Second shade house training programme advances climate-smart agriculture

The Environmental Management Consultants Inc (EMC), in collaboration with the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), has successfully concluded the second Shade House Training Programme, further advancing Guyana’s and the Caribbean’s transition toward climate-smart agriculture and sustainable food systems.
Building on the success of the first training held earlier this year, this second session brought together 27 participants, including representatives from Indigenous communities, Saint Lucia, and Grenada, and students from the Guyana School of Agriculture, as well as agricultural professionals.
Over the course of one week (November 3–7), participants received a blend of technical instruction and practical experience in areas such as shade house design and construction, crop management, pest control, and post-harvest handling.
The initiative forms part of a broader effort to enhance climate resilience, improve productivity, and empower local farmers and community leaders to adopt sustainable and innovative agricultural practices. The training is supported through the Climate Resilience Grant, funded by the ExxonMobil Foundation.
Delivering the keynote address at the certification ceremony. Minister of Amerindian Affairs Sarah Browne congratulated participants for their dedication and hard work, describing the initiative as a symbol of national progress and empowerment.

“Completing the shade house training should not be looked at as a small achievement,” Minister Browne stated. “It represents your commitment to learning, to growth, and to building a better future – not only for yourselves, but for your families, your communities, and for Guyana and the Caribbean as a whole.”
Minister Browne highlighted the Government’s continued investment in modern agriculture, emphasising its importance in ensuring food security, strengthening livelihoods, and building a resilient economy.
“Agriculture has been the backbone of our country,” she noted. “While it carries centuries of tradition, it is also a field that continues to evolve and innovate. That is why our Government continues to invest heavily in agriculture, because we know its power to sustain livelihoods and strengthen our economy.”
The Minister also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to reclaiming Guyana’s title as the food basket of the Caribbean, referencing initiatives such as the distribution of 216 tractors with implements to hinterland communities and the construction of 119 shade houses between 2023 and 2025.
“These numbers represent lives being transformed and communities becoming more self-sufficient,” Browne said. “Shade houses are transforming the way we grow food, allowing us to produce more, waste less, and adapt to changing climates.”
She urged participants to see their certification as the beginning of a longer journey of innovation and leadership: “Use what you have learnt, share it, inspire others, continue to grow, to innovate, and to dream big. We are all part of a national movement toward self-reliance, resilience, and prosperity.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Managing Director of EMC, Malisa Nokta, underscored the importance of the training in building regional capacity for climate-smart agriculture, noting that it has helped participants translate theory into practice through applied learning.
“This training represents an important step in strengthening capacity for climate-smart agriculture in Guyana and across the Caribbean,” Nokta stated. “It combines technical expertise, research, and innovation to build capacity and support food security.”
She also announced that as part of ongoing efforts, a new solar agriculture pilot project will soon be introduced under the same programme. This initiative will integrate solar energy with shade house farming, representing another innovative approach to sustainable agriculture in the region.
“This solar-powered project marks a forward-thinking step in combining renewable energy with agricultural innovation,” Nokta explained. “We look forward to sharing more about this development in the coming months.”
Through initiatives such as the Shade House Training Programme and the upcoming solar agriculture project, EMC, NAREI, and GSA continue to play a leading role in fostering climate resilience, innovation, and self-sufficiency across Guyana and the Caribbean.
The training not only equips participants with the skills to enhance local food production but also strengthens the collective effort toward achieving sustainable, energy-efficient, and inclusive agricultural development – one that supports the Government’s “One Guyana” vision and its goal of regional food security.