Day 1 – Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Morning
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Registration & Welcome Coffee
Location: Foyer, Engineering Auditorium
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
Opening Ceremony
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Welcome Remarks: Prof. Mark Wuddivira, Dean, Faculty of Food and Agriculture
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Remarks: Prof. Rose-Marie Bell Antoine, UWI Campus Principal
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Remarks: Hon. Mr. Ravi Ratiram, Minister of Agriculture
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Remarks: Hon. Satyakama Maharaj, Minister of Trade, Investment and Tourism
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Remarks by Banwari Experience Ltd
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Sponsor Recognition
Moderator: Dr. Arlette Saint Ville, Conference Academic Coordinator
Location: Engineering Auditorium
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Keynote Address: The Role of Cultural Gastronomy in Food Security and Tourism Resilience
Speaker: Dr. Lystra Fletcher-Paul, Retired Senior Lecturer, UWI, FFA and FAO Deputy Sub-Regional Coordinator for the Caribbean
Location: Engineering Auditorium
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Networking Break & Poster Viewing
Location: Foyer & Exhibition Area
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Plenary Session 1: Bridging Tourism and Agriculture for a Resilient Caribbean Future
Panelists: Representatives from IICA, CARDI, Tourism Development Company (TDC), Regional Farmers Network
Lead: Dr. Donovan Stanberry, Campus Registrar, UWI, Mona
Location: Engineering Auditorium
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Lunch & Networking
Featuring locally sourced cuisine and sponsor exhibits
Location: Dining Area & Exhibition Area
Afternoon
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Concurrent Breakout Sessions (Choose One)
Location: Various Rooms
3:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Afternoon Break & Refreshments
Location: Foyer
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Concurrent Breakout Sessions (Choose One)
Location: Various Rooms
5:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Day 1 Recap & Highlights
Location: Engineering Auditorium
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Welcome Cocktail Reception
Hosted at the Office of the Campus Principal
Sponsored by Diamond & Gold Sponsors
Location: Principal’s Office & Lawn
8:30 PM
Evening Ends
Breakout Session Day 1
Breakout Room 1 – Indigenous Knowledge & Agri-Food Futures
Theme: Cultivating Continuity: Indigenous and Local Agri-Food Knowledge for the Future
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1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Panel + Q&A: Preserving Traditional Crops and Farming Practices -
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Workshop: Documenting and Integrating Indigenous Knowledge into Modern Agri-Systems
Breakout Room 2 – Sustainable Gastronomy Tourism
Theme: Taste of Place: Terroir, Tradition, and the Tourism Experience
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1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Case Studies: Successful Agri-Tourism Models in the Caribbean -
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Interactive Session: Designing Culinary Experiences that Support Local Farmers
Breakout Room 3 – Policy & Finance for Food Sovereignty
Theme: Regional Policies and Growing Schisms: What Does National Security and Food Sovereignty Have to Do With It?
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1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Panel: Financing Resilient Food Systems: Role of Development Banks & Insurance -
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Roundtable: Policy Pathways for Food Sovereignty in Small Island States
Day 2 – Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Morning
8:30 AM – 9:00 AM
Morning Coffee & Networking
Location: Foyer, LRC
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
Opening Remarks & Recap of Day 1
Location: Engineering Auditorium
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Keynote Address: Tourism as a Catalyst for Local Food Systems and Community Resilience
Speaker: Mrs. Donna Regis-Prosper, Former Secretary-General, CTO (Barbados)
Location: Engineering Auditorium
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Networking Break
Location: Foyer
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Plenary Session 2: Sustainable Gastronomy Tourism: Business Models for Community Resilience and Visitor Experience
Panelists: Hoteliers, Chefs, Tourism Boards, Community Advocates
Lead: Chef Adrian Cumberbatch, Multiple Award-Winning Chef 2024
Location: Engineering Auditorium
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Lunch & Final Poster Viewing
Location: Dining Hall
Afternoon
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Concurrent Breakout Sessions (Choose One)
3:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Afternoon Break
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Concurrent Breakout Sessions (Choose One)
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Closing Ceremony
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Synthesis of Key Outcomes
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Sponsor Thanks & Certificates
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Announcement of 2027 Conference
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Final Remarks by Dr. Ronald Roopnarine
Location: Engineering Auditorium
6:00 PM
Official Conference Close
Breakout Sessions – Day 2
Breakout Room 1 – Climate Resilience & Farming Systems
Theme: Climate Change Realities and Developing Resilient Community Farming Systems
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1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Panel: Adaptive Farming Practices for Ridge-to-Reef Sustainability -
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Workshop: Building Climate-Smart Community Food Hubs
Breakout Room 2 – Innovation, Health & Entrepreneurship
Theme: Innovation, Food, NCDs and Entrepreneurship: Making Good Food Healthy
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1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Pitch Session: Food Innovation Start-Ups & Healthy Product Development -
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Workshop: Marketing Healthy Traditional Foods to Tourists and Local Markets
Breakout Room 3 – Cultural Heritage & Intellectual Property
Theme: Cultural Industries, Bioresources and Intellectual Property in Small States
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1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Panel: Protecting Traditional Knowledge and Culinary Heritage -
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Interactive Dialogue: Creating Value from Bioresources Without Exploitation
Post-Conference Activities (April 2–4, 2026)
April 2
Technical Tour 1: Agro-Ecological & Heritage Sites
Field visits to organic farms, traditional food processing units, and heritage sites.
Led by Banwari Experience
April 3
Technical Tour 2: Culinary & Tourism Innovation
Visits to chef-led restaurants, tourism enterprises, and local markets
Focus on supply chain linkages
April 4
Caribbean BeachFood Festival
Public festival celebrating Caribbean cuisine, music, and culture
Featuring chefs, farmers, and artisans
Venue: Hyatt Regency Beachfront, Port of Spain