In addition to serving the needs for Paradise Bay, a sustainable resort, the organic vegetables are also supplied to Real Value, a local supermarket recognising the demand from expats and St. George University students.

James Post, owner and general manager: "We started the organic vegetable gardens essentially because we had little other choice, as there was no reliable local source. We decided to expand the to let other conscious consumers benefit as well as setting an example for local farmers and educate the public on organic produce".

The gardens are setup as a co-operative with an experienced local farmer which is a fairly new concept to the region. Technical support and advice in promoting best practices was given by Caribbean-wide agency CARDI (Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute and local NGO ART (Agency for Rural Transformation).

A second purpose of the organic gardens is to give an example to local farmers that organic gardening is an economically viable alternative - in contrast to local common beliefs.

Organic gardening is just a small subset of the resort's sustainable practices. Earlier this year, Paradise Bay was the first hotel in the world to install a utility-grade windmill and the first - in the world - to announce a Carbon Free Vacation, whereby carbon dioxide emissions caused by flights, stay and activities of all guests of the resort are compensated by planting trees in Ethiopia (typically 40 trees for a transcontinental return flight - far more than usual). An agricultural revitalization program is the resort's major 2008 Community Service project, which combines well with the organic gardens that can serve as a model garden for this purpose.

The revitalization program is aimed at crop and tree farmers with the older farmers being a priority. Many farmers never restarted their gardens after hurricane Ivan and moved into construction work. Now that the reconstruction boom is over they find themselves without a steady job and typically have no reserves. This is not only a social problem for the farmers themselves: vegetables now have to be partly imported to satisfy the demand at sharply increased prices, while many destroyed nutmeg trees were not replanted. The program helps the farmers back in turn, from clearing their overgrown land to providing manure, seeds and seedlings, as well as advice on how to produce more economically. The service is provided by resort staff and volunteers.

Since local volunteers are barely available, the resort decided to introduce the Volunteer Vacation that offers a balance between volunteer work (4 hours on week days and enjoying the island. Volunteers only pay for meals, drinks and services the accommodation is free. Volunteers work every morning on weekdays and enjoy a high end activity program, including social contacts with locals.

About Paradise Bay Resort and Spa