Representative for the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA)
Ena Harvey, speaking at the Minister of the Environment's Awards presentation, said agriculture was falling victim to public pressure, the services sector and trade liberalisation.

She said the employment numbers in the sector were 10 000 in 1991, but by 2 000
it was half of that.

"How can farmers and pork producers in Barbados with their economies of scale, and resulting higher prices expect to compete with the globalised world?" Harvey queried.

The sector is also being blamed for a lot of environmental problems.

"Residents and schools cry foul and cry pig too when affected by the odours associated with our agricultural production system," she said.

She added that this was because the agricultural land was being utilised for different reasons.

However, agriculture benefits the environment and economy in several different ways and IICA has been finding programmes to help create new industries in agriculture.

"Studies have shown that in the long term the organic approach is commercially viable, producing more food with less energy and fewer resources," said Harvey.

She said other parts of the world were growing worms for composting, developing spa treatments from natural fruits, vegetables and herbs, developing medical treatments and producing food festivals which were marketed as tourism events.

Harvey was speaking at the Minister of the Environment's Awards at Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, where businesses and institutions were rewarded for their preservation of the environment.