Twenty-seven (27) participants competed in a Digital Agriculture Hackathon, a collaboration between Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), on Thursday August 7.

“The event was held in recognition of IICA's Digital Agriculture Week 2025 and the promotion of Agriculture 4.0 - that is, a transformative shift in agriculture, leveraging advanced technologies to optimize food production and resource management,” said Brent Theophile, National Specialist of the IICA Delegation in Saint Lucia.

The participants were a combination of SALCC students and staff, agri-entrepreneurs, Ministry of Agriculture technicians, tech entrepreneurs and agri technicians. They were divided into three teams and assigned a unique challenge on the SALCC farm:

1. The Smell of Success – Improving piggery waste management for efficiency, environmental health, and potential revenue generation.
2. Hot Eggs – Reducing heat stress in poultry production to maintain bird health and egg yields.
3. More Greenhouses, More Problems – Managing heat, pathogens, and labour demands in an extended tunnel greenhouse.

Theophile highlighted that the hackathon approach was used to promote broader conversation among agriculture professionals, as well as those outside of the sector, on producing effective solutions. For SALCC students, the activity was excellent practice in problem solving and a perfect opportunity to network with veterans in the field.

Events like today’s Hackathon give our students the chance to apply their knowledge in real-world situations, working alongside experienced practitioners to solve pressing challenges. — Dr. Sancha Meliat, SALCC Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Tourism

Teams visited their respective farm sites, evaluated the issues firsthand, and worked to design actionable, innovative solutions. Resource persons provided technical context without prescribing answers, encouraging creativity among participants. Their solutions would then be judged by a four-person judging panel which consisted of:

1. Mandille Alcee - Technical Specialist, IICA
2. Dr. Sancha Meliat - Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Tourism, SALCC
3. Nigel Dickson - Livestock Extension Officer, Ministry of Agriculture
4. Lester Celestin - Curriculum Officer, TVET Unit

Ultimately, the greenhouse management team emerged as the overall winner. Their solution combined climate monitoring sensors, enhanced ventilation design, and structured sanitation protocols to mitigate heat stress, control pathogens, and optimize labour efficiency in the extended greenhouse. The judging panel considered the solution a stand-out submission due to its “practicality, scalability, and clear alignment with sustainable farm management.”

Dickson also emphasized the importance of data collection in the digital transformation of our local farms; “Data is key: collecting it, processing it, and using it effectively to improve agricultural operations is essential,” he said.

IICA and SALCC plan to explore opportunities to pilot selected solutions on the SALCC farm, creating a pathway for continued innovation and collaboration.