caraïbische Zee, en voor kustlanden zoals Belize en Guyana. Het gebied omvat een melange van culinaire tradities, waaronder Afrikaanse, Creoolse, Cajun, Europese, Latijns-Amerikaanse, en nog veel meer.”

De diversiteit van het Caribisch gebied is een van zijn sterke punten en het mooie van zijn aantrekkingskracht is dat het uit een breed scala van achtergronden put. Afrika beïnvloedt voornamelijk de combinatie van basisingrediënten, India en Latijns-Amerika brengen de specerijen en de smaak, en Europa voegt een vleugje flair toe.

De geschiedenis en het erfgoed achter de Caraïbische keuken zijn boeiend en uniek en maken de keuken nog aantrekkelijker.
Een ander belangrijk aspect dat Caribisch eten zo populair maakt, is de kruiding. Caribische kruiden zijn het ‘geheime wapen’ van de regio. Het kan worden gevonden op zeevruchten, groenten, of vlees en heeft een speciale culinaire twist van elk eiland. In Jamaica wordt de jerk seasoning gebruikt, terwijl anderen hun mengsel gewoon “groene seasoning” noemen.

De meeste kruidenrecepten bevatten knoflook, uien, selderij, groene uien, scotch bonnet pepers, en kruiden zoals tijm, marjolein, rozemarijn, of dragon.

De exacte combinatie van de benodigde kruiden en specerijen in verschillende Caribische kruiden is meestal geheime informatie, vervat in een geheugenspier die al tientallen jaren van generatie op generatie wordt doorgegeven. Maar welke kruiden en specerijen ook worden gebruikt, in welke hoeveelheden ze ook worden gebruikt en hoe lang ze ook samen marineren, ze brengen allemaal het beste naar boven in het voedsel waarmee ze gepaard gaan.

In St. Vincent en de Grenadines is Pringa’s seasoning een gerespecteerd en reeds lang bestaand merk, dat bekend staat om het gebruik van volledig natuurlijke kruiden en specerijen samen met seizoensfruit, en zonder conserveringsmiddelen of onnodige toevoegingen.

Het bedrijf is actief sinds 1997, nadat het was begonnen met de productie vanuit een kleine winkel in de gemeenschap. De kruiden van Pringa worden geteeld door plaatselijke boeren en kort na de verse pluk naar het nabijgelegen verwerkingsbedrijf vervoerd om te worden gebotteld.

Pringa’s “Natural Flavour”-lijn van producten bestaat uit pepersauzen, groene kruiderijen, geleien en chips en het hele assortiment zal te zien zijn op de Speciality and Fine Food die op 5-6 september 2022 plaatsvindt in Olympia in Londen.

Pringa’s maakt deel uit van een “Absolutely Caribbean“-delegatie van kleine Caribische producenten die door de Caribbean Export Development Agency en de Europese Unie worden gesteund. Elk bedrijf produceert voedingsmiddelen die gezond, evenwichtig, natuurlijk en smaakvol zijn.

De COVID-19-pandemie heeft de consumenten ertoe aangezet goed te kijken naar de bron van de levensmiddelen die zij consumeren. Hoewel het ergste van de pandemie achter de rug lijkt te zijn, zijn velen nog steeds gefocust op het eten van zo gezond en authentiek mogelijke producten, maar zij zijn ook steeds meer bereid om nieuwe smaken, aroma’s en voedingsmiddelen opnieuw te ontdekken.

De meeste Caribische recepten kunnen gemakkelijk thuis worden nagemaakt, vooral als u een vertrouwd merk kruiden bij de hand hebt. Maar ook distributeurs, kleinhandelaars en restauranthouders kunnen op de vraag inspelen door een betrouwbare producent van kruiden uit het Caribisch gebied te vinden.

De Caraïbische keuken heeft zich voortdurend verder ontwikkeld, maar biedt nog steeds volop groeimogelijkheden. In tegenstelling tot sommige andere markten heeft de Caraïbische keuken dus ruimte om zich te ontwikkelen en veel nieuwe smaken te bekeren.

