RADA CEO backs lab-grown trees to help with food security

With thousands of fruit trees damaged by Hurricane Melissa and farmers facing years of waiting for replacement crops to mature, Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) CEO Garnet Edmondson believes Jamaica should embrace scientific innovation, including genetically modified organisms (GMOs), to strengthen its food security.

“Am I against GMO? No, I am not against GMO,” he told THE STAR at the World Food Day National Ceremony and Exposition at the Ministry of Agriculture, Mining and Fisheries on Wednesday. GMOs are plants, animals and microorganisms whose genetic material have been altered using genetic engineering techniques to introduce or enhance specific characteristics. In agriculture, the technology can be used to develop crops that are more resistant to pest and diseases, better able to withstand harsh environmental conditions or capable of producing higher yields.

Edmondson argued that scientific advancements could play an important role in helping the country recover from natural disasters, particularly where traditional agricultural practices require years to restore production. Pointing to Westmoreland, Hanover and St Elizabeth, which suffered extensive agricultural damage during Hurricane Melissa, he questioned how long Jamaicans should have to wait for breadfruit and other fruit trees to become productive again.

“Those trees take from five to 10 years to start produce,” he said. Edmondson expressed a desire for Jamaica to have laboratory facilities capable of accelerating the development of replacement trees.

“I would love if I had a lab in Jamaica that can say we can grow breadfruit to five, six feet,” he said.

He stressed that the destruction of these crops affects more than farmers, pointing to roadside vendors, tourism-related businesses and traditional Jamaican foods.

“A lot of us love roast breadfruit, ackee and saltfish. That is Jamaica,” he said.

His comments come nearly a year after Hurricane Melissa devastated Jamaica’s agricultural sector. Preliminary assessments released by the ministry last November placed losses at approximately $29.5 billion, affecting more than 70,000 farmers. Fruit trees alone accounted for an estimated $337 million in damage, with approximately 4,500 farmers affected. The Government has since outlined plans to establish 3,000 acres of orchard crops by 2035, focusing on breadfruit, ackee, mango, coconut and avocado, among others.

While Edmondson did not announce a specific GMO programme, he maintained that scientific intervention should not automatically be viewed negatively.

“Some genetic modification is not really bad. It is about educating people about GMO,” he said. “From dawned time, science has been involved in food production. We cannot get away from the science. Agriculture is a science.”

The RADA CEO also acknowledged that Jamaica has not yet achieved complete food security, despite improvements in domestic agricultural production.

“Are we making steps towards being food secure? Absolutely,” he said.

Watson highlighted improvements in the production of Irish potato, sweet potato and yam, along with government investment in agricultural infrastructure. He pointed to the Essex Valley Agro- Processing Facility and Cold Storage in St Elizabeth as one example of efforts to strengthen the sector. He also identified crops such as yam and dasheen as important to Jamaica’s export market, noting that the ability to store certain agricultural produce could help the country withstand disruptions to its food supply.

Edmondson expressed confidence that the country’s ongoing agricultural investments would improve its ability to withstand future shocks.

“If there should be a shock on the country in the next three years, I think we will be able to absorb because we are faster-paced with getting things together,” he said.

“If we are to be food secure, we must align ourselves with the sciences.”