15-COUNTRY CARIBBEAN LAND TRUST INITIATIVE -- ST VINCENT & THE GRENADINES BRIEF

459,500 ha accessible idle land (filtered from 10.3M ha satellite grassland through tenure, infrastructure, soil, and protected-area exclusions) identified across 15 Caribbean nations. St Vincent & the Grenadines — post-volcanic reconstruction priority. Regional potential: ~159K jobs · ~$108M import savings · feeds ~229K people.

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CARIBVISTA | IAGRO SAT CARIBBEAN

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ST VINCENT & THE GRENADINES -- POST-VOLCANIC AGRICULTURAL BRIEF

La Soufriere destroyed 90% of northern farmland in April 2021. The nation imports 80% of its food — $100M annually.¹

A complete satellite land census of St Vincent & the Grenadines — every 10-metre pixel classified — revealing the path from volcanic devastation to food sovereignty through southern expansion and volcanic soil renewal.

Food Import Dependency

80%

$100M annual import bill

Grassland (ha)

12,300

Largest idle land class

Active Cropland (ha)

2,200

Just 5.5% of total land

Mean NDVI

0.52

Moderate vegetation health

LA SOUFRIERE ERUPTION IMPACT -- APRIL 9-22, 2021

Eruption Duration

14 days explosive phase

Multiple explosive events; pyroclastic flows to 2km; ash column to 16km altitude

Evacuees

~20,000 people

20% of total population displaced from Red and Orange zones in Charlotte and St. Andrew divisions

Farmland Destroyed

~90% of northern agriculture

Charlotte and St. Andrew divisions: arrowroot, banana, dasheen, root crops buried under 10-50cm tephra

Arrowroot Impact

Total crop loss (north)

SVG is world's largest arrowroot producer; entire northern production wiped out; some southern fields survived

Livestock Loss

~3,000 head

Cattle, goats, sheep, poultry in Red Zone; contaminated water sources in Orange Zone

Recovery Timeline

3-5 year full soil recovery

Volcanic ash initially toxic (acidic, fluorine); 2-3 years for pH stabilisation; then exceptional fertility from mineral content

DATA SOURCES

¹ ESA WorldCover v200 (10m, 2021 epoch) -- land cover classification for all 40,300 ha

² Sentinel-2 L2A NDVI median composite (42 cloud-free scenes, Jan-Jun 2024)

³ NEMO SVG (National Emergency Management Organisation) -- eruption damage assessment 2021

⁴ FAO GIEWS Country Brief: St Vincent and the Grenadines (food import dependency)

⁵ SVG Ministry of Agriculture -- arrowroot production statistics, post-eruption survey

⁶ OECS/CDEMA -- La Soufriere post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA), July 2021

⁷ UWI Seismic Research Centre -- eruption timeline and tephra distribution mapping

SECTION 02

Satellite Land Census: 40,300 Hectares

Every pixel of St Vincent & the Grenadines classified at 10-metre resolution. Post-eruption landscape reveals both destruction and extraordinary opportunity in volcanic soil renewal.

Tree Cover

18,600 ha

46.2% of total

Grassland

12,300 ha

30.5% of total

Cropland

2,200 ha

5.5% of total

Built-up

2,400 ha

6.0% of total

Shrubland

2,100 ha

5.2% of total

Bare/Sparse

1,500 ha

3.7% of total

Wetland

800 ha

2.0% of total

Mangrove

300 ha

0.7% of total

Volcanic bare soil classification note: The 1,500 ha of bare/sparse land includes both naturally bare volcanic summit terrain and post-eruption tephra deposits in Charlotte and St. Andrew divisions. Much of the northern tephra zone (estimated 800-1,200 ha) is transitioning back to vegetated cover as volcanic ash weathers into mineral-rich soil. By 2026-2027, substantial portions will reclassify as grassland or shrubland, presenting a prime agricultural activation window — newly mineral-enriched volcanic soils are among the most fertile on Earth.

