Scores of Agricultural Science and Food and Nutrition teachers have been appointed National Ambassadors of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries’ ‘Grow Smart, Eat Smart’ campaign for the schools they represent.
The educators were participants in the ‘A Conversation with the Minister’ forum, which was led by Portfolio Minister Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., at Shortwood Teachers’ College in St. Andrew on Tuesday, November 29.
They represented various schools across all parishes and were given an opportunity to pose questions to the Minister regarding the role they can play in promoting the national campaign and influencing students.
Under Grow Smart, Eat Smart, efforts are made to drive resilience, advance sustainability, and improve efficiency in agriculture through, among other things, crop production and climate-smart practices and technologies.
“When you think about starting a campaign to really get the energy into farming and fishing in our country, it must start with the teachers. There is no group more important [and] no group of influencers more critical than the teachers. Every single one of us… remembers a teacher that influenced us,” Mr. Charles said.
He told the teachers that they are “an important conduit of spreading the message of Grow Smart, Eat Smart,” adding that the Ministry is building an army of ambassadors “so that Jamaica can know how to grow smart and how to eat smart.”
Through the Ambassadorship, it is hoped that the teachers will influence students to unlock their creativity while promoting production with efficiency and the adoption of a market-driven approach by farmers.
Read the complete article at www.jis.gov.jm.