Barbados Agricultural Society CEO Warns of Threat to Nation's Food Security from Farmland Conversion

The nation’s ability to feed itself is under threat as more farmland is being converted for residential and commercial use, Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS), James Paul, has warned.

He described a “worrying trend” of large-scale landowners abandoning fertile land, allowing it to become overgrown, and then applying for a change of use for residential development through the Town Planning Department.

Paul raised alarm on the recent erection of two large signs at the entrances of Constant Plantation in St George, indicating that 16.91 acres of land are for sale, having been approved for residential and commercial development.

“This is the agricultural belt. It is wrong,” Paul declared. “There are other developments that are not even fully taken up, where there is low demand, and yet we see this type of thing being approved. This is not the only case. I am hearing about land in Cottage, in the same parish, being repurposed as well. These are lands that, in some instances, are still in production.”

In an interview with Barbados TODAY, Paul expressed deep concern about the implications of the change-of-use practice, calling for an urgent investigation to determine whether landowners are genuinely unable to maintain agricultural production or if they are deliberately allowing land to fall into disuse as part of a strategic scheme.

“This is appalling and significantly impacts our island’s ability to be food secure,” Paul said.

He emphasised the need to protect agricultural land, particularly for young farmers eager to lease or purchase land but finding it increasingly difficult to do so.

“Agricultural land is being alienated at an alarming rate,” he warned. “The alarm bells need to be sounded at this point in time. We are just going too far.”

Paul appealed to officials to reject these land-use change requests. “I really want to urge the authorities at Town and Country Planning to resist granting such approvals. There is a temptation to move land out of agriculture, but maybe the State needs to explore ways to transfer ownership to those genuinely interested in farming. We need new and better ownership structures that facilitate agricultural use.”

The BAS chief called for the introduction of a capital gains tax to address the issue, arguing it could curb speculation on agricultural land. “The ability of landowners to profit from the sale of agricultural land can be easily mitigated by implementing a capital gains tax. This would remove much of the profit motive behind these speculative sales and could provide additional revenue for the state, especially as we seek to increase tax income.”