Caribbean Rum Spotlight: The Caribbean Rum Awards returns as the only rum competition in the region that brings top Caribbean bottles together for blind judging on St Barth—an industry moment for distillers and buyers. Agri-Education Push: Barbados is expanding school greenhouse farming, with students moving from “beneficiaries” to builders and learners on design, weather impacts, and practical ag skills. Next-Gen Farming: A Hearts and Minds summer camp is training young people in soil, animal care, food production and agribusiness, while officials also plan to grow backyard farming support for 600 households. Praedial Larceny Crackdown: The Ministry of Agriculture says it’s stepping up the fight against farm thieves, convening a special committee with police and defence to protect crop escalation targets. Food Security Infrastructure: Barbados and China highlight partnership progress, including the US$66m south coast water reclamation project and rice cooperation aimed at boosting domestic grain. Business Transparency: Government is advancing a beneficial ownership register bill to identify the real owners behind companies and strengthen accountability. Tourism Trade & Skills: Connect Barbados reported record buyer participation, and the Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum (CHIEF) is coming to Barbados in November with AI, revenue growth and workforce development on the agenda. Economy Watch: The Central Bank says growth slowed in the first half of 2026 amid global uncertainty, with tourism value added steady but risks rising. Climate Risk Alerts: Barbados faces intense heat and uneven rainfall, with flooding and flash-flood risk flagged for the late wet season.