The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) will finance a marketing consultancy to enhance the competitiveness of Jamaican coffee exporters in the European Union (EU) market.

The initiative was developed following a meeting between Jamaica’s Ambassador to Belgium, H.E. Symone Betton Nayo and Deodat Maharaj, Executive Director of the Caribbean Export.

The first phase of the consultancy will focus on an analysis of the EU coffee market, including market entry requirements and the penetration strategies of other major coffee exporters to the EU. The second phase will focus on developing a targeted marketing strategy for the EU coffee market.

The initiative will address issues raised at a meeting in May 2021 between Jamaican, Belgian and other EU coffee stakeholders about the need for a marketing strategy in the EU. Participants requested that the strategy provides guidance on sustainability, telling the story of the product and ways to appeal to young people, a growing EU consumer base.

The initiative is funded by the European Union under the 11th EDF Regional Private Sector Development programme.

The Jamaica Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade will host a launch event for this initiative on 27 January 2022, from 10 – 11 AM EST. The Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith, Her Excellency, Ambassador Symone Betton-Nayo, Deodat Maharaj and other key partners will participate in the event. The consultant, Windward Commodities will present a proposed review of the EU coffee market.

As we enter the festive season and end 2021 under the long shadow of the pandemic and escalating climate crisis, the Caribbean and its people have demonstrated commendable resilience.

Looking ahead, this resilient spirit will be required more than ever if we are to create growth, generate precious jobs and provide opportunity for our people. This is especially needed considering the pandemic and existential threat we face from climate change are not going away. The issue to confront is whether we continue with the same policy prescriptions and approaches. Quite frankly, business as usual has not served us well and will not work in an equally or even more challenging 2022.

To build a resilient Caribbean, business must play a central and important leadership role in both driving economic recovery and creating climate-friendly growth. In essence, a strong and vibrant private sector is core to help manage and solve the challenges we face, which will in turn create opportunities for our people.

From my standpoint, I am aware that we cannot do everything given the already heavy burden carried by administrations across our Region. However, doing more of the same or nothing at all are not viable options. Therefore, as a Region we must build on the core asset of our capable and resilient people so clearly demonstrated in these testing times to realise three practical goals that will help fast-track recovery and lay the basis for a resilient Caribbean.

1. Regional Capital Market

Caribbean countries are just too small to navigate an increasingly complex and challenging global landscape. Consequently, regional integration cannot be an option for small open economies as we have in our Region to survive in a global architecture where the giants are determining the rules of the game. There is indeed strength in numbers from both geopolitical and economic perspectives. I am also conscious of the need and scale to attract foreign direct investment at a level that can create the jobs and opportunity. Pooling our countries as one investment destination in areas such as AgTech or renewables can help achieve the scale required. Simultaneously, we need to facilitate the flow of capital from within the Region, so Caribbean people can have a stake in an enterprise regardless of location.

In a 2020 survey of around 450 enterprises carried out by the Caribbean Export Development Agency and Caribbean Development Bank, businesses across the Region cited lack of access to finance as their biggest constraint. Yet still at the end of 2021, we do not have a regional capital market allowing the free flow of capital across the Caribbean that can give the average citizen a stake in an enterprise in another jurisdiction. Whereas I recognise that foreign direct investment is vital to attract both technology and capital, there is an equally critical role for finance that is already within the Region. Consequently, we need to unlock capital already available in the Caribbean. Advancing a Regional Capital Market in the coming year will have a transformational impact on unleashing precious indigenous financing for business.

2. Improve the ease of doing business in the Caribbean

Quite simply, business cannot help drive recovery and play a leadership role in creating jobs and opportunity in the current business environment. It is difficult to do business in the Caribbean. Apart from Jamaica and St Lucia, the region is in the bottom half of the 200 countries globally assessed by the World Bank in its 2020 Ease of Doing Business Report. We need to look at areas where we can get quick wins such as registering a business. In Singapore, it takes one day. In Mauritius, it is usually not more than one week. Except for Jamaica, Caribbean jurisdictions lag behind the rest of the world, taking weeks or even months to register and start a business. A simple first step is pulling out all the stops to make it easier for national, regional and indeed international enterprises to register and start a business in our Region.

