10/08/2015
PRESS RELEASE
Edmunds Appointed Director of
Agricultural Sector Relations of
The Caribbean Agricultural Network
Dr. Joseph Edsel Edmunds of St Lucia has been
appointed Director of the Agricultural Sector Relations of the Caribbean
Agricultural Network (CAN) based in the United States by the President of the
Network, prominent Dominican lawyer and Caribbean development advocate Gabriel J.
Christian.
The appointment letter states that "This
position grants you the mandate to do all things reasonable and necessary to
link our organization to government and non-government entities for the purpose
of promoting Caribbean agriculture. We believe
that your stature and experience can go a long way in advancing our regional
interest and that of our affiliates in Africa, the Americas, and further
afield".
Dr, Edmunds has served as a consultant to various
international agencies in the South Pacific, Africa, Latin America and the
Caribbean and is a world renowned Nematologist.
The nematode Longidorus edmunsi was named in his honor by a British
Nematologist in recognition of this contribution to this field of science. He is a former Senior Research Fellow of the
University of the West Indies, St Augustine campus, and Director of Research
and Development of the Windward Islands Banana Industry.
The Agricultural Network, a non-governmental
organization, was launched on April 16 in Washington, DC with established links
with African, Latin American and Caribbean scientists and members of agro
industries which have been successful in generating economic agricultural
enterprises in developed and developing countries.
For example, the network is working together with
the farming community and Government of Dominica in the resuscitating of the
cocoa industry of the island and the production of world class chocolate for
international trade. This has been
achieved through partnership with SPAGnVOLA chocolatier, premium chocolate
makers based in Gaithersburg - Maryland.
9/17/2015
In collaboration with CiBEXO Group Dominica, the Law Office of Gabriel Christian and Caribbean Agriculture Network, SPAGnVOLA Chocolatier joins the relief effort for Dominica victims of Tropical Storm Erika.
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As of Thursday, September 17th, SPAGnVOLA will have a limited number of Dominica's premium chocolates bars for sale at their outlets in Gaithersburg and National Harbor. These artisan bars are made from cocoa produced in Dominica and will be for sale at $25.00 each. "The main ingredient in these bars is love and this is what's being sent to Dominica with a 100% of the proceeds from this effort" says SPAGnVOLA's head chocolate maker, Crisoire Reid.
This fundraising effort is demonstrative of our commitment not only to the farmers but to a people with whom we have fallen in love during our visit earlier this year. As we are limited to 1,000 bars and earmarked to raise US$25,000 we are seeking the support of chocolate lovers by sampling this new chocolate.
From Dominica, a lush arcadia of towering thickly forested mountains swept by sweet Caribbean breezes come Chocolat de la Dominique. Dominica is in that part of the Americas where cocoa originated, and where Meso Americans traversed the Caribbean and connected with the Central American isthmus and what is today Venezuela. In the 1900s Dominica' s lush forest and Botanic Gardens were laboratories for the added introduction of fine flavored Trinitario and Criollo beans carefully nurtured in partnership with the world renowned Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture at Trinidad (now the University of the West Indies-St. Augustine). A British colony then, Dominica’s beans was highly prized by the leading British chocolatiers who used the island's fine flavor beans to add exquisite taste to their bars. SPAGnVOLA's Chocolat de la Dominique was born of the vision of Christian family matriarch Alberta Christian who was born at Dominica's Cocoa Center in the Layou Valley in 1929.
Chocolate de la Dominique is an exquisite blend of cocoa from a unique and unspoilt spot on earth which is like what Bordeaux is to wine. While cocoa beans may be transported from one country to the next, it is the particular soil chemistry and overall atmospherics of a given place which infuses the cocoa bean with its unique notes. Made from heirloom cocoa trees grown by independent cocoa farmers, the Chocolate de la Dominique beans were lovingly fermented via the CiBEXO method. The fermentation and training of local farmers on Dominica took place in February 2015 during a mission by SPAGnVOLA and the Caribbean Agricultural Network. The beans were carefully selected for the first ever international launch of a chocolate bar from Dominica.
