By Stefanie Gouveia
Who are the Global Shapers Community?
The Global Shapers Community Port of Spain Hub is part of a worldwide youth-led initiative created by the World Economic Forum (WEF) to empower young people to drive local solutions to global challenges. Established over a decade ago globally and nearly nine years in Trinidad and Tobago, the network now spans more than 15,000 members across 150+ countries, with multiple hubs across the Caribbean (World Economic Forum, 2026).
At its core, the Global Shapers Community is made up of young professionals aged 18–30 who self-organize to design and implement projects addressing pressing issues in their societies. These include climate change, inequality, education, and most recently, food security and regenerative agriculture in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T).
The Port of Spain Hub has identified three key impact areas for its current cycle:
- Reskilling for the future
- Building inclusive communities
- Health and wellbeing (Global Shapers Community Port of Spain, 2026)
These priorities directly align with the region’s urgent need for low-carbon agri-food systems and climate-resilient development pathways.
Regenerative Agriculture: A Climate Solution for Trinidad & Tobago
At the heart of the Hub’s work is regenerative agriculture, a farming approach increasingly recognised as essential to climate adaptation and food sovereignty in the Caribbean.
What is regenerative agriculture?
Regenerative agriculture can be defined as a farming system that:
- Restores soil health and biodiversity
- Increases carbon sequestration in soils
- Reduces dependence on chemical inputs
- Promotes diversified cropping systems
- Integrates animals, plants, and agroforestry systems (Climate Reality Project, 2026)
Unlike conventional monocropping, regenerative systems function as a closed-loop ecological model, often described as “nature working in harmony with itself.”
In Trinidad and Tobago—where 80–90% of food is imported—this approach is especially critical for reducing food import dependency, strengthening resilience, and improving nutrition security (FAO, 2025).
Why Food Security Matters in T&T
Food security refers to the availability, accessibility, and affordability of food for all people at all times. However, Trinidad and Tobago remains highly vulnerable due to its dependence on imported food supply chains.
During global disruptions such as COVID-19 and geopolitical conflicts, these vulnerabilities became more visible, exposing the fragility of international supply chains (World Bank, 2025).
The Global Shapers Community highlights three key impacts of food insecurity in the Caribbean:
- Rising food prices and foreign exchange pressure
- Limited access to fresh, nutritious food
- Increased exposure to global supply chain shocks
Regenerative agriculture directly addresses these challenges by:
- Increasing local food production
- Reducing reliance on imported inputs
- Lowering greenhouse gas emissions from food transport
Regenerative Agriculture and Climate Action
Food systems globally account for nearly one-quarter of greenhouse gas emissions, making agriculture a critical sector for climate mitigation (IPCC, 2023).
Regenerative agriculture supports low-carbon agri-food systems by:
- Increasing soil organic carbon storage
- Reducing synthetic fertilizer use
- Enhancing water retention and drought resilience
- Promoting biodiversity and ecosystem restoration
In the Caribbean context, this also aligns with national climate adaptation goals and broader net-zero transition strategies.
The Global Shapers Food Security Initiative in T&T
The Port of Spain Hub has actively responded to these challenges through workshops and community-based agricultural interventions in partnership with organizations such as Wa Samaki Ecosystems and the Climate Reality Project incubator.
Key project components include:
- Permaculture design training
- Water management systems
- Composting and soil regeneration
- Syntropy bed farming systems
- Agricultural marketing and distribution training
- Access to finance and microgrants for youth farmers
These initiatives reflect a shift from theory to practice, equipping participants with both technical agricultural knowledge and agri-business skills.
Syntropy Farming: A New Model for the Caribbean
A standout innovation introduced through the programme is syntropy farming, a system that layers crops, trees, and animal integration to mimic natural ecosystems.
Key features:
- Multi-layered crop production systems
- Continuous soil regeneration
- Enhanced water retention efficiency
- Integration of agroforestry and livestock systems
This method strengthens resilience against climate shocks while improving productivity and biodiversity outcomes (Global Shapers Community Port of Spain, 2026).
Youth-Led Climate Innovation and Microgrants
A critical innovation in the programme is the introduction of agricultural microgrants for youth participants, enabling them to design and implement their own projects.
Examples include:
- Community composting banks
- Shared urban gardening plots
- Local food production cooperatives
These initiatives demonstrate how youth entrepreneurship can directly support food sovereignty and climate resilience.
Linking Food Systems to the Circular Economy
The Global Shapers approach also connects agriculture to broader circular economy principles, where waste is reused, systems are localised, and inputs are minimised.
Local agri-tech platforms and knowledge-sharing systems such as Market Movers and Unqueue further strengthen this ecosystem by supporting:
- Market access for farmers
- Supply chain coordination
- Agricultural business development
This reinforces farming not just as food production, but as a viable economic sector for youth employment and innovation.
Why This Matters for Trinidad & Tobago
The importance of regenerative agriculture in T&T extends across three key dimensions:
Environmental
- Carbon sequestration and emissions reduction
- Soil regeneration and biodiversity restoration
Economic
- Reduced food import bill
- New rural and urban agribusiness opportunities
- Youth entrepreneurship development
Social
- Improved access to nutritious food
- Community resilience and empowerment
- Skills development for young professionals
A National Development Imperative
The Global Shapers Community Port of Spain Hub represents a growing movement of youth-led climate action in the Caribbean, with regenerative agriculture serving as a powerful entry point for systemic change.
By combining permaculture design, syntropy systems, microfinancing, and community education, the initiative demonstrates how Trinidad and Tobago can transition toward a more self-sufficient, climate-resilient, and low-carbon food system.
In a region heavily dependent on food imports, regenerative agriculture is not just an environmental strategy—it is a national development imperative.
References
Climate Reality Project. (2026). Regenerative agriculture training and climate incubator programme overview. Climate Reality Leadership Corps.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2025). Caribbean food security outlook and import dependency analysis. FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Global Shapers Community Port of Spain. (2026). Hub impact areas and youth-led climate action initiatives. World Economic Forum Network.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2023). Climate change and land: Special report on climate and land use systems. https://www.ipcc.ch/srccl/
World Bank. (2025). Food security and supply chain resilience in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). World Bank Publications.
World Economic Forum. (2026). Global Shapers Community: Youth driving local impact globally. https://www.globalshapers.org/