Grenada occupies a unique position in global agricultural trade as the only country currently authorized to export fresh non-irradiated soursop to the United States. This rare market access makes soursop a highly strategic export crop and highlights the importance of continuously strengthening the country’s sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) systems across the entire value chain. The soursop industry is a major source of rural income and export earnings, generating an estimated USD 2.6 million annually and supporting around 2,600 farmers, most of whom are smallholders who rely on the crop for their livelihoods.
Recognizing the importance of protecting this high-value sector, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Grenada’s Ministry of Agriculture, Lands & Forestry, and the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) recently implemented the project “Enhancing sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) capacity and market access for Grenadian soursop exports.” As part of this effort, a three-day capacity-building workshop on Risks and Anticipatory Frameworks for the Soursop Industry was held in Grenada from 9 to 11 February 2026 at the National Stadium. The workshop was facilitated through collaboration among FAO, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA).
The workshop brought together 31 participants, including 18 women and 13 men, mainly from the Ministry of Agriculture and its technical units such as extension services, pest management, and forestry services, as well as representatives from the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI). This diverse mix of technical officers, programme staff, and institutional partners created an opportunity for meaningful cross-sector discussions focused on improving surveillance, strengthening early warning systems, and enhancing coordinated response planning to better protect Grenada’s soursop industry.
The training forms part of a broader package of interventions under the SPS project, all aimed at strengthening protections throughout the soursop value chain. A major focus of the workshop was to improve participants’ ability to anticipate and manage plant health risks through stronger surveillance systems, earlier pest detection, improved identification of early signs of infestation, better sample reporting, more effective scenario planning, and coordinated emergency response mechanisms. By building these capacities, the initiative seeks to reduce the risk of disruptions that could threaten production or Grenada’s privileged export access to the U.S. market.
Beyond the workshop itself, the wider project includes several additional measures designed to strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of the sector. These include the development of a holistic surveillance programme and an emergency response system, stronger institutional capacity for pest detection and certification, pilot traceability systems to support export market requirements, and expanded support for farmers and extension services on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Together, these interventions aim to improve both plant health protection and long-term market confidence in Grenadian soursop exports.
During the workshop, FAO also highlighted complementary field-based activities being implemented under the project, including the establishment of two farmer-owned demonstration plots—one in Saint Andrew and the other in Saint Patrick. These demonstration sites are intended to serve as practical learning spaces where farmers can receive training, observe best practices in action, and strengthen the adoption of Good Agricultural Practices and Integrated Pest Management. The goal is to improve on-farm productivity while also making the soursop sector more sustainable and resilient over time.
Ms Anne Desrochers, FAO Production and Plant Protection Specialist, emphasized that improving technical capacity and coordination among stakeholders is essential to building a stronger and more sustainable soursop industry in Grenada. She noted that Grenada’s exclusive access to the U.S. market for fresh soursop represents a significant and timely opportunity to strengthen farmer livelihoods and support rural communities. Her remarks underscored the importance of not only maintaining current export standards, but also using this competitive advantage to create broader economic and social benefits.
Participants reportedly described the training as highly valuable, particularly because it combined theoretical sessions with practical exercises, creating a strong platform for knowledge sharing and collaborative learning. This mix of technical instruction and applied discussion helped participants better understand both the risks facing the industry and the concrete actions needed to strengthen preparedness and response systems.
The training concluded with participants identifying a set of key follow-up actions, including common barriers to implementation and possible mechanisms for stronger collaboration across institutions. These discussions were aimed at improving preparedness and building more effective anticipatory responses within the soursop value chain. Overall, the initiative represents an important step in safeguarding one of Grenada’s most distinctive agricultural export sectors by strengthening plant health systems, protecting market access, and supporting the livelihoods of thousands of smallholder farmers who depend on the continued success of the soursop industry.
