Maybe Our Best Trip Ever!

Mary and Mike are just back from a week in Jamaica—possibly their best trip ever! They accomplished one major TTFF goal, which is persuading large organizations to follow our lead.

Trees That Feed Foundation escorted a group of leaders on an educational tour. Mary and Mike wanted to share their knowledge and passion about breadfruit, and influence others to adopt their concept. The idea is to make agronomy, and specifically breadfruit, into a self-sustaining business that feeds people, creates jobs and benefits the environment. Jamaica was chosen to visit as one of the most advanced countries in the breadfruit business.

Our guests included representatives of the United Nations’ World Food Programme, the International Labour Organization, and Catholic Relief Services. They all work in Haiti and envision a Haiti that is no longer hunger stricken. Much to the delight of TTFF, their well-resourced agencies have adopted the belief in breadfruit as a solution.

Countries represented by our guests included Uganda, Belize, Haiti (of course), USA, and Jamaica.

The itinerary of the very busy week included nurserymen, agronomists, farmers, breadfruit flour processors, and other breadfruit product makers. The group also met with representatives of the Jamaican government, schools, and nonprofit organizations.

One of the highlights of the trip was The Breadfruit Mastermind, a symposium that brought together experts in the breadfruit business. The morning session concentrated on breadfruit processing and products, while the afternoon had an agricultural focus.

Approximately 75 guests shared in the day, which was presented by TTFF and OneRegeneration. The space, generously donated for the event by Robert O’Brien, was filled with passion for the possibilities of breadfruit.

While there Mike was interviewed by TVJ Prime Time News. This kind of coverage really helps to get our message to the Jamaican audience. Here is a link.

The Haiti-based UN group is following TTFF’s lead and expanding our school feeding program. Already they have placed an order for 15 tons of breadfruit from our longtime processing partners. Learn more here.

As the group began to pack up and return home, one of our guests said casually, “TTFF has saved us 10 years of work in Haiti!”  Very gratifying. This has been one of our goals from the beginning—to prove the concept (of breadfruit as a valuable, sustainable agrobusiness) and to have large organizations follow and expand on our success.

Probably our best trip ever, and at modest expense (our guests paid almost all their own travel expenses). All this good work is made possible by you, our supporters. Thank you!