3. Expand non-tourism related services as the next frontier for Caribbean business

Our economies have been historically connected with the production of commodities. As we sought to move away from traditional products such as sugar and rice, tourism became the mainstay of much of the Caribbean. As subsequent natural disasters such as Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 and COVID-19 have demonstrated, this leaves us vulnerable whenever there is a major shock to the global economy. Therefore, the time is now to capitalise on our rich human capital and transition to non-tourism related services.

For example, there is huge potential to grow or break into markets like business process outsourcing and information and communication technology, which saw a 6 percent increase in exports in the pandemic according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), valued globally at USD 676 billion in 2020. Creative industries also hold great promise to market the talent of our people in areas such as music and the business of carnival. We at the Caribbean Export Development Agency have identified this as a priority over the next three years. To have a lasting impact, the services sector must receive the support it needs in terms of policy, resources and partnerships.

To effect transformation requires vision backed by action. Building a resilient Caribbean and creating jobs and opportunity for our people cannot be achieved overnight given the multiplicity of constraints we face. At the same time, there are areas we need to treat with the highest priority, hence my three wishes for 2022.

The family business is one of the pillars of the national economy, especially when it is based on strong values and attached to best business practices. Proagro Dominicana is a worthy example of this maxim. It is an industry dedicated mainly to the production of fortified dairy powder products that has successfully managed to overcome the challenges of breaking into a segment of the Dominican market.

In 2005, José Luciano, a Dominican technician who had built up extensive experience working in the agricultural section of important companies, at the time of his retirement, decided to start off a business and, together with his wife Indhira Santana, founded Proagro Dominicana with the aim of marketing domestic agricultural products.

As a production strategy, Proagro has evolved since its inception. Its catalogue of products includes raw materials such as bitter cocoa powder and sugar, aimed at the pastry industry, while strengthening the maquiladora system or the product development system for major national supermarket chains, for whom milk powder, sweet and bitter cocoa, oats, sugar, among others are packaged.

Export, the great dream

Since 2017, Proagro Dominicana has set its eyes on the international market, after participating in a workshop sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and Production of Santo Domingo, aimed at entrepreneurs having interesting exportable offers to place in international markets.

By the end of that year and early 2018, Proagro was initiating its export strategy in markets as distant as Russia and the United States, or as close as Puerto Rico.

Dominican cocoa, a bargaining chip

The products made with Dominican cocoa are highly recognized worldwide because they maintain characteristics called “fine flavour cocoa”, a quality that is used by Proagro to break into international markets under its brand name, La Criollita. Proagro uses the Hispaniola variety, a cocoa fermented under a Dominican technique that enhances the taste and flavour, and reduces the acidity, making it a “fine flavour cocoa”.

“The experience we have had in Russia, which is a fairly demanding market, as well as in Miami and the Bronx in the United States, is that the public attaches importance to the taste and flavour of this product, generating an immediate sale,” explained Indhira Santana, general manager of Proagro Dominicana.

“We work together with the National Confederation of Dominican Cocoa Producers (CONACADO), one of the largest associations in the country, which has a membership of more than 40 thousand small cocoa producers and has a very important social impact, since they, together with Rizek and Roig, are the largest local cocoa exporters. Twenty percent (20%) of their production remains in the country, and producers like us make a difference,” said Santana.

“Caribbean Export came to our aid at the most opportune time”

Proagro Dominicana is part of the group of ten companies selected by Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) under the Haiti-Dominican Republic Binational Cooperation Programme, funded through the 11^th European Development Fund, which provides for a Binational Value Chain Strategy for the cocoa sector with the aim of maximizing the export potential of both nations.

The support of the European Union (EU) has been a key part of Proagro’s opening up to the international market. “This support comes to us at a time when we were not exporting, because we made the last export in 2019 and after the pandemic we stopped exports,” explained Indira Santana.

As Santana stated, Caribbean Export helped to identify which competencies were necessary for Proagro to be able to export successfully. “The Agency provided us with technical assistance to update our business plan and to be able to establish how Proagro’s conditions were from a financial perspective. They financed a consultant who carried out a feasibility study and a financial performance analysis to prepare us for the export market”.