The fine flavored Chocolat de la Dominique bar will titillate your taste buds with its subtle earth, wood and fragrant floral tones redolent of the pristine forests from which it emerges. Our bar contains no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or refined sugars making them truly a dairy free and gluten free dream come true. Come, enjoy Chocolat de la Dominique and enter a zone born of an isle of splendor, an isle so rich and rare.
Chocolate de la Dominique is an exquisite blend of cocoa from a unique and unspoilt spot on earth which is like what Bordeaux is to wine. While cocoa beans may be transported from one country to the next, it is the particular soil chemistry and overall atmospherics of a given place which infuses the cocoa bean with its unique notes. Made from heirloom cocoa trees grown by independent cocoa farmers, the Chocolate de la Dominique beans were lovingly fermented via the CiBEXO method. The fermentation and training of local farmers on Dominica took place in February 2015 during a mission by SPAGnVOLA and the Caribbean Agricultural Network. The beans were carefully selected for the first ever international launch of a chocolate bar from Dominica.
The fine flavored Chocolat de la Dominique bar will titillate your taste buds with its subtle earth, wood and fragrant floral tones redolent of the pristine forests from which it emerges. Our bar contains no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or refined sugars making them truly a dairy free and gluten free dream come true. Come, enjoy Chocolat de la Dominique and enter a zone born of an isle of splendor, an isle so rich and rare.
"Over the past couple of weeks, the plight of Dominica has been weighing heavily on us here at SPAGnVOLA. As such, my wife Crisoire and I have decided to move quickly to launch the new Dominica chocolate bar as a fundraiser to help in whatever way we can," says SPAGnVOLA's CEO, Eric Reid.
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Special Launch of Chocolat de la Dominique
in commemoration of our beloved departed flood victim
-'Mighty Cocoa Tea' - Clifton Lewis'
Contributors to the Rebuild Dominica initiative purchasers of our Chocolate bar with total value to be donated to Dominica
8/28/2015
The Ravages of Tropical Storm Erica
BREAKING NEWS!!!!
Tropical Storm Erica strikes Dominica with unprecedented flooding, loss of life and property reported. The Caribbean Agricultural Network and affiliates will seek to coordinate relief with Government and non-government authorities at this time of need.
Messages can be sent to the office of
mobile: 301-661-3280 office: 301-218-9400
mobile: 210-386-0779
We will keep everyone updated as to planned relief efforts. Please revisit the site, and inform your friends.
UPDATE # 1
UPDATE # 2
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8/17/2015
Donation of Advanced Breadfruit Cultivars to Dominica by son of Marcus Garvey
JAMAICA RECEIVES 500 OF GARVEY'S BREADFRUIT TREES
BY LUKE DOUGLAS Environment Watch staff reporter douglasl@jamaicaobserver.com - April 2011
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Press Release:
On August 17, 2015, the 128th anniversary of the birth of the Right Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey (see link below) 392 high yielding and fast growing breadfruit cultivars have left the Global Breadfruit facility in Florida for the island of Dominica.
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Breadfruit tissue culture
According to the CEO of the Caribbean Agricultural Network (CAN) Major Francis Richards, the cultivars (Ulu-fiti) and (Otea) are the donation of New York based General Surgeon Dr Julius Garvey, the last son of Marcus Garvey.
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At the end of the hardening process, the objective of the project is to distribute the plants within the seven (7) agricultural regions on island. Upon arrival the cultivars will be transported to the Ministry of Agriculture’s greenhouse facility at Portsmouth where they will be hardened for three months prior to distribution to local farmers. The advanced cultivar types sent to Dominica are fast bearing and will fruit within 2 to 3 years, compared to the standard 3 to 5 years.
