A country story / AG
Antigua and Barbuda
Two islands, two starting points
Antigua’s agricultural history connects sugar and cotton exports with growers who turned to fruit and vegetables. Barbuda brings different soils, water limits and a tradition of gardens and grazing. Each island has its own starting point.
Preparation stage · available acreage not established
01How the landscape changed
After sugar, farmers kept growing
Antigua’s sugar and cotton economy linked its fields to overseas processing and trade. A Ministry of Agriculture account published by FAO in 1992 describes declining sugar profitability in the 1960s as other industries drew workers away. Some workers who remained on the land turned to fruit and vegetables, creating new questions about processing and finding a market for seasonal harvests.[1]
Barbuda needs its own account. The Department of Environment’s 2024 adaptation assessment describes backyard cultivation and livestock grazing, with shallow sandy soils and limited water constraining expansion. The two islands therefore need farming plans grounded in their own conditions.[2]
02The work already under way
Water, farm records and a dependable buyer
Freshwater access remains a central concern in the government’s adaptation assessment, alongside labour and material costs. These are everyday production questions: what can a farmer grow through a dry period, and what will it cost to bring that harvest to market?[2]
There is already practical work to build on. In January 2026, FAO reported a mission with farmers and the ministry covering protected cultivation, farm business records and market demand. Discussions included supermarkets and hotels. Its approach joins water management with the economics of an operating farm.[3]
03Where CaribVista could help
A pilot built around growers
CaribVista proposes a small, locally agreed pilot that brings growers, extension officers and buyers into the same planning process. Water supply, crop calendars, delivery costs and affordable food access would be worked out together before selecting a site. Existing users’ rights and each island’s ecology would shape that choice.
The proposed contribution is a clear record of what was tried, what it cost and how much usable food reached people. Satellite observations could support field visits; farmers would help explain what those images mean. The first success would be a dependable growing and delivery cycle that partners could assess for themselves.
04 / Read the landscape
Put the story beside the map.
With that history in mind, explore Antigua and Barbuda in natural colour, through its vegetation signal and by mapped land cover. These views help frame local questions; the land records and field assessment establish what a specific site can offer.
From the satellite record
See the land.
Read the signal.
Explore the same landscape in natural colour and through its vegetation signal.
Sentinel-2 · January–September 2026
RGB · Natural colourAntigua and BarbudaCloud-screened median compositesStronger vegetation signals can include forests, pasture and crops. The dark background shows masked water, areas outside the study boundary or missing data.
How to read these images and inspect the sources
Natural colour combines the red, green and blue bands (B4, B3, B2). NDVI compares near-infrared and red reflectance: (B8 − B4) / (B8 + B4). Both views use the same dated scene list and extent, with cloud and shadow screening. Each pixel summarises observations across the period; this is not a single photograph.
The colour scale is fixed across countries; values beyond its endpoints use the endpoint colours. The separate NDVI statistic is the spatial mean of the temporal-median index on the documented 1 km screening grid. Image pixels use the display grid stated above.
These views help guide a closer inspection. They do not identify available rental land, confirm ownership or measure agricultural suitability.
- A temporal median of observations in January–September 2026, not a single-date photograph.
- RGB and NDVI use identical bounds, display grid and valid-pixel masks. Higher NDVI indicates greater spectral greenness, not crop identity, yield, land vacancy or suitability.
- Transparent pixels represent the selected boundary/land mask or missing valid observations, not proof of absent vegetation.
- The overview grid is for display. The published numerical screening uses a separate 1 km grid; do not extract hectares or availability from these coloured pixels.
- Cloud and shadow masking can leave residual haze or remove valid surfaces. Native 10 m source bands do not make the overview a 10 m product.
- Component islands shown are those represented in the documented boundary; small features can be difficult to distinguish at overview scale.
Download the imagery reproduction package ↓
Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2026), processed for CaribVista.
The 2021 land-cover baseline
What covers the landscape?
Antigua and Barbuda45,244.5 mapped hectaresAll classified pixels in the selected boundary, including water
Explore a class in the chart or legend.
Grassland
9,637.7 haThis class includes managed pasture and natural grassland. It does not identify vacant, idle, leasable or cultivable land.
View the values and boundary notes
| Land-cover class | Hectares | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Tree cover | 23,341.5 | 51.6% |
| Shrubland | 2,049.5 | 4.5% |
| Grassland | 9,637.7 | 21.3% |
| Cropland | 397.2 | 0.9% |
| Built-up | 3,460.5 | 7.6% |
| Bare / sparse vegetation | 405.9 | 0.9% |
| Snow and ice | 0 | 0.0% |
| Permanent water | 4,493.9 | 9.9% |
| Herbaceous wetland | 624.9 | 1.4% |
| Mangroves | 833.4 | 1.8% |
| Moss and lichen | 0 | 0.0% |
| Total mapped area | 45,244.5 | 100% |
Boundary source: FAO/GAUL/2015/level0. Calculation: 11 October 2026. Rounded values may not add exactly; downloads retain the source values.
