Forty-five young people prepared to help bolster food security

ST.VINCENT ANDTHE Grenadines (SVG) took another step toward secure food systems when, on August 25, 2026 forty-five interns received certificates at the conclusion of the 2026Youth in Agriculture Science Internship Programme (YASIP) at a ceremony held at the conference room of the National Insurance Services.

Over the six-weeks of the initiative the 45 young Vincentians were placed across 23 diverse host organizations, funded through a strategic partnership between the Zero Hunger Trust Fund (ZHTF), and the SVG Conservation Fund.

Part of the intensive programme featured a two-day study tour of local agricultural operations and culminated in a special “Ten for Ten” initiative, which highlighted 10 outstanding interns to support the nation’s food sector.

Speaking at the ceremony, Senior Programme Officer at the ZNTF Alanda Moses, said the event marked the culmination of weeks of learning, discovery, growth, and hands-on experience for a talented group of young people who accepted the challenge of stepping beyond the classroom and into the world of work.

“Through placements with farms, agribusinesses, institutions, community organisations, and other development partners, our interns have had the opportunity to gain practical experience, develop their professional skills, build their confidence, and gain a deep appreciation for the many many dimensions of agriculture and food and the food system…,” Moses said.

She explained that some of the volunteers took part in the 10 for 10 initiative in honour of the 10th anniversary of the ZNTF.

“…[The initiative] is designed to highlight young people who demonstrated promise, broad professionalism, commitment, leadership, leadership potential, creativity, and dedication throughout their internship experience,” Moses noted. She said the campaign was never intended to just identify only the best interns; rather, it sought to showcase the many different ways that young people can excel and contribute to agriculture and the food system.

“One of the key questions thatYASIP seeks to answer is not only what young people can learn during the internship experience, but how they can remain engaged and continue contributing after the internship has ended, that is why today’s programme… also introduces participants to two exciting pathways for continued engagement and growth.”

She highlighted the National Youth Food System, which was introduced early to the interns, which is “… an initiative being developed to connect, support, and empower young people through leadership opportunities, support and empower young people, and mentorship, networking, innovation, advocacy, and youth-led action across the food system”.

Moses explained that the framework seeks to create meaningful pathways for young people to participate in everything from production and agribusiness to policy, research, technology, and food security initiatives.

“We will also look at Youth Link SVG, an emerging national platform created to help young people access employment opportunities, internships…,” she noted.

Concluding, Moses said these initiatives reinforce an important message, which is, that the programme journey does not end with the presentation of certificates to the interns.

“Today’s ceremony represents one milestone in a much longer pathway of learning, leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship, and meaningful participation in shaping the future of SVG’s food system.”

Moses thanked the interns for embracing the opportunity, as well as the hosts and panellists for opening their doors and sharing their knowledge, and the parents for providing support to the interns.