A couple of months ago, the Opportunities for the Majority initiative launched a business plan competition for companies in the tourism sector in the Caribbean that are seeking to engage with low-income communities. The deadline for applications is April 9, and we are just starting to receive proposals.
Here’s an example of something I saw myself while on a Caribbean vacation that’s a perfect illustration of the kind of project that would be an excellent candidate for this competition as it sponsors the creation of linkages between the local community and a tourism sector company. Over a year ago, I spent some time at a Hyatt Regency hotel in Port of Spain, Trinidad. I was happily impressed by the attentive service, and the infinity pool with spectacular ocean views, but perhaps my favorite thing was the food, especially the salads! I had a friend who worked there as their food and beverage manager, and he told me about the secret to those tasty salads – a pilot partnership the resort had with some local farmers.
Previously, the hotel had imported all its fresh produce from off the island, but that was getting to be very expensive, plus the fruits and vegetables also often suffered in quality from being transported long distances. So, Hyatt decided to see if they could source more of their produce from local markets and farmers.
They found that many of the vegetables they were used to offering on their U.S. and European-style menus were not available locally, as they weren’t traditional Trinidadian crops. However, Hyatt didn’t stop there. They found farmers who were willing to try growing lettuces, cucumbers, radishes, and other kinds of produce they wanted. They worked with the farmers to train them in agricultural methods to increase their yields, and provided them with seeds for these new crops. Chefs from the hotel kitchen visited the farms to explain how the produce would be used, so the farmers understood what standards they needed to attain to please the chefs and their diners.
The results were delicious! The resort was happy, because they were getting higher-quality produce and saving money at the same time. The farmers were also happy, because they had gained a valuable client, and were learning new techniques in producing these fruits and vegetables. Some of the farmers were even finding they could sell these new products to other restaurants and supermarkets. I took a break from my vacation and visited one of the farms, and saw how proud the farmer was of his carrots, and of the organic farming methods he was using in growing them.
As I understand, the success of this pilot project is now leading Hyatt to try similar programs at other resorts. Other companies, including Sandals in Jamaica, are also including local farmers in their supply chains.
If you know of any Caribbean hotels or tourism companies that might be interested in trying this approach – or any other kind of project that involves integrating base of the pyramid communities to add value to their activities – please let them know about this business plan competition. They could get some very valuable advice about making it work as successfully as the partnership I saw in Trinidad.
Johnny Jiron is an investment officer at the IDB's Opportunities for the Majority initiative.
