St. Vincent And The Grenadines Research Articles

The double burden of COVID-19 and a major volcanic eruption on local food production and food security in a Small Island Developing State

IntroductionSmall Island Developing States have disproportionately high food insecurity rates, related to complex challenges and vulnerabilities. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted that within these settings, crises often overlap. We aimed to assess the impact of the concurrent COVID-19 pandemic and volcanic eruption on food production and security in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).MethodsAn interpretive mixed-methods study was conducted among a convenience sample of consenting adults ≥18 years from 100 households in SVG through a cross-sectional survey and participant interviews (10 households) between September 2021 and March 2022. Food insecurity prevalence over the past year was assessed using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES; Rasch modeling) and impacts to livelihoods from the pandemic and volcanic eruption was assessed using an adapted Caribbean COVID-19 Food Security and Livelihoods Impact Survey (Caribbean COVID-19 FS&L Survey). Data were analyzed using logistic regression.ResultsDuring the pandemic, 59% of the participants reported decreased income, 63% had no access to markets, 81% had no access to food aid; 34% of the participants had a change in food sources, and 81% reported that food production was negatively impacted by the volcanic eruptions, of which 68% reported decreased food production. The interviews highlighted that access to markets were restricted by fear of leaving home and contracting the COVID-19 virus, and participants who received food aid stated that the number of items were not sufficient for larger families. Almost half of the participants were severely food insecure [48% (95% C.I. 31.2,57.8)]; almost two thirds were moderately to severely food insecure [64% (95% C.I. 50.0, 74.2)]; mean FIES score 5.31 (95% C.I. 5.0,5.6). After adjusting for gender, age, education, and household size, moderate to severe food insecurity was associated with no access to food aid during the pandemic and post-eruptions (odds ratio 3.7; 95% confidence interval 1.5, 9.1; p = 0.004).ConclusionFood insecurity rates were high during the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated by volcanic eruptions and insufficient access to food aid. Our results suggest the need for the development of strategies and interventions aimed at increasing the resilience of food systems to mitigate the effects of future disasters.

Characterization of the Cassava Mycobiome in Symptomatic Leaf Tissues Displaying Cassava Superelongation Disease.

Superelongation disease (SED) is a fungal disease that affects cassava in the Caribbean. The symptoms include the appearance of dry necrotic spots and lesions on the leaves, which may severely affect the plant yield. However, the primary causal pathogen is difficult to culture and isolate in the lab because of its slow growth and potential contamination from faster-growing organisms. In addition, the leaf symptoms can be confused with those caused by other pathogens that produce similar necrotic spots and scab-like lesions. There is also little or no information on the contribution of endophytes, if any, to disease symptoms in cassava, a plant where the disease is prevalent. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the fungal communities in cassava associated with SED symptoms by analyzing gross fungal morphology and performing metagenomics profiling. First, several individual pathogenic fungi were isolated and cultured from diseased cassava leaf tissues from seven locations in Barbados (BB). Both culture isolation and molecular community analyses showed the presence of several other fungi in the disease microenvironment of symptomatic cassava leaves. These included Fusarium, Colletotrichum, and Alternaria species and the suspected species Elsinoë brasiliensis synonym Sphaceloma manihoticola. Additionally, a community analysis using ITS2 amplicon sequencing of 21 symptomatic leaf tissues from BB, St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), Trinidad and Tobago (TT), and Jamaica (JA) revealed that the disease symptoms of superelongation may also result from the interactions of fungal communities in the mycobiome, including Elsinoë species and other fungi such as Colletotrichum, Cercospora, Alternaria, and Fusarium. Therefore, we suggest that examining the pathobiome concept in SED in the future is necessary.

Dislodging the Colonial “Nable String” of Primary Teacher Education in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

The St. Vincent Teachers’ Training College (SVTC) was founded in 1964 with assistance from The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. Unarguably, teacher education in the St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has evolved slightly from its colonial beginnings. It now includes secondary, technical vocational teacher education, and early childhood education. While still operating within a postcolonial context, the philosophical underpinning of teacher education in SVG is a mirror of its colonial origins. Therefore, I believe that primary teacher education in SVG is yet to cut its colonial “nable string” which is the English creole phrase for the umbilical cord. Set against the backdrop of postcolonial perspectives this paper contends that there is a need to reconceptualise the length of initial primary teacher education to meet the demands of 21st century primary education in SVG.

Dietary Patterns, Food Insecurity, and Their Relationships with Food Sources and Social Determinants in Two Small Island Developing States.

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have high burdens of nutrition-related chronic diseases. This has been associated with lack of access to adequate and affordable nutritious foods and increasing reliance on imported foods. Our aim in this study was to investigate dietary patterns and food insecurity and assess their associations with socio-demographic characteristics and food sources. We recruited individuals aged 15 years and above from rural and urban areas in Fiji (n = 186) and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) (n = 147). Data collection included a 24 h diet recall, food source questionnaire and the Food Insecurity Experience Scale. We conducted latent class analysis to identify dietary patterns, and multivariable regression to investigate independent associations with dietary patterns. Three dietary patterns were identified: (1) low pulses, and milk and milk products, (2) intermediate pulses, and milk and milk products and (3) most diverse. In both SIDS, dietary pattern 3 was associated with older age, regularly sourcing food from supermarkets and borrowing, exchanging, bartering or gifting (BEB). Prevalence of food insecurity was not statistically different across dietary patterns. In both SIDS, food insecurity was higher in those regularly sourcing food from small shops, and in SVG, lower in those regularly using BEB. These results complement previous findings and provide a basis for further investigation into the determinants of dietary patterns, dietary diversity and food insecurity in these settings.

Food Has No Borders

Isotopic analyses of human remains augment the biological profile with geolocation and dietary information, furthering efforts to identify unknown individuals from a forensic context. Here we test the methodological resolution of geolocation (δ18O, 87Sr/86Sr) and dietary (δ13C, δ15N) isotopes of one identified individual who immigrated to New York City from St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), Lesser Antilles. Isotope-based geolocation estimates did not identify the childhood residency on SVG, but did point to New York City as a possible residence during early adulthood. The individual’s C3-based diet did not significantly change from childhood to early adulthood, illustrating the maintenance of food traditions after the immigration event. This study illustrates that further development of tissue-specific isoscapes incorporating bioavailable foods, drinking water, and cultural traditions is warranted to refine methodological resolution of isotopic applications in forensic anthropology.

Climate Change Adaptation and Sectoral Policy Coherence in the Caribbean

Climate change is an existential threat to small island developing states. Policy coherence aims to create synergies and avoid conflicts between policies. Mainstreaming adaptation across multiple sectors and achieving greater coherence amongst policies is needed. The paper applies qualitative document analysis, content analysis, and expert interviews to examine the degree of coherence between climate-sensitive sector policies in framing climate change adaptation and the adaptation goals outlined in the national development plan and national climate change policies in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), Grenada, and Saint Lucia. The results indicate that adaptation is not fully integrated into the water, agriculture, coastal zone, and forestry policies. For example, while adaptation was explicitly addressed in Saint Lucia’s water policy, it was not explicitly addressed in SVG’s and Grenada’s water policy. The results show that Saint Lucia has the highest coherence score (93.52) while St. Vincent and the Grenadines has the lowest (91.12). The optimal coherence score that can be possibly obtained is 147, which indicates partial coherence in adaptation mainstreaming in sectoral policies. Expert interviews highlighted problems such as institutional arrangements, a silo approach, funding mechanisms, and policy implementation. Using the knowledge provided by the experts, a seven-step process is proposed to practically achieve policy coherence and operationalize the policies.

Natural disasters, Caribbean diplomacy and developmental introspection

On August 9, 2021, four decades after its last eruption, La Soufriere Volcano on the tiny island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) erupted with devastating consequences, causing extensive dam...