According to Proagro’s general manager, the feasibility study funded by Caribbean Export became the springboard for the company to launch itself and have the right vision of what needed to be done. “A strategic work plan for export was created and concrete targets were set to achieve, with the result that exports made up 8% of the company’s sales budget.”

Taking advantage of all opportunities

Laura Marrero, international trade fair coordinator at Proagro, explained that “the experience of exporting to Miami and New York in 2017 and 2018 showed us how our products, especially La Criollita, were accepted by the Hispanic consumer, as well as the American consumers who were aware of organic products from the Caribbean”.

In 2021, trade fairs were started in a face-to-face manner. The first fair in which they participated was “Dominican Taste Festival 2021”, held in New York from July 24 to 25, organized by ProDominicana and the Dominican Embassy in the United States. Proagro received financial support from Caribbean Export to participate in the fair.

As a result of this fair, Proagro will export to the United States the first shipment of some ten pallets, and another container of 20 pallets is planned for December 2021. “We are doing fine now. The brand will not be by itself, but will be accompanied by a marketing strategy and the experience that we have garnered from the mistakes we made before.”

Dominican pride and enthusiasm at the Russian fair

With the strategic and financial support of Caribbean Export, Proagro participated in WorldFood Moscow, held in Russia from September 20 to 23, 2021. This fair became an area of great potential for the export of Dominican products, especially cocoa by-products.

As a result of its participation in WorldFood Moscow, Proagro reactivated its business contacts, which had started in 2019. “During the Moscow fair, there were many opportunities for starting business negotiations. We made contacts with representatives in Russia of other Dominican companies, and we have already sent them a proposal. We are currently in the closing phase of the process for arranging the first shipments we will make to Russia,” added Indhira Santana. 

Confident in the future

Proagro is currently working on establishing distribution strategies in the United States. Exports are estimated to increase and continue growing for the next year. “The sales projection we have is that from 2022 we ship a container of our products every month.” A container is equal to 20 pallets, about 1,400 boxes, which would be 22 tons of consolidated products.

As a result of the assistance from Caribbean Export, Proagro Dominicana is preparing to set up a Proagro subsidiary in Miami or New York and one in Russia. “That is our goal for the near future, which will allow us to make our products 30% cheaper to the overseas consumer, and give us control over the distribution chain of our goods in those countries,” stated Indhira Santana.

The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly changed the world as we know it. Job losses, declining revenue and closed market opportunities have become the reality of firms around the world. Caribbean companies, not exempted, now have a new storm to weather. One silver lining, however, is that the global pandemic has created new business opportunities. With changing customer behaviours and needs, firms must now examine new market trends to strategically re-position themselves to meet them.

Hygiene and Sanitization Products

With heightened consumer demand for clean and safe spaces, opportunities will continue to abound in the hygiene/sanitization sector. It is no surprise that manufacturers of cleaning products have witnessed a spike in sales. The CEO of Clorox has reported a 500% increase[1] in demand since the start of the year, and we recently heard how Trinidad and Tobago based manufacturer Chem Clean has also experienced an upsurge as households and businesses settle into new disinfecting routines.

Information Technology Services

The CEO of IT giant, Box, recently stated in an interview that the amount of business transformation from a technology standpoint over the next few months will be completely unparalleled to any other time in history.[2] Could Amazon’s planned workforce expansion (100,000 new hires) during this period indicate that this trend is likely to continue?[3]  Despite the persistent challenges that have slowed down the development of e-commerce in the Caribbean, the expansion of WiPay outside of Trinidad and Tobago during Covid-19 shows that the tide may be turning. 

Immunity Boosting Foods, Beverages and Nutraceuticals

Similarly, the nutraceuticals industry which is projected to experience growth to approximately $317.3 billion USD by 2024 also offers opportunities.[5] The region has successfully demonstrated its competence to excel in this sector as evidenced through experts like entrepreneur Dr. Henry Lowe (Flavocure Biotech) who has several US patents based on his research into high value health solutions using indigenous plants.

