- Food Security as Sovereignty: Cut import dependence (now >95%) by building local production, processing, storage, and distribution so the VI can feed the VI.
- Agriculture as an Economic Engine: Invest in sustainable farming, agro-technology, and value-added products to create jobs across the supply chain and keep dollars circulating locally.
- Tourism Linkages: Require and incentivize local procurement by hotels, restaurants, cruise lines, hospitals, and schools to anchor stable markets for VI producers.
- Climate-Smart Practices: Scale hydroponics, aquaponics, protected agriculture, drought/heat-tolerant crops, soil restoration, water capture, and micro-grids for farm power.
- Access to Land, Capital, and Markets: Expand land-lease programs, establish a revolving fund and credit guarantees for farmers, and streamline permits and cold-chain logistics.
- Education & Extension: Stand up a VI Agricultural Extension Service (K-12, CTE, UVI partnerships) and apprenticeship programs to train the next generation of growers and ag-tech operators.
- Reparative Investment in Agriculture: Demand federal and international reparative funding (U.S./Denmark) to rebuild agriculture as a pillar of sovereignty and resilience.
Policy Statement:
The Virgin Islands’ almost total dependence on imported food is both a critical vulnerability and a direct result of our colonial history, which dismantled our indigenous agricultural systems. In a crisis, our food supply is at the mercy of shipping lanes and mainland disasters. Food security is not just an issue of hunger; it is an issue of sovereignty. We must build a food system where the Virgin Islands can feed the Virgin Islands.
My platform for agriculture is a comprehensive plan to revitalize this vital sector. We will secure federal and international reparative investment to rebuild our agricultural infrastructure, from production and processing to storage and distribution. We will treat agriculture as an economic engine, investing in sustainable farming and agrotech to create jobs and keep dollars circulating locally.
We will create stable markets for our farmers by requiring and incentivizing local food procurement by hotels, restaurants, cruise lines, and schools. We will also promote climate-smart practices like hydroponics and drought-tolerant crops to ensure our farms are resilient in the face of a changing climate. To empower our farmers, we will expand access to land, capital, and markets, while establishing a dedicated VI Agricultural Extension Service to train the next generation of growers and operators. By rebuilding our agricultural sector, we build our resilience, our economy, and our sovereignty.