A Resource and Policy Driven Assessment of the Geothermal Energy Potential Across the Islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

The energy security of each Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member state is a key issue specifically addressed based on the energy demands of each nation. St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has the potential to strengthen its energy sector through the exploitation of immense untapped natural geothermal resources. Currently, SVG is planning to integrate base load power through a 10 Megawatt-electric (MWe) geothermal power plant (GPP1). The paper aims to highlight a detailed resource assessment profile of the renewables across SVG and the projected benefits of the proposed 10 MWe geothermal power potential, such as the positive economic development (displacing 149,000 bbls of crude oil), and the transition to a more climate-sensitive nation (displacing an estimated 0.172 million tCO2e/year). In addition, a volumetric method (Monte Carlo simulations) has been applied to reveal that the geothermal reservoir can sustain a minimum of 31 MWe, 34 MWe and 92 MWe over the lifespan of 25–30 years, for well 1 (SVG01), well 2 (SVG02) and well 3 (SVG03) respectively. Given the findings of the assessment and simulations, several policy approaches are identified as potential means of enhancing geothermal resource development and leveraging the resource for the islands’ sustainable energy demands. These include incentivization for public-private partnerships, information certainty, regulatory processes, and strengthened institutions.

The political economy of inclusion and exclusion: state, labour and the costs of supply chain integration in the Eastern Caribbean

The dual emphasis on the benefits of global supply chain integration and private governance to address its ethical gaps have given prominence to an inclusive vision of chains which, this paper argues, drawing on the case of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), has been greatly exaggerated. In the post-war era, SVG built a successful banana industry under a preferential agreement with the EU. When the agreement collapsed under free trade reforms, the burden of finding new forms of reintegration fell on the state and laboring classes. The paper argues that conventional supply chain approaches have adopted a static understanding of the relationship between inclusion and exclusion, overlooking the exclusionary nature of supply chains and placing too much emphasis on assessing the possibilities for private supply chain initiatives to address their negative social and environmental impacts. The effect has been to obscure the centrality of the state and laboring classes in continuing, out of necessity, to confront, manage, and address the many costs that corporations are not willing to pay. It is their centrality to managing the uneven and unpredictable nature of supply chain integration/reintegration, that is often the most hidden of all.

Adapting to Climate Change at the National Level in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Small island developing states (SIDS) are distinctively more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change than other developing countries. The focus of this paper is the Caribbean region that is described as one of the most vulnerable regions in the world and highly affected by the impacts of climate change. This paper applies a case-study approach and focuses on the island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). With limited efforts to understand the adaptation, vulnerabilities, and challenges at the national level in these SIDS, this paper helps to fill this gap and has two main aims. First, it identifies SVG’s main focus on climate change adaptation. Second, it identifies the barriers to climate change adaptation in SVG. To fulfil the aims of this paper, content analysis, and semi-structured interviews with 32 stakeholders from the public and private sector were applied. This paper finds that SVG is mainly adapting to changes in hurricane, rainfall, drought, and soil and coastal erosion patterns. It also finds that many factors are limiting national-level adaptation. The three main reported barriers are a lack of financial, human resources, and technical capacity. These findings are important for the government of SVG and international donors and agencies. This will help them to identify and fill the gaps in their adaptation actions and prioritising finance. This paper’s findings also highlight the importance of mainstreaming climate change adaptation in sectoral plans and work programs and improving SVG’s access to international climate change adaptation funding.