Film & Music

For firms in the creative industries, global trends are in their favour. Although faced with significant revenue declines due to cancellation of live performances and screenings, the increased interest in online consumption for both music and film is a positive note-worthy trend. Globally, audio-visual streaming increased by 14.5% during early March when several countries began their lock downs.[6] Netflix has seen their subscription rate more than double – moving from its forecast of 7 million new paid subscribers for Q1 to 15.8 million. [7]Membership on Twitch has also grown by 31% as has digital radio services, e.g. BBC’s radio streaming increased by 18%. [8]With more persons confined to their homes and the mental health benefits that music and film brings, Caribbean producers can use this time to share their content, expand their following and connect with diverse audiences on interactive platforms. Recently the first reggae Verzuz battle between Beenie Man and Bounty Killer on Instagram Live recorded close to 500,000 live viewers and a suite of A-list celebrities tuned in to watch. Similarly, a Los Angeles based DJ, @dnice hosted a DJ party in his kitchen with over 100,000 live viewers including Ellen Degeneres, Oprah, and Michelle Obama. This event increased his following from 200,000 to its current 1.8 million followers.[9]

How to find the opportunities

The opportunities available will be different depending on your own situation.  Here are three strategies outlined by the MIT Sloan Management Review to help you identify yours:

1. Same Product Different Channel (Online): You may want to digitise your product or deliver your service online just like the example of DJ @dnice or the reggae challenge shared above. Nike has begun to engage customers with online workouts resulting in a 35% upshot in sales[10] while companies in Napa Valley are offering online taste testing lessons. What would applying this strategy look like for your company? If regional agro-processors offered an online cooking experience using their products, they could drive sales during or after the online event. The opportunities to offer virtual services or events to customers are endless and just takes a little imagination.

2. Same Infrastructure Different Product: While the pandemic has brought some businesses (E.g. hotels and guest houses) to a standstill, others have experienced an increase in demand. Can your company re-purpose your existing infrastructure to produce or sell high demand products and services? In Barbados, some hardware stores have begun to sell groceries. With many parents balancing remote work and home-schooling, some guest houses in Jamaica have offered their rooms to those who want a few hours of uninterrupted work time. So how can you offer a new product or service to customers using your existing arrangement?

3. Same Product Different Infrastructure: Some firms may find themselves with the problem of struggling to meet the demand for their products and services and need to increase production or distribution capacity. Globally, firms have sought to bridge the gap through creative partnerships. To meet the spike in online shopping demand, Amazon has partnered with Lyft to temporarily hire workers as the demand for ride share has plummeted. With increased unemployment, firms now have a larger labour pool to train and deploy even if temporarily. During this period of uncertainty, adopt a proactive approach. Assess market changes to adjust your products, services, and strategies to meet current and future customer needs. What will you need to do differently to take advantage of some of the emerging opportunities and how can you apply the strategies shared to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 on your business?

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[1] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/clorox-has-seen-500-increases-in-demand-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-ceo-132530052.html

[2] https://www.uschamber.com/co/start/strategy/pandemic-business-trends-that-are-here-to-stay

[3] https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/04/01/amazon-partners-with-lyft-to-deliver-packages-and.aspx

[4] https://www.forbes.com/sites/daphneewingchow/2019/05/14/there-is-a-growing-market-for-nutraceuticals-in-integrated-cancer-treatment-in-the-caribbean/#6eb7c4c3204b

[5] https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/06/25/1528968/0/en/Global-Nutraceuticals-Market-Will-Reach-USD-317-3-Billion-by-2024-Zion-Market-Research.html

[6] https://www.twobirds.com/en/news/articles/2020/global/covid-19-the-music-shuffle

[7] https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/21/21229587/netflix-earnings-coronavirus-pandemic-streaming-entertainment

[8] https://www.twobirds.com/en/news/articles/2020/global/covid-19-the-music-shuffle

[9] http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business-report/industries-that-will-boom-provide-the-most-opportunities-post-covid–19_191136?profile=1056

[10] https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/three-proactive-response-strategies-to-covid-19-business-challenges/

Tourism is an industry which is susceptible to external shocks. None know this better than the owners of Rodney’s Wellness Retreat (RWR), a nature lovers’ sanctuary tucked away on 4.6 acres of an ex-lime farming estate just outside the idyllic village of Soufriere, Dominica.