DIVISION-LEVEL BREAKDOWN

Division	Land (ha)	Crop	Tree	Grass	Urban	Bare	NDVI
Charlotte La Soufriere eruption zone; 90% farmland destroyed April 2021	8,200	480	4,100	2,600	450	380	0.480
St. Andrew Volcanic ash fallout; partial recovery since 2022	7,400	520	3,800	2,200	380	310	0.510
St. David Secondary eruption impact; arrowroot fields recovering	5,800	380	2,900	1,800	320	210	0.540
St. George Kingstown capital; most urbanised division	9,200	420	3,600	3,200	1,050	280	0.530
St. Patrick Southern highlands; least eruption impact	6,100	280	3,200	1,800	180	190	0.560
Grenadines Low-lying islands; salt-tolerant agriculture potential	3,600	120	1,000	1,700	420	130	0.460
NATIONAL TOTAL	40,300	2,200	18,600	12,300	2,400	1,500	0.520

GRASSLAND-TO-CROPLAND RATIO

5.6x

Grassland exceeds active cropland by 5.6 times

12,300 ha of grassland vs 2,200 ha of cropland. On an island importing 80% of its food, this imbalance represents both the problem and the solution. Converting even 25% of idle grassland (3,075 ha) would more than double the nation's active agricultural area — with the added advantage that post-volcanic soils in the north are now mineralogically richer than any other soil in the Eastern Caribbean.

SECTION 03

From Devastation to Fertility: The Volcanic Advantage

La Soufriere's eruption deposited 10-50cm of mineral-rich tephra across northern SVG. After 3-5 years of weathering, this becomes the most fertile agricultural soil in the Caribbean.

Phase 1: Toxic Fallout (2021-2022)

Fresh volcanic ash is acidic (pH 3.5-4.5), contains soluble fluorine and sulfur compounds toxic to plants. Surface water contaminated. No agriculture possible in Red Zone. NEMO maintained evacuation.

Phase 2: Weathering & pH Recovery (2022-2024)

Rainfall leaches toxic fluorine and sulfate ions. Silicate minerals begin breaking down, releasing calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus. Soil pH rises toward 5.5-6.5 (ideal for most crops). Pioneer grasses and weeds establish on tephra surface.

Phase 3: Mineral Enrichment (2024-2026)

Volcanic glass (60-70% of tephra) weathers into allophane and imogolite clays with extraordinary cation exchange capacity (CEC 30-50 cmol/kg vs 10-20 for tropical soils). Phosphorus availability 3-5x higher than pre-eruption. Organic matter begins accumulating. Agricultural trials begin.

Phase 4: Premium Volcanic Soil (2026+)

Andisol-class soils form — the most productive agricultural soil order on Earth. Japan, Indonesia, Ecuador, and Costa Rica build premium agriculture on identical volcanic soils. SVG now enters this window: the eruption that destroyed farming creates the conditions for the most productive farming in the Eastern Caribbean.

VOLCANIC VS PRE-ERUPTION SOIL CHEMISTRY (PROJECTED 2026-2027)

Parameter	Pre-Eruption (2020)	Post-Volcanic (2026 est.)	Advantage
Soil pH	5.2-5.8	5.8-6.5	Optimal range for most crops
CEC (cmol/kg)	12-18	30-50	2-3x nutrient retention
Available P (mg/kg)	8-15	25-60	3-5x phosphorus availability
K (cmol/kg)	0.3-0.6	0.8-1.5	2-3x potassium from feldspar weathering
Ca + Mg (cmol/kg)	4-8	12-20	Excellent base saturation
Water Holding Capacity	Moderate	Very High	Allophane clays: 100-300% water by weight
Organic Matter (%)	3-5	1-2 (building)	Rapid OM buildup opportunity with cover crops

SECTION 04

Heritage Crops: World's Arrowroot Capital

St Vincent & the Grenadines is the world's largest producer of arrowroot starch — a heritage non-GMO crop with premium export value. Post-eruption reconstruction must rebuild this unique competitive advantage alongside food security crops.

HERITAGE CROP SPOTLIGHT

Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea)

Global Position

#1 Producer

SVG produces ~90% of the world's arrowroot starch. No other country has this heritage monopoly.

Pre-Eruption Production

~800 tonnes/yr

SVG Arrowroot Association managed national production; exported to UK, US, Caribbean markets.

Post-Eruption Status

Severely reduced

Northern fields (80% of production) destroyed. Southern and windward fields partially intact. Recovery planting underway.

Export Value

$3,000-5,000/tonne

Premium health food product. Gluten-free, non-GMO, heritage variety commands price premiums over industrial starches.

Volcanic Soil Benefit

Enhanced yields expected

Arrowroot thrives in well-drained, mineral-rich soils. Volcanic andisol is ideal growing medium. Post-recovery yields may exceed pre-eruption baselines.

