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Following in the footsteps of the fishing industry, the island's agricultural sector is now seeking to structure itself. Two years ago, the creation of the APAG farmers' association enabled professionals in the sector to come together to voice their demands. Once again, the Cem has taken up the issue to encourage the development of a Territorial Plan for Sustainable Agriculture (PTAD) for Saint-Barth. This official document, signed by the Collectivité and the Prefecture, sets out the guidelines for the island's public agricultural policies. In short, it is a roadmap of projects to be launched on the island to develop agriculture. To draft such a document, the CEM issued a call for tenders, which was won by SalvaTerra, a consultancy specializing in agriculture, forestry, the environment and development. Based in Paris, SalvaTerra has produced the agricultural action plan for Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and has worked for numerous French and international organizations. The team of experts first travelled to Saint-Barth in November 2024 to carry out a diagnostic mission of the agricultural sector in Saint-Barth.
Demand for local produce
Some thirty interviews were conducted on site. Stakeholders in the agricultural sector, of course, but also the public sector and consumer professionals were interviewed to assess market outlets. There's one subject on which everyone agrees, and that's finding local produce," says Alice Rabine, agro-economist and expert with SalvaTerra. For most products, it's extremely easy to find a market. "According to the experts, however, the market for local ornamental plants requires the creation of outlets, which could be encouraged by public orders. Demand for garden plants is high, but the usual route is to import them from Miami.
An industry in full structuring
According to the experts, the industry has a number of strengths, including the presence of "passionate young farmers". Most of them have several activities, and farming represents a complementary income. During the preparation of this report, the consultancy drew up a census of the island's professionals. They noted the presence of informal producers, as well as private individuals selling produce from their gardens. "The main strength of this sector is that it is in the process of structuring itself," emphasizes Alice Rabine. The expert cites the creation of the Saline slaughterhouse as a real advantage, as well as the introduction of preferential water rates for farmers. "The local authority is also going to create a sales outlet in Saline for farmers, in other words, to centralize the sale of local products and crafts", enthuses Rudi Laplace, a local councillor. The provision of land for farmers is also under consideration. It goes without saying that the development of sustainable agriculture in Saint-Barth would be beneficial for the environment. "The sustainable farming carried out by INE has a real ecological interest in terms of reducing overgrazing and erosion", points out the expert. In terms of costs, having a short circuit on the island would also be very advantageous for all catering professionals.
Lack of support and land
While the region has a number of assets and opportunities for developing the agricultural sector, there are still many obstacles in the way.First and foremost is the difficulty of accessing land, even though some farmers have created their own system of plot loans. In their diagnosis, the experts highlighted the absence of agricultural zoning in the town planning map. The island's farmers also find themselves without subsidies, as they have no access to European funds. It's difficult for them," confirms APAG member Rudi Laplace. They're trying to sell their products against imported products from farmers who have European and French subsidies. "According to the experts, it's up to the Collectivité to set up these subsidies. "We have much shorter and simpler channels for accessing and releasing aid than is the case with European agricultural policies," adds Alice Rabine. Water management is just as crucial to the development of sustainable agriculture in Saint-Barth. All the more so as, with climate change, rainfall is likely to fall by 15% by 2080.
Recommendations for the sector
The conclusions of this diagnosis were shared on Tuesday February 11 at a workshop organized at the CEM with professionals from the sector. Alice Rabine presented the region's strengths and weaknesses, as well as the strategic guidelines for the sector's development. "There were debates on new subjects, and in particular a more structured proposal on water management," enthuses Alice Rabine. Thanks to this exchange, the consultancy firm was able to refine the strategic orientations to be included in the Territorial Plan for Sustainable Agriculture. In a first draft of the document, which has yet to be validated, they detail various recommendations such as setting up a price observatory, managing rainwater and runoff, creating a sales and processing outlet or launching pilot projects such as fruit trees in public areas. These areas of work must now be approved by the Collectivité and the State before the final report can be produced, which will take the form of action sheets. It's a bit like the COP," explains Maïté Cohen, head of the CEM's business unit. Actions are set, validated by the public authorities, and then implemented by the various players involved. "CEM hopes to have the plan formalized by June. "I'm expecting a lot from this territorial plan for the development of agriculture, so that the community can get organized and have a clear objective for the development of this agriculture," says Rudi Laplace, also a territorial councillor. Of course, this document is not binding, but it does offer detailed instructions for all those who want to roll up their sleeves and push for sustainable agriculture in Saint-Barth.