Managing Director of the Retreat, Lucilla Lewis said the former lime estate was once the economic lifeblood of its neighboring villages, but that came to an abrupt halt with the passage of Hurricane Maria in September 2017 and again in 2020, now that the world is battling the highly contagious COVID-19.

Having successfully rebuilt after the category five hurricane, Ms. Lewis believes RWR will also bounce back from the fallout caused by the pandemic.

Rebuilding after Hurricane Maria

From June 1^st to November 30^th annually, hurricanes plague the Caribbean.  They lash the tiny islands with catastrophic rains and winds, often leaving a trail of death and devastation.

In 2017, Ms. Lewis and her siblings, who manage RWR, faced this reality.  In an effort to rebuild and see the area thriving again, they opted to take a Direct Assistance Grant from the Caribbean Export Development Agency. 

Ms. Lewis credits the grant with enhancing the resilience of the company. According to her it ensured that prior to COVID-19, RWR could offer the unique services of its Big Banana Campground, Kanawa Restaurant and Mayan Bar, CarRod’s Gardens and CarRod’s Cottages.

Focus on rebuilding and sharing the wealth

The owners implemented a procurement policy aimed at boosting the economic fortunes of the surrounding districts. RWR procured goods and services, such as vegetables, fruits, fresh fish, hair braiding and small boat rowing, from nearby villages before going elsewhere.

RWR, though a privately-owned business, is driven by a vision to restore economic viability to the Parish of St Mark, while generating a fair return on investments to its owners, the Managing Director said.

Packaging RWR’s tourism product

Ms. Lewis added that RWR had also successfully packaged the story of the rise and decline of the economic fortunes of the area, which is linked to the rise and fall of the Dominican lime industry, as one of its most popular tours offered to visitors.

This riveting story includes the decision by Ms. Lewis’ father, the late Rodney Lewis, a tropical agriculturalist by profession, to re-cultivate the land and to produce a variety of crops, including limes, as his retirement hobby.  Lucilla Lewis pointed out that the Direct Assistance Grant was instrumental in expanding her father’s vision. 

RWR expects strong recovery after combating COVID-19

Once again in 2020, the operations of RWR were brought to a screeching halt but this time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The farm-converted-tourism enterprise began to feel the effects of the infectious virus when guests started to cancel their trips.

COVID-19 has left us with no income stream as we have been totally closed since March 12, the managing director revealed.

We were forced to close before the official closure of Dominica’s borders as most of our upcoming reservations were from Europe and with the soaring infection rates in European cities at the time, our would-be guests were very gracious to indicate that they were going to cancel, she said, adding that RWR was able to pay its staff for the entire month of March but could not for April.

During the downtime, Ms. Lewis and her siblings have been focusing on expanding the retreat’s cultivation of fruits and vegetables. RWR, which is a farm-to-table retreat, promotes the use of on-site products in its kitchen. So far, they have harvested sweet peppers, tomatoes, eggplants and fruits.

However, going forward Ms. Lewis anticipates a strong recovery after COVID-19. She said RWR intends to cater to the domestic market when local curfews and restrictions are lifted, before cautiously reopening to the world.      

RWR offers nature and green spaces away from the trodden path. Its uncrowded and has an open dining room and scope for setting up dining anywhere on the grounds. We expect strong recovery immediately after European travelers are comfortable with airline and destination safety protocols, but in the short to medium term, we plan to target regional markets, she said, pointing out that RWR will be upgrading its hygiene and cleaning procedures prior to reopening.

Having rebuilt after Hurricane Maria, and currently navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, Lucilla has learnt that patience is key to success. We have become more convinced that the RWR model, in terms of our product and service, is a winning one but it requires patience. We think that the offer will be in high demand in the post COVID tourism market, Ms. Lewis predicted.