- Selected national polygon was matched uniquely; mapped area and reference surface were compared. Coastline and all minor island membership are not certified by a national agency.
- Earth Engine geometry area and raster pixelArea use different area conventions; their ratio is a sanity check, not a valid-pixel or classification-accuracy percentage.
ESA WorldCover 2021 v200 · Historical observations · Reviewed 11 October 2026.
Shares use classified pixel area inside each selected screening boundary, including mapped water. They do not measure available farmland. Local classification accuracy and parcel availability are not established.
05Land and access
From a land lead
to a workable parcel.
A country programme or a patch of grassland helps direct the search. A pilot needs a specific place, clear rights and a current agreement.
February 2026 Cabinet notes report 150 acres recovered and 75 acres earmarked for youth/women, using selected rentals followed by longer leases after performance review. These are programme announcements, not a current unallocated balance.
Confirm eligibility and selected parcel terms; assess Barbuda rights and consent through its applicable institutions rather than applying an Antigua programme by assumption.
What the satellite evidence supports
A fresh calculation using the documented country boundary is complete. Source artifacts, area checks and processing details are preserved. Local classification accuracy and legal land access have not been established.
Land cover describes vegetation; it does not establish vacant, accessible or plantable land. ESA WorldCover v200 observes 2021. Newer Sentinel screening has its own dates, quality controls and geographic scope.
Boundary scope: Selected national polygon was matched uniquely; mapped area and reference surface were compared. Coastline and all minor island membership are not certified by a national agency. Earth Engine geometry area and raster pixelArea use different area conventions; their ratio is a sanity check, not a valid-pixel or classification-accuracy percentage.
A separate Sentinel-2 screening for January–September 2026 completed on a 1 km sampling grid. It checks the monitoring workflow and records observation coverage. It is too coarse for parcel decisions and does not establish current land use or availability.
ESA dataset and methodologyHistorical programmes and listings need current written confirmation. Gross parcel area and net plantable area are separate decisions.
06Production priorities
Design around the site
and the people using it.
Cabinet calls for expanded ponds/dams and rainwater storage. October 2026 notes also identify machinery/operator capacity needs. Obtain the actual water supply, quality and storage design plus field-access and buyer-delivery budget. A land-clearing service is not a land award.
Compare proposed production with current use. Protect existing livelihoods and valuable habitats. Choose crops and farming systems after soil, water, market and farm-management checks.
- Antigua and Barbuda Cabinet: water and planting material 2026-08-26
- Antigua and Barbuda Cabinet: land preparation and priority crops 2026-10-07
These are proposed feasibility priorities. Sources provide country context and do not establish a CaribVista partnership.
08Check the evidence
Country sources, dates and access limits 10 records · Reviewed 11 October 2026
History and local context
Land, agriculture and programme evidence
Records distinguish primary text reviewed from excerpts and material that could not be retrieved. A source’s publication date and the review date serve different purposes.
- Antigua and Barbuda Cabinet: water and planting material
2026-08-26
Access: primary text reviewed. Pond/dam work, Bethesda tissue culture development, CARDI/IICA collaboration; stated public programme, not CaribVista partners. Accessed on the review date; this does not make historic data current.
- Agriculture Ministry: FAO water and protected farming mission
2025-12-02
Access: primary text reviewed. Existing farm performance/resilience assessment, not a demonstrated profit uplift. Accessed on the review date; this does not make historic data current.
- Antigua and Barbuda Cabinet: farmland reallocation
2026-02-25
Access: primary text reviewed. Recovered land and targeted rentals for youth/women; awards depend on selection and performance. Not an open-parcel register. Accessed on the review date; this does not make historic data current.
- Antigua and Barbuda Cabinet: land preparation and priority crops
2026-10-07
Access: primary text reviewed. Extension clearing service, crop priorities, water storage and machinery operator needs. Accessed on the review date; this does not make historic data current.
- ESA WorldCover data access
2021 reference map; 2022 release
Access: primary text reviewed. WorldCover v 200 is land cover, not a cadastral, vacancy, crop-yield or legal-availability survey. Accessed on the review date; this does not make historic data current.
- FAO agricultural census participation by round
Publication date not established
Access: primary text reviewed. Round listing; a listed year is not proof that final results have been released. Accessed on the review date; this does not make historic data current.
- Antigua and Barbuda Cabinet, 7 October 2026
2026-10-07
Access: Official Cabinet text read and archived.. Land-clearing support totals 102 acres across five districts; beneficiaries must establish a viable crop within 90 days after service. A service initiative for existing/prospective farmers, not a list of vacant parcels.
The next conversation
Help shape a pilot in Antigua and Barbuda.
Bring a local delivery team, a candidate site or a route to customers and households. Together, the next task is to agree the preparation work, its responsibilities and its budget.
Discuss a preparation partnershipAn invitation to prepare a project. Sites, funding and operating partnerships are still to be agreed.