The Prices and Consumer Affairs division hosted a Sustainable Exhibition yesterday aimed at educating residents about environmentally friendly products and services available in Antigua and Barbuda.
The event featured more than a dozen vendors representing various sectors of the green economy, from local farmers to manufacturers of solar-powered appliances and electric vehicles.
Jacian Goodwin, Press Information Officer at Prices and Consumer Affairs, explained that the exhibition is part of a larger initiative connected to the World Consumer Organization.
“It’s a sustainable exhibition just to showcase the sustainable stuff that we have in Antigua, which would be farmers who produce local stuff; the persons who do natural soaps, the electric vehicles that are now becoming a popular thing on the island,” Goodwin said.
The exhibition aligns with this year’s theme, “A Just Transition to a Sustainable Lifestyle,” which focuses on four key areas, transportation, food, energy, and home cooling. Vendors displayed products and provided information on how residents can incorporate more sustainable practices into their daily lives.
Among the participants was Juicy James, a local farmer from All Saints who has been in the sugarcane juice business for over four years. James explained his decision to participate in the exhibition: “This initiative really is like everything local and like who produce what they have to produce to showcase what they have locally.”
James, who primarily grows sugarcane after shifting away from lettuce and local vegetables due to market competition, described his business as “very, very, very good.” His freshly pressed sugarcane juice sells for $10 a bottle, the same price as the bagged cut sugarcane and caters to a diverse customer base, including locals and tourists from his roadside location in All Saints.
“I usually base on the main road in All Saints, school road. Everybody must pass there. Ambulance, fire truck, everybody,” James said. “Tourists, everybody. The tourists more enjoying that … and the juice fresh.”
The exhibition also featured financial institutions promoting sustainable initiatives. Joseph Apparicio from the St Johns Cooperative Credit Union (SJCCU) highlighted his organization’s environmental commitment.
“Last year we launched our Climate Resilient Loan. We were the first financial institution to launch such an initiative and we wanted to appeal to not just our members, but also the general public.”
Apparicio emphasized the importance of environmental consciousness, “It is time for us to live a lot cleaner and in terms of the environment we need to study the environment a little bit more because it’s only one environment we have and we all have to find a space in it.” He added that the (SJCCU) offers competitive loan rates for climate resilience projects.
Goodwin noted that the exhibition is one of several initiatives planned by the Prices and Consumer Affairs division to promote sustainability on the island. By bringing together local producers, technology providers, and financial services, the Prices and Consumer Affairs division aims to facilitate what Goodwin describes as “a just transition” to more sustainable living practices.
“Just encourage persons to eat healthier, greener, which is more sustainable, go to our local farmers practice a more sustainable way of living.
“We’re just trying to raise awareness in Antigua and Barbuda, giving the public more knowledge on moving towards a sustainable future,” she said.
While acknowledging that transitioning to more sustainable options often involves higher initial costs, Goodwin emphasized the long-term benefits. “Solar is not cheap, electric vehicle is not cheap, but it would benefit us in the longer run,” she said.
