“Amaranth, an ancient crop originating in the Americas, can be used as a high-protein grain or as a leafy vegetable, and has potential as a forage crop. Grain amaranth species have been important in different parts of the world and at different times for several thousand years.” – Alternative Food Crops Manual

So what does this have to with Barbados? In Germany, pregnant mothers swear by it – you can use a smaller portion than wheat and get far more in nutritional value… This was part of what was learned when Alejandro Escobar addressed young entrepreneurs at UWI’s Cave Hill School Of Business recently.

Mr Escobar came from Peru, he spent part of his career at DuPont, yet almost his entire job history as an Agricultural Economist, part of his time spent here was letting participants be aware of an Agricultural workshop known as Foromic which happens at 2 Mile Hill in early October.

Foromicis an Inter-American Development Bank subsidiary which is designed to create entrepreneurship via Agriculture. This was Mr Escobar’s theme, in examining how Barbados can make its presence known in the world arena as fiscal force using food security as an option.

While Escobar accepts Social Media and iPad’s are essential for the 21st Century’s new Farmer – he also thinks QR codes (That’s how friends share PIN’s to Blackberry Message here in Barbados) and Geographic Indicators are essential in branding to compete everywhere… What’s that?

Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee; Mexican tequila or Parmesan cheese from Italy are some of the 10,300 such items and 2% of them are Caribbean or Latin American – Escobar clearly sees the need for this to be dramatically revised.

To be a farmer in the 21st Century, Escobar noted, land is no longer crucial in achieving success in Agro-Industry… Uni-Spice was an example which Escobar cited where a Tri-Partite Alliance of farmers, investors and a supermarket chain creates a need for spices, vegetables and fruits from the Southern Hemisphere over to England.

Barbados can do it too if they choose, but rather than regular food crops he’s suggesting Horticulture {CLICK ON FOLLOWING LINK FOR FULL AUDIO};-

A triangular system allows for weather and other challenges, which Barbados and Jamaica are considering the whole means as a regularised short-term project.

What about amaranth? The Bajan Reporter asked Escobar and he implied at the moment the crop is too specialised for major profits {CLICK ON FOLLOWING LINK FOR FULL AUDIO};-

Bolivia is currently shipping amaranth to Europe, because of its proteins which help expecting mothers, but this is a very exclusive arrangement.