2022 Annual Results Report

IMPACT STORY

Bevon Chadel Charles, 32, grew up on her father’s farm in Grenada and quickly fell in love with agriculture. The Future of Farming: Meet Bevon Charles, Owner of Akata Farms In 2016, Bevon registered her business ‘Akata Farms’ with the aim of combining modern technology with agriculture to establish ‘farms of the future’ and give farmers the tools and training needed to manage them. Bevon’s organic enterprise started out on two acres. She had around 100 broiler chickens and grew some staple crops, but while the venture initially faltered, she fought to stay focused on transforming her farm into a smart, technology-based business with a social enterprise element. Through tech-driven farming methods, such as solar-powered irrigation, greenhouses operated via hydroponic systems, and automated timers, feeders, and cooling systems, Bevon has gradually increased the size of ‘Akata Farms’ and its ability to grow enough produce to feed Grenadians.

In November 2022, Bevon’s pioneering start-up won her the chance to attend the Caribbean Investment Forum (CIF) in Trinidad and Tobago hosted by the Caribbean Export Development Agency along with several partners where she gained invaluable access to global investors.

“The Forum gave me a chance to network and engage but it really helped me understand what I need to do to attract investors to move this project into other parts of the Caribbean which will take significant funds,” she admits.

In 2023, Bevon has set herself several ambitious personal and professional goals. She wants ‘Akata Farms’ to become fully automated and aims to initiate connections with 400 local farmers and 1,500 Caribbean farmers via a strategic partnership with an Artificial Intelligence (AI) developer in Canada.

This partnership has developed a project called ‘Caribbean Farms’ to create an autonomous “Greenhouse-As-A-Service (GAAS)” system which will “merge agriculture and technology to improve production, market identification, and market penetration”.

She adds: “Under the GAAS model, ‘Akata Farms’ will pilot the first AI-driven greenhouse in the Caribbean. We will also build a network of farmers across the region to ensure we have enough farms equipped to capture available global markets.”

Bevon believes improving and developing the agriculture sector is essential for the future of Small Island Developing States but says farmers must put technology at the core so that essential data is collected, stored, and shared.

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Annual Results Report - 2022 | Transforming to a Greener, Smarter, Resilient Caribbean