AARP in The Virgin Islands has had a significant win with the signing of Bill Number 35-0003 by Governor Albert Bryan Jr. early in February 2023, making the bill law. The bill appropriates funds for the Virgin Islands Agricultural Plan. AARP thanks the V.I. Legislature, the governor, and all the supporters of the bill.
AARP in The Virgin Islands advocated for funding to support the local farming industry in the Virgin Islands, in particular the Agricultural Plan. The plan adopted in 2021 provided an outline to advance the industry; however, it lacked an identified funding source to help put it into action.
In 2022, the AARP in The Virgin Islands Advocacy Team sprang into action, hosting several meetings with the president of We Grow Food Inc. and key members of the 34th Legislature, and contacting members of Governor Bryan’s Cabinet, specifically the Commissioner of Agriculture, to advocate on the importance of food security for all Virgin Islanders. Most recently, AARP surveyed 400 Virgin Islanders at the 24th Bordeaux Farmers Agricultural Fair on the importance of food security. The survey shows that 92% of those surveyed ranked food security as an important issue for elected officials to focus on in 2023.
“Food security isn’t just about having enough food to eat; it’s about having enough good, nutritious food to sustain you and your family to stay healthy,” said Troy de Chabert-Schuster, AARP-VI state director. “The Virgin Islands Agricultural Plan will now have funds to address food insecurity, an issue affecting many Virgin Islands families. AARP is proud to advocate for all Virgin Islanders to ensure they have access to sufficient nutritious food to live a healthy life.”
To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/vior AARP Virgin Islands on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/aarpvi or Facebook.com/aarpviespanol and https://states.aarp.org/virgin-islands/section/espanol/ for information in Spanish.