Dr. Garvey is a member of the Caribbean Agricultural Network and has dedicated himself to the development of Caribbean food security, in accordance with the principles of self reliance advocated by his father who founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association in the early 1900s. Dominica was a major base of support for the UNIA during its early years and Marcus Garvey himself was invited to Dominica in 1929 with the aid of UNIA representative, noted local poet and self rule activist JR Ralph Casimir.
According to CAN's Director on Dominica, Errol Emmanuel, the breadfruit proliferation effort will complement the cocoa revival project on Dominica led by the Caribbean Agricultural Network in league with Dominica's cocoa farmers.
The objective of CAN is to rebuild the agriculture and food security backbone on Dominica, and the Caribbean region. On August 1, 2015 St Lucian agriculture scientist and former ambassador to the US, Dr Eddie Edmunds joined CAN as its Director of Agriculture Institution Relations.
The CAN President Gabriel J. Christian, wishes to thank Dr Garvey for his leadership in agriculture and food security by this gift, and the Government of Dominica and other persons who have come forward to collaborate on its agriculture development mission.
Other breadfruit related information can be viewed at http://www.caribbeanagriculturalnetwork.com/2015_06_01_archive.html
Note: The consignment of breadfruit plants arrived safely at the Douglas/Charles airport on Tuesday August 18th, 2015. With the invaluable assistance from the staff of the Division of Agriculture and members of the CAN team the plants were transported to the green house at the Portsmouth Agric Station where they will be hardened for approx three (3) months before distribution as a public/private sector initiative.
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Total Trees exported : 63,780 Total Countries: 35
OCEANIA (8)
CARIBBEAN (10)
Jamaica (2009)
Haiti (2010)
Bermuda (2013)
Nevis (2013)
Puerto Rico (2013)
Cayman Islands (2013)
Barbados (2014)
Bahamas (2014)
Antigua and Barbuda (2015)
Dominica (2015)
CENTRAL AMERICA (6)
Honduras (2009)
Nicaragua (2011)
Costa Rica (2012)
Panama (2013)
Guatemala (2013)
Belize (2015)
AFRICA (9)
Ghana (2011)
Mozambique (2011)
Nigeria (2011)
Tanzania (2011)
Madagascar (2012)
Kenya (2013)
Liberia (2013)
Rwanda (2014)
Zambia (2014)
ASIA (2)
Myanmar (2012)
Pakistan (2014)
Note: The consignment of breadfruit plants arrived safely at the Douglas/Charles airport on Tuesday August 18th, 2015. With the invaluable assistance from the staff of the Division of Agriculture and members of the CAN team the plants were transported to the green house at the Portsmouth Agric Station where they will be hardened for approx three (3) months before distribution as a public/private sector initiative.
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Breadfruit facts from GlOBAL BREADFRUIT
OCEANIA (8)
Hawaii (2009)
American Samoa (2012)
Guam (2012)
French Polynesia (2013)
Commonwealth Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan) (2013)
Samoa (2014)
Republic of the Marshall Islands (Majuro) (2014)
Federated States of Micronesia (Pohnpei, Chuuk) (2014)
CARIBBEAN (10)
Jamaica (2009)
Haiti (2010)
Bermuda (2013)
Nevis (2013)
Puerto Rico (2013)
Cayman Islands (2013)
Barbados (2014)
Bahamas (2014)
Antigua and Barbuda (2015)
Dominica (2015)
CENTRAL AMERICA (6)
Honduras (2009)
Nicaragua (2011)
Costa Rica (2012)
Panama (2013)
Guatemala (2013)
Belize (2015)
AFRICA (9)
Ghana (2011)
Mozambique (2011)
Nigeria (2011)
Tanzania (2011)
Madagascar (2012)
Kenya (2013)
Liberia (2013)
Rwanda (2014)
Zambia (2014)
ASIA (2)
Myanmar (2012)
Pakistan (2014)
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