Minimally Invasive Pediatric Surgery During Remote Humanitarian Missions Is Feasible, Safe, and Effective

There remains a critical need for the provision for pediatric humanitarian aid worldwide. Historically, the emphasis of global pediatric health needs has been focused on infectious diseases. Today, we are witnessing a shift in this paradigm, with growing attention being paid toward the surgical needs of children. The use and deployment of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in these austere environments with its concomitant reduction in length of hospitalization, pain, and morbidity is logical. The goal of this study was to report our deployment strategy and review our experience with pediatric MIS during humanitarian missions to determine if it is safe, feasible, and efficacious. As part of the World Pediatric Project (WPP), data were collected retrospectively from the general pediatric surgery (GPS) team missions from January 2007 to January 2017. All cases were performed at a single medical center in the Eastern Caribbean Island Nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). Data included patient demographics, diagnosis, procedure, conversion to open procedure, complications, and postoperative course. The teams utilized a dedicated WPP operating theater, prepositioned and deployed GPS supplies, and MIS resources. All anesthesia, surgical, and nursing personal were board certified and trained professionals functioning as part of the WPP team. One hundred thirty-four children underwent general and thoracic pediatric surgical procedures during the study period. Mean age 9.2 years (2-19 years). Thirty-seven children underwent MIS procedures (27%). There were no conversions to open procedures. There were only two postoperative complications, cellulitis following laparoscopic appendicostomies, which required intravenous antibiotics and were discharged on a course of oral antibiotics. The postoperative course for all children was uneventful and no child required readmission. There were no technical failures in the MIS systems or instrumentation. Our retrospective review supports the use of MIS techniques as part of GPS humanitarian missions. We have found it to be a safe, feasible, and effective modality that may reduce length of stay, pain, and morbidity compared with open procedures in these remote environments. Although our MIS systems and instrumentations functioned effectively, concerns regarding the storage and sustainability for future missions are significant. Onsite health care partners, redundant systems, and remote technical support access could potentially alleviate these concerns.

Assessing Marine Protected Areas Effectiveness: A Case Study with the Tobago Cays Marine Park

Given the socio-economic consequences associated with declaring areas of ocean protected in order to achieve conservation objectives, this paper contributes to the growing global need to assess Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as an effective management tool. It adds to the current body of knowledge on MPA effectiveness by conducting an evaluation of the Tobago Cays Marine Park (TCMP), located in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) in the eastern Caribbean, using a modified MPA effectiveness framework. Due to the limited information existing about the current performance of this MPA, this assessment also provides needed insight on the effect that the TCMP is having on the marine ecosystem, as well as its overall management performance. By comparing the performance of the MPA over a 10-year span (2007 and 2016), the results indicate that overall, the TCMP could be described as having limited success when key management categories of context, planning, input, process, output and outcomes are evaluated. In particular, efforts dedicated to planning, process and outcomes are assessed as deficient. Furthermore, the analysis revealed that efforts to realize the stated goals relating to conservation, public awareness and public education were being neglected. However, considerable effort was being expended by TCMP staff on achieving the remaining goal focusing on deriving economic benefits from touristic activities in the Park. Preliminary field research examining the effects of the TCMP on the abundance and density of an economically important species, Lobatus gigas, (commonly referred to as the queen conch) showed the TCMP as having no effect towards conch protection. The results and recommendations of this study, combined with continued monitoring of a recommended targeted suite of indicators, could contribute to better-informed adaptive MPA management, leading to progress towards the achievement of the stated goals for the TCMP.

Valuing marine and coastal ecosystem service benefits: Case study of St Vincent and the Grenadines’ proposed marine protected areas

This paper reports the results of a choice experiment (CE) that values the ecosystem service benefits from extending the current network of marine protected areas (MPAs) in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), Caribbean. We considered two future options: an ‘improved’ scenario in which marine protection is increased, and a ‘decline’ scenario in which current protection mechanisms are removed. The CE was administered at two sites (the degraded St Vincent South Coast and the pristine Tobago Cays) and to tourists and local residents. Results suggest that both groups value health protection, fishing, coastal protection, ecosystem resilience, and diving/snorkelling. Values are higher for the ‘decline’ scenario compared to the ‘improved’ scenario. Also, tourists had significantly higher WTP values than locals. Our analysis also enabled an evaluation of the benefits derived from alternative policy interventions that may be used to protect and enhance SVG’s marine parks. Stopping pollution from agriculture run-off and sewage was found to generate the highest ecosystem service benefits, with restricting over-fishing and bad fishing practices also being important. We demonstrate how economic valuation of marine ecosystem service might be used to design and target marine conservation policies that maximise welfare benefits.

