Enticing Caribbean Sweet Potato Recipes

Preparing nutritious meals from locally grown root crops, that has a broad appeal to the young and old, can become a challenge for many busy householders. Recently, the Caribbean Agricultural Research Development Institute with support from the Caribbean Development Bank commissioned the preparation of a recipe book that focused on the use of sweet potato in a range of relatively easy to prepare meals.

This recipe book contains 20 exciting savoury and sweet preparations, including favourites such as:

• Biscuits
• Bread
• Breakfast Bowl
• Brownies
• Chicken Poppers
• Dasheen Bush Frittas
• Ducana
• Dumplings
• Fudge
• Gnocchi
• Hash
• Ice Cream
• Oatmeal
• Pancakes
• Peanut Butter Cookies
• Pita Pockets
• Pound Cake
• Smoothie
• Sweet Potato Slice
• Tortillas

For inquiries contact: The Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute.

 Sweet Potato in the Caribbean: things that you wanted to know, but did not know whom to ask

Lots of research and trials into various aspects of sweet potato production and processing have been done in the Caribbean, but many farmers and food processors have not been able to access the results of the research and trials. Often the research information remains in the domain of the research institution with very little, if any, outreach to targeted groups who may benefit from the information. Sometimes, the information is not translated and packaged into a format for ease of uptake among the various stakeholder groups, and remain mostly an academic exercise.

Recently, the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) with funding from the Caribbean Development Bank has made a renewed attempt to prepare useful information on sweet potato, that is potentially useful to many stakeholders throughout the Caribbean and elsewhere in the world.

The Multicrop Facility Ltd was engaged to produce a series of short videos (among other things), on various aspects of sweet potato agronomy, processing and value addition. Below are the links to these video documentaries which you may use or share with persons or agencies with an interest in sweet potato.

Sweet Potato Production and Use in the Caribbean

Sweet Potato Varieties Adaptability and Identification

Sweet Potato Agronomy

Sweet Potato Pest and Disease Management

Returns per Drop Water Use Management

Fertilisation and Nutrient Status in Sweet Potato

Sweet Potato Post-Harvest Management

Marketing Sweet Potato

Sweet Potato a Tasty Nutraceutical

New Opportunities in Business

Status of the Sweet Potato Industry

Hopefully, these short videos will stimulate further interest in sweet potato as a strategic commodity to improve healthy lifestyles and sustainable livelihoods.

Food Security...old talk again?

Apparently, CARICOM through its Council for Trade & Economic Development (COTED) approved a Regional Food & Nutrition Security Policy in October 2010. This little known policy has the following four objectives:

  1. Food Availability - Promote the sustainable production, processing, preparation, commercialization and consumption of safe, affordable, nutritious, high quality Caribbean food commodities/products.
 2. Food Access - Ensure regular access of Caribbean households, especially the poor and vulnerable, to sufficient quantities of safe, affordable, quality food at all times, particularly in response to diverse socioeconomic and natural shocks.
 3. Food Utilization/Nutritional Adequacy - Improve the nutritional status of the Caribbean population, particularly with respect to NCDs including diabetes, hypertension, overweight and obesity.
 4. Stability of Food Supply - Improve the resilience of the region’s national communities and households to natural and socio-economic crises.

The full policy document is available at this link.

The key question is...how do we move from talk to serious, consistent action?