St. Kitts and Nevis launches new digital platform for land governance with FAO support

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Marine Resources and Cooperatives of St. Kitts and Nevis, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has successfully completed a week-long training on the National Land Bank Information System (LBIS). Delivered by FAO, the training introduced officers to a new digital platform developed with FAO’s technical support to modernise land governance and strengthen agricultural development.

Installed and configured in June 2025, the LBIS digitises the Agricultural Land Bank process, replacing fragmented paper-based procedures with a centralised, data-driven platform. It is a core component of St. Kitts and Nevis’s Agricultural Land Bank, launched in 2023 to bring idle or underutilised Crown lands into productive use. Its rollout marks a shift from design to implementation, positioning the Federation among the first Caribbean countries to operationalise this innovative model. Supported by FAO at the regional level, the initiative also builds on experiences from Grenada and other Caribbean countries, where Land Bank models are being developed to expand land access, promote food security and strengthen sustainable land governance.

Held from 30 June to 4 July 2025 at the National ICT Centre in Basseterre, the training included both in-person and virtual participation, equipping 16 technical officers with the skills to operate and maintain the LBIS. Facilitated by Alexander Solovov, FAO technical consultant and developer of the platform, the sessions targeted IT officers, who were trained in system installation and back-end maintenance.

“The LBIS marks a major step in the digitalisation of land processes, enabling the Ministry to transition from fragmented paper-based records to a centralised, data-driven system for managing leases and land use transactions,” said Alexander Solovov. “Although it was their first exposure to the platform, the officers quickly mastered its core functions and even suggested additional features to strengthen decision-making and land management workflows.”

Tonisha Weekes, the Ministry’s National Project Focal Point, noted:

“This innovative system will empower the Agriculture Department to efficiently manage and track land resources, enabling informed decision-making and optimised land utilisation for sustainable agricultural development in St. Kitts.”

Echoing this, Sancho Duncan, Enterprise Architect at the Department of Information Technology, added:

“This new web application can digitally transform how land management is conducted. We look forward to increased efficiency and significant enhancement of land governance.”

The LBIS is expected to deliver long-term benefits, including:

• greater efficiency and transparency in land lease management
• improved tracking and accountability of leased lands
• easier access to agricultural land for eligible farmers and producers
• better data to support planning, policy and sustainable agricultural growth

With strong political will and institutional commitment, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis aims to establish a fully functional Land Bank by the end of 2025, supported by the operational rollout of the LBIS.