Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Organic farming

IICA supports Evidence-based Decision Making for Organic Market Development in Saint Lucia 

Tiempo de lectura: 3 mins.

The improved availability of specific information/intelligence to guide decision-making in agriculture has substantial value in allowing stakeholders to take the best possible course of action.

Castries, Saint Lucia – May 9, 2019 (IICA).  The improved availability of specific information/intelligence to guide decision-making in agriculture has substantial value in allowing stakeholders to take the best possible course of action. 

“Understanding what the market wants and is responsive to helps eliminate a lot of the guess work and sometimes false assumptions related to new undertakings. Saint Lucia currently has a draft organic standard but no specific guidance to farmers, buyers and potential investors as to what the prospects for this commodity segment does or could look like.”  said IICA’s National Specialist in Saint Lucia, Brent Theophile. This motivated the market research. 

The work was financed by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) through as part of activities for the People’s Knowledge Fair (December 10 – 11 2018) hosted by the UNDP Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (UNDP GEF SGP) and Women on A Mission (WOAM), IICA led the conducting of market research to specify nature of demand for organic foods in Saint Lucia (market characterization); and to generate various indicators of the comparative value of investment in organic production/production and market development (economic merit). 

Consumer surveys were conducted at five different locations around Saint Lucia over a two-month period. Analyses were done using a probit binary logistic regression model to characterize willingness to pay. The study qualified and identified  indicators of consumers’ willingness to pay for organic foods, evaluated consumers’ purchasing behaviours and desired factors/attributes for organic foods, and developed estimate for the economic merit of establishing an organic industry. 

The results were able to account for consumers’ willingness to buy organic foods at a premium. Specifically, it found that the persons most willing to pay a premium for organic commodities in Saint Lucia are male, of average income, residing in urban areas, from households ranging from two to four members, and are conscientious of labelling and packaging, authenticity, price, nutritional benefits and safeguarding the environment. Among socio-economic factors, gender, income, household size and location were the most noteworthy in determining persons’ willingness to pay for organic foods. 

The findings of the study  is available. Click here

For more information contact: Brent Theophile (brent.theophile@iica.int)

Share

Related news​

En la sesión especial por el 50 aniversario del IFPRI se presentaron las principales tendencias, retos y oportunidades de los sistemas alimentarios globales y regionales, a partir del Informe sobre la política alimentaria mundial 2025 y la iniciativa Avanzar 2030. En la mesa principal estuvieron: Pablo Gianatiempo (IFPRI), Joaquín Arias (IICA), Valeria Piñeiro (IFPRI), Manuel Otero (Director General del IICA), Eugenio Díaz Bonilla (asesor de IICA), Vanessa Pereira (EMBRAPA), Paolo de Salvo (BID) y Jorge Rueda (IFPRI).

San José, Costa Rica

October 13, 2025

In a dialogue convened by IICA and its regional partners, experts outline how Latin America and the Caribbean can accelerate the transformation of its agrifood systems

The discussion focused on how the evolution of food systems over the past 50 years has impacted the challenges and opportunities for LAC; the vision for the region’s food systems for the year 2030 and beyond; which policy interventions and institutional innovations have demonstrated the greatest potential to have an impact, and how they can be scaled or adapted to diverse country contexts; and how governments, civil society and the private sector can collaborate more effectively to translate long-term visions into viable coordinated strategies.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San José, Costa Rica

October 13, 2025

Public policy specialists gathered at IICA highlight transformative experiences in their countries to strengthen agrifood systems governance

Experts and representatives of governments, international agencies and the private and academic sectors gathered at IICA to share successful policies that promote family farming, technology access and competitiveness in several countries of the Americas, and that have strengthened governance as a pillar for the transformation of agrifood systems.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

Brasilia

October 13, 2025

Brazil will host the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas 2025, which will feature discussions that are critical to the future of agriculture in the hemisphere

Brazil will host the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas 2025, where participants will discuss key issues for the present and future of the hemisphere’s agriculture sector and food security, focusing on science, technology and innovation in production transformation.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins