Department of Food Production

The Department’s major research pillars are focussed on the goals of food and nutrition security and agricultural diversification and encompass the following broad areas: soil chemistry, physics and the environment; food safety, microbiology and quality assurance; tropical crop production, biotechnology, crop breeding and crop protection; tropical livestock production, breeding and technology; tropical commodity utilisation and post-harvest physiology and technology.

The DFP’s research focus is consistent with the University’s research themes of relevance and impact. The DFP generates impacting and innovative technologies that assist the farming community nationally, regionally and internationally. At both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, the University Field Station (UFS) situated at Mt. Hope is the main vehicle through which research progresses. It is envisaged that in the near future the facilities at the Agriculture Innovation Park (AIP) at Orange Grove would be more readily accessible. The facilities provided at the UFS for teaching and research in crop production, livestock and wildlife production research are complemented by laboratories at the St. Augustine Campus for Food Production, Food Biology, Microbiology, Plant Pathology, Plant Tissue Culture, Soil Science and Animal Science. 

Opportunities for hands-on research experience are provided to undergraduates in their final year projects and to postgraduate students as they complete their MSc, MPhil and PhD studies. Additional opportunities are provided through links with other agricultural institutions such as the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries and other national, regional and international institutions and companies in the public and private sector. 

Additionally, academic staff members also carry out independent research activities individually or in teams with staff from other departments and faculties of The UWI, or with external collaborators.