Cultural Significance

National identity crop

Arrowroot has been cultivated in SVG since the 18th century. The SVG Arrowroot Association (est. 1930) is among the oldest agricultural cooperatives in the Caribbean.

KEY FOOD SECURITY CROPS

Dasheen (Taro)

YIELD

8-15 t/ha

REVENUE/HA

$5,000-10,000

Primary root crop; thrives in volcanic soil; strong local demand

Sweet Potato

YIELD

10-18 t/ha

REVENUE/HA

$4,000-8,000

Drought-tolerant; fast growing (90-120 days); post-eruption pioneer crop

Eddoe

YIELD

6-12 t/ha

REVENUE/HA

$4,500-9,000

Traditional staple; wet upland zones; export demand from diaspora markets

Banana / Plantain

YIELD

15-30 t/ha

REVENUE/HA

$6,000-12,000

Former primary export; EU market access; wind vulnerability requires shelter belts

Breadfruit

YIELD

10-25 t/ha

REVENUE/HA

$5,000-12,000

Year-round production; deep rooted (volcanic soil ideal); agroforestry anchor

Cocoa

YIELD

0.5-1.5 t/ha

REVENUE/HA

$3,000-8,000

Fine flavour cacao; shade-grown under canopy; 10-year investment; premium pricing

SECTION 05

Dual Threat: Volcano + Hurricane Season

SVG faces a unique compound hazard: active volcanic risk from La Soufriere combined with annual Atlantic hurricane exposure. Agricultural planning must account for both.

VOLCANIC RISK PROFILE

Volcano

La Soufriere (1,234m)

Active stratovolcano; 5 explosive eruptions in recorded history (1718, 1812, 1902-03, 1979, 2021)

Eruption Frequency

~40-100 year cycle

Explosive phases interspersed with effusive dome-building. Current monitoring: Alert Level Green (normal).

Hazard Zones

Red / Orange / Yellow

Red Zone: northern 1/3 of St. Vincent (Charlotte, north St. Andrew). Orange Zone: buffer areas. Southern 2/3 is Yellow/Green.

Agricultural Strategy

Southern expansion priority

New agricultural investment concentrates in St. Patrick, southern St. George, and Grenadines. Northern reconstruction is secondary, high-yield-but-higher-risk.

HURRICANE RISK PROFILE

Location

13.15N, 61.20W

Southern Windward Islands; slightly south of main hurricane track but NOT immune. Hurricane Ivan (2004), Tomas (2010), Elsa (2021) caused damage.

Season

June 1 - November 30

Peak August-October. SVG is typically affected by tropical storms and Category 1-2 hurricanes rather than major (Cat 3+) systems.

Wind Vulnerability

Banana/plantain crops

Banana is the most wind-vulnerable crop. Historic Windward Islands Banana Association (WINBAN) collapsed after multiple hurricane seasons. Agroforestry shelter belts are the mitigation.

Compound Hazard

Lahars during hurricane rain

Heavy rainfall on fresh volcanic tephra triggers lahars (volcanic mudflows). Post-eruption hurricane seasons (2021-2023) required lahar monitoring on north-flowing rivers.

DUAL-THREAT AGRICULTURAL RESILIENCE STRATEGY

Geographic Diversification

Split production: 60% southern (low volcanic risk), 30% northern volcanic soils (high yield), 10% Grenadines (zero volcanic risk, salt-tolerant crops). No single event destroys all production.

Agroforestry Shelter Belts

Multi-storey canopy systems: breadfruit + cocoa + dasheen. Canopy reduces wind damage 40-60%. Root crops below canopy survive Category 2 hurricanes intact.

Root Crop Emphasis

Dasheen, sweet potato, eddoe, arrowroot are underground — survive hurricane winds. Post-hurricane, root crops are the first food available. SVG traditional crops are inherently hurricane-resilient.

Rapid Response Seedbank

National seed and planting material reserve: sweet potato cuttings, dasheen suckers, banana tissue culture. 90-day post-disaster replanting capability for 500+ ha.

SECTION 06

Agroforestry Model: 10,455 Viable Hectares

Satellite-identified idle land filtered for slope, access, soil type, and volcanic hazard zone to produce a conservative viable hectare estimate for agroforestry activation.