St Vincent Youth and Careers in Agriculture

Purpose: Given the ageing farming population in the Caribbean and the importance of agriculture to economy, there is cause for concern about the future of farming. This study seeks to explore the extent to which students pursuing agriculture in secondary schools in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) were likely to engage in farming as well as their views on the incentives and disincentives to their future participation.Design/methodology/approach: The sample (n=109) was drawn from the population of students studying ‘Agriscience’ in secondary schools in SVG. They were surveyed using a pre-tested self-reporting instrument that elicited responses to questions related to the study objectives. Findings: The results showed that the majority of young persons (78.3%) expressed an aspiration to pursue a career in food production in the next five years. The perceived major incentives were to ‘get additional income’, to ‘change the nature of present farming’ and exposure to ‘studying agricultural science at school’. The major disincentive was perceived as ‘lack of government support for youth in agriculture’. The study concluded that there is hope for the future of agriculture once appropriate actions are taken by the government to deal with the issues identified.Practical implication: A policy shift in education is therefore required to ensure all secondary schools teach agriculture. Further, the education and agricultural extension departments could, together, play a major role by serving as the vehicles to mobilize youth in agriculture in addition to providing them with sound, up-to-date training, and information on how to access resources. However, these services will have to modernize the methods and techniques employed for the dissemination of information to meet the needs of youth.Originality/value: This study points to the need to foster increased synergies between education and agriculture extension. Acting together, they can become the primary enablers of positive change in the development of young people's perceptions and attitudes towards agriculture, ultimately favoring their entry into the agriculture industry.

How the Illicit Drug Economy Contributes to HIV Risk in St Vincent and the Grenadines

St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is the largest marijuana producer in the Eastern Caribbean. As the European Union has phased out preferred access for its banana crop, marijuana has become one of the main sources of income and a safety net for many young men, in particular. HIV is a problem for youth in SVG where 60% of the population and 50% of cumulative AIDS cases are among individuals under 30 years of age. To explore the relationship between the economic context and HIV, we used rapid appraisal methods including field observations, interviews, and focus groups with 43 key informants. We found that the marijuana-related economy has contributed to social conditions favoring HIV transmission among young people in several interrelated ways. A lively youth culture exists which includes frequent parties, heavy drinking, sex with multiple partners, and the desire to be seen with the best material goods. Men with access to money are able to attract younger partners for parties and sex. Condoms are infrequently used. We conclude that reducing HIV risk will require structural interventions to reduce discrimination and increase economic opportunity.

An identification of selected environmentally based livelihood issues within the Caribbean

Developing and maintaining a pattern of sustainable livelihood (SL) is dependent upon the use to which we put our resources, particularly, our natural resources. SL is dependent upon five principal components; namely the vulnerability context, livelihood assets, transforming structures and processes, livelihood strategies and livelihood outcomes. DFID (1999), DFID, FAO, IFAD, UNDP, WFP (2001) liveli hood assets also have many components one of which is natural assets/capital. Once the environment is shocked the natural assets are directly affected and all other types of assets and principal components become inoperable. The livelihood outcomes of the Caribbean people, poor and otherwise, are therefore linked to these natural as sets. The objective of this study is to possibly shape and create ways of developing and maintaining patterns that can lead to SLs. It should focus on the available natural resources, access to and optimal use of, which can transit into the best livelihood outcomes specifically for the poor. Basically, the outcome should be a body of knowledge that can contribute to SLs within the Caribbean. This is done with the use of two case studies of Caribbean islands, namely St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) and Grenada. This paper is divided into four sections. Section one provides the background for the paper and briefly introduces the concept of SL. Section two outlines the SL approach. Section three provides an application of the SL approach in SVG and Grenada from two varying standpoints. Section four makes concluding remarks on the types and the sustainability of the livelihood strategies and outcomes.

