FAO equips nearly 800 students with agriculture skills through school garden training in Belize

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in collaboration with the Government of Belize has equipped nearly 800 students with practical agricultural knowledge and hands-on gardening skills through a nationwide school garden training initiative aimed at strengthening sustainable agrifood systems and improving access to nutritious locally grown foods.

A total of 20 school garden training sessions were conducted between December 2025 and March 2026 under the project, “Increasing accessibility and acceptance of underutilized nutritious locally grown products in the national school feeding programmes of Belize.” The trainings engaged 799 students and 53 teachers from primary schools across the country.

The initiative supports the use of school gardens as interactive teaching tools while encouraging healthier eating habits and stronger connections between schools, communities, and local food systems.

The training sessions combined classroom instruction with hands-on demonstrations to ensure active participation and practical learning. Students and teachers were introduced to topics including crop identification, soil fertility improvement, garden bed preparation, sustainable soil management practices, proper planting techniques for vegetable seedlings, and safe storage methods for local vegetable seeds.

Schools also received seeds, seedlings, gardening tools, manuals, and educational materials to support the long-term maintenance of the gardens and continued learning activities.

The initiative emphasized the use of locally available and underutilized crops and materials, helping students better understand the value of local food production, biodiversity, and sustainable agriculture practices within their own communities. Training activities also promoted environmentally friendly approaches such as composting, mulching, crop rotation, and organic soil improvement methods.

Beyond agricultural training, the project contributes to broader efforts to strengthen school feeding and nutrition systems in Belize. By integrating school gardens into learning environments, students are gaining a deeper appreciation for nutritious local foods while schools are building stronger connections with farmers and surrounding communities that can help support school meal programmes.

The project also supports the implementation of Belize’s National School Food and Nutrition Policy and complements national efforts to improve food security, nutrition education, and sustainable local food production.

“School gardens are powerful learning spaces that help children better understand where food comes from, the importance of healthy nutrition, and the value of sustainable agriculture,” said FAO Representative for Jamaica, The Bahamas and Belize, Dr Ana Touza. “Through this initiative, FAO is supporting students and teachers with practical skills that strengthen school feeding systems, promote healthier eating habits, and empower the next generation to contribute to more resilient and sustainable agrifood systems in Belize.”

The practical nature of the sessions encouraged teamwork and collaboration between students and teachers while strengthening the schools’ capacity to manage and sustain productive gardens. According to the training consultant, Ermain Requena, participants demonstrated high levels of engagement and enthusiasm throughout the trainings.