News Releases

UWI Takes One-Health Approach to Giant African Snail Threat

For Release Upon Receipt - October 2, 2026

St. Augustine


ST. AUGUSTINE, Trinidad and Tobago – October 2, 2026 – The Giant African Snail (GAS) has been present in Trinidad and Tobago for 18 years, damaging crops, threatening public health, and placing additional pressures on farmers across the country. Now, a newly formed multi-stakeholder committee is moving to turn that long-standing threat into a national opportunity.

The Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Sustainability (formerly known as the Faculty of Food and Agriculture) at The University of the West Indies (The UWI), St. Augustine, has convened the GAS Strategic Action Committee (GAS-SAC) to guide the rollout of SCALe-UP – Sustainable Circular Applications Leveraging the Potential for Underutilization of the Giant African Snail for Climate-Resilient Agriculture and Enterprise Development in Trinidad and Tobago, a project funded by The UWI Research and Development Impact (RDI) Fund.

At the Committee's first working meeting, held on 18 August 2026, project Co-Lead/Invasive Species Consultant Dr. Marcus Ramdwar outlined an ambitious vision: converting a pest that has spread unchecked for nearly two decades into a driver of community enterprise, from valorised animal feed to new livelihood opportunities for farmers and collectors.

“This is about collective action, meaningful engagement, and strategic baiting,” Dr. Ramdwar told the Committee. “Farmers need to tackle this pest together, as neighbours, not in isolation. We have seen elsewhere in the world, in Kerala, India, for example, that organised, community-wide collection can bring populations down. We intend to build a concentrated model here in Trinidad and Tobago that shows real, visible impact.”

Central to the project's public education strategy is the “match box theory,” a simple, accessible way of helping the public understand and identify snail sizes, part of a broader push to change how communities perceive and respond to the snail. The project also foregrounds a One Health approach, addressing three interconnected public-health concerns associated with GAS: the safe use of snail-control baits, the snail's association with meningitis risk, and its empty shells serving as breeding sites for mosquitoes when they collect standing water.

GAS-SAC brings together representatives from academia, farming communities, and government. The Committee consists of Dr. Wendy-Ann Isaac (Project lead), Dr. Marcus Ramdwar (Co-Lead), Professor Mark Wuddivira (Co-Lead), Dr. Augustus Thomas (Plant Pathologist), Ms. Ratna Kangal (President, Farmers Association), and Mr. Rayard Khan (Farmers Association and UFS Representative) and representatives from the Marketing & Communications Office, Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Health, NAMDEVCO, and the Tobago House of Assembly. 

Dr. Nigel Jalsa, whose own RDI-funded research covers environmentally friendly snail bait and controlled-release fertiliser, was also invited to join GAS-SAC, opening the door to shared resources and closer collaboration between the two projects. The latter project aims to develop (i) a snail bait that is less toxic than those currently used, but with no loss in efficacy; and (ii) a range of fertilizers that minimizes adverse environmental consequences compared to those presently employed, such as fertilizer runoff and microplastic contributions.

Over the coming weeks, the project team will roll out a phased public engagement campaign, beginning with outreach to the Presidents of farming groups and Local Government and Regional Corporation council heads, followed by face-to-face community meetings in the areas most affected by snail infestation. The team plans to build a visible demonstration model in a selected community, potentially including public parks and spaces to showcase the impact of coordinated intervention, with activities expected to begin in mid-to late September 2026.

“This project gives Trinidad and Tobago a real, coordinated chance to push back, not just to control the pest, but to build genuine community-level opportunity out of it,” said Dr. Ramdwar.

 

END

 

About the Research and Development Impact (RDI) Fund

The University of the West Indies (The UWI), St. Augustine Campus has awarded approximately TT$9 Million in funding to eleven high impact research projects through its Research and Development Impact (RDI) Fund. Supported by funding from the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, the RDI Fund enables researchers to pursue innovative solutions to pressing national challenges. The funded projects address areas such as artificial intelligence and digital transformation, agriculture and food security, health and well-being, education, climate resilience, social inclusion, public safety and sustainable development.  These projects reflect The UWI’s commitment to research that delivers meaningful social, economic, environmental and technological benefits.

 

About SCALe-UP

SCALe-UP is funded under the UWI-Trinidad and Tobago Research and Development Impact (RDI) Fund. The project is led by the Department of Food and Resource Management Systems (Formerly known as the Department of Food Production) in collaboration with Niger Delta University, farmers and other regional and community partners.

 

About The University of the West Indies 

The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has played a crucial role in Caribbean development for over 75 years, consistently contributing to the improvement of the well-being of people across the region. Established in 1948 as a university college of London in Jamaica, with just 33 medical students, UWI has grown into an internationally respected, global university with nearly 50,000 students. Today, it boasts five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda, and its Global Campus, along with international centres in partnership with universities across North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.

The UWI offers over 1000 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the leading university in the Caribbean, it is home to the largest pool of intellect and expertise in the region, dedicated to addressing the critical issues facing both the Caribbean and the wider world.

Validated by its inclusion in the Times Higher Education (THE) annual rankings since 2018, The UWI has affirmed its position as one of the top universities globally. It stands out as the only English-speaking institution in the Caribbean featured in four of THE's prestigious ranking lists. The World University Rankings evaluate over 2,000 research-focused universities worldwide, while the Golden Age University Rankings highlight institutions established between 50 and 80 years ago. The Latin America Rankings focus specifically on universities within Latin America and the Caribbean. Additionally, the Impact Rankings assess universities based on their contributions to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This recognition has also spring boarded the establishment of The UWI’s International School for Development Justice (ISDJ), a global online graduate business school aimed at preparing future leaders for sustainable development.

The UWI is an SDG-engaged university consistently recognised among the best in the world. Discover more at www.uwi.edu.

Contact