History of Christian Education in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

This research highlights the role various Christian denominations play in the introduction and development of formal education from the emancipation of slaves to independence in the former British West Indian colony of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). Although the details are Vincentian, the pattern is Caribbean—and, in some respects, global—being characteristic of the culture and governance within the British Empire. The study organizes SVG educational history into four eras: the 19th century, 1900–1950, 1950–2000, and the 21st century. This study shows how Christian education has been an inexorable component of the larger educational landscape of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for 200 years.

Characterization of the asthmatic population of St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Asthma severity levels and atopic sensitization

Background. The developing country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) reported a 4.5-fold increase in wheezing incidence between 1986 and 2002. It is unknown whether aeroallergens play a significant role in asthma in SVG. Objective. The objective of the study is to investigate the importance of aeroallergens and the association between age and persistence of asthma into adulthood. Methods. Subjects were recruited from the National Asthma Clinic. Asthma was diagnosed in 525 participants and severity levels assigned according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute guidelines. Participants were separated into three age groups [≤6 years (n=176), 7–18 years (n=164), and ≥19 years (n=185)]. Skin testing was performed on 171 participants to dust mite, cat, dog, cockroach, pollens, and mold. Age of asthma onset was obtained. Results. Persistent asthma was diagnosed in 235 participants (44.8%) and increased with increasing age group (p<.0001). Atopy was identified in 121/171 (70.8%) participants and was significantly higher in persistent asthma (p<.004). A significant positive association was seen between atopy and age group (p<.0004) in participants with intermittent asthma but not in participants with persistent asthma. The most common allergen among the atopic participants was house dust mite (93.4%), followed by cockroach (47.9%). Adult participants reporting asthma onset in adulthood were less atopic than those whose asthma developed ≤18 years of age (p<.05). Conclusions. The predominance of asthma with atopy in SVG implicates a role for atopy in the sudden rise in asthma cases. This asthma characteristic and the increase in persistent asthma with age in SVG are similar to those reported in the developed countries.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Report on Observance of Standards and Codes: FATF Recommendations for Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism

This report was prepared by the Legal Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It provides a summary of the Antimony Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) measures in place in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) and of the level of compliance with the FATF 40+9 Recommendations, and contains recommendations on how the AML/CFT system could be strengthened. The assessment is based on the information available at the time of the mission. The preventive measures regime covers most of the financial and designated nonfinancial businesses and professions (DNFBP) sectors.

Health Assessment of TheEx SituPopulation of St Vincent Parrots (Amazona Guildingii) in St Vincent and The Grenadines

The St Vincent Amazon parrot (Amazona guildingii), listed as a CITES appendix I animal, is endemic only to the mainland of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), Lesser Antilles. A health assessment that included physical examination, hematology, blood parasite evaluation, plasma biochemical analysis, plasma protein electrophoresis, level of exposure to selected infectious agents, and fecal parasites was performed in July 2002 on 37 (51%) of the parrots in the captive population in SVG. Clinical abnormalities noted in the 37 parrots included poor feathers, lipomas, abnormal choanal papillae, obesity, leg ulcers, respiratory abnormalities, cardiac abnormalities, seizure activity, old fractures, missing digits, skin disease associated with mites (Knemidokoptes species), oral granuloma, and a thin, friable beak. Only 7 of the birds were clinically normal on physical examination. Results of hematologic testing, plasma biochemical analysis, and plasma electrophoresis were not statistically different between female and male parrots. No blood parasites were found in any of the 32 samples examined. None of the 36 parrots evaluated had antibodies to the 12 infectious agents tested. Of the 21 fecal samples available, Capillaria species was detected in 1 bird. Findings from this study, in addition to nutritional, genetic, and husbandry evaluations, have been used to make recommendations to the Forestry Department of SVG for improvements in husbandry and veterinary care of this ex situ population.