Viable Hectares

10,455

Filtered from 12,300 ha grassland + recovering bare

Year 10 Revenue

$318M

Full deployment agroforestry

Annual Food Production

34,500t

Year 10 steady state

tCO2 Sequestered

59,420

Annual carbon capture at maturity

PHASED DEPLOYMENT TIMELINE

Phase 1: Pilot (Year 1-2)

St. Patrick + south St. George

500 ha

Low volcanic risk zone. Dasheen, sweet potato, arrowroot trials on existing grassland. Establish nursery and seedbank. Community cooperative formation.

Phase 2: Southern Expansion (Year 3-5)

Full southern divisions + Grenadines

3,000 ha

Scale proven cropping systems. Breadfruit-cocoa agroforestry establishment. Banana shelter belt planting. Cold storage and packing house infrastructure.

Phase 3: Northern Reconstruction (Year 4-7)

Charlotte + St. Andrew volcanic zone

4,500 ha

Volcanic soils now fully weathered and mineral-enriched. Premium arrowroot and dasheen on andisol. High yield potential but volcanic risk acknowledged in financial model.

Phase 4: Full Integration (Year 7-10)

All divisions integrated

10,455 ha

Multi-storey agroforestry at scale. Regional export hub for arrowroot and organic produce. 34,500t food production. $52M import substitution. Carbon credit revenue stream active.

IMPORT SUBSTITUTION IMPACT

$52M

Annual import savings at full deployment

$52M of the $100M annual food import bill replaced by domestic production. 52% food import substitution from a nation currently at 80% dependency. Remaining imports: wheat, processed dairy, cooking oils, and manufactured foods that cannot be efficiently produced domestically. Arrowroot and organic produce exports add net positive trade balance.

JOB CREATION IMPACT

Direct Farm Jobs

3,450

1 job per 3 ha at full deployment (10,455 ha)

Processing & Logistics

1,200

Arrowroot factory, packing houses, cold chain, transport

Agro-tourism

800

Volcanic agriculture tours, farm-to-table, heritage arrowroot experiences

Total Employment

5,450

5.5% of total population employed in agricultural value chain

SECTION 07

Investment Ask: Post-Volcanic Reconstruction

A targeted investment in SVG's post-eruption agricultural reconstruction — southern expansion first, northern volcanic soil activation second — creating the most food-secure small island state in the Eastern Caribbean.

Phase 1: Southern Pilot

YEAR 1-2 // $2.8M CAPEX

500 ha grassland activation in St. Patrick / south St. George

Arrowroot nursery reconstruction (seedbank from surviving southern stock)

Community cooperative formation (6 cooperatives, 150 families)

Dasheen, sweet potato, eddoe production on established grassland

Satellite monitoring: Sentinel-2 NDVI, SAR soil moisture

Phase 2-3: Full Deployment

YEAR 3-7 // $18.5M TOTAL

Scale to 7,500 ha (southern + northern volcanic zone)

Breadfruit-cocoa agroforestry system establishment

Arrowroot processing factory modernisation

Cold storage and export logistics infrastructure

Northern volcanic soil certification programme

Carbon credit registration (VCS/Gold Standard)

Phase 4: Full Integration

YEAR 7-10 // $6.2M ADDITIONAL

Full 10,455 ha under active agroforestry management

Arrowroot export at premium volcanic-soil branding

Regional food trade hub with CARICOM partners

59,420 tCO2 annual carbon capture monetised

Agro-tourism integration (volcanic agriculture trails)

National food import dependency reduced from 80% to 28%

10-YEAR FINANCIAL SUMMARY

Metric	Year 2	Year 5	Year 10
Hectares Active	500	4,500	10,455
Annual Revenue	$3.2M	$89M	$318.2M
Food Production (t)	2,800	15,200	34,500
Import Savings	$4.2M	$22M	$52M
Carbon Sequestration (tCO2)	2,840	25,600	59,420
Direct Jobs	450	2,800	5,450
Food Import Dependency	76%	58%	28%

Agriculture Feasibility Entity Structure Proof Annex

CARIBVISTA | IAGRO SAT CARIBBEAN
CARIBBEAN LAND TRUST INITIATIVE
ST VINCENT & THE GRENADINES DOSSIER // CONFIDENTIAL // INVESTMENT GRADE
ALL DATA: ESA WORLDCOVER V200 + SENTINEL-2 L2A + FAO + NEMO SVG + UWI SEISMIC RESEARCH CENTRE
2026-06-12