The Sugar Association of the Caribbean (SAC) is relocating its headquarters from Trinidad to Barbados, marking the first major administrative move by the organisation since its inception almost a century ago. The relocation places the regional trade body next door to its main scientific research facility and reflects the changing face of agriculture across the English-speaking Caribbean.
The SAC was formed in the 1930s as the West Indies Sugar Association to coordinate regional sugar trade and represent manufacturers in overseas markets. It was established in Trinidad at a time when commercial sugarcane dominated the English-speaking Caribbean. Over the decades, Trinidad and several neighbouring islands ceased sugar production as economic diversification took hold. Today, the group’s commercial sugar production is concentrated in four Commonwealth nations: Barbados, Belize, Guyana, and Jamaica.
Speaking after the opening of the association’s 178th Board of Directors meeting in Bridgetown, SAC Chairman Mac McLachlan described the move as a practical step. “Basing the organisation in Barbados places its leadership right next to its most valuable operational asset, the West Indies Central Sugar Cane Breeding Station,” he said.
The breeding station is a world-renowned scientific institution that develops hardier, higher-yielding sugarcane varieties suited to tropical climates. Its history traces back to pioneering botanical work conducted in Barbados by John Redman Bovell in 1888. Founded in 1932 and owned by the SAC since 1962, the facility provides specialised cane seeds for testing and cultivation across member countries.
The move also aligns with broader regional trade goals. Trade ministers of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), a group of mostly Commonwealth nations, have recently viewed the SAC as a key contributor to regional food security. According to the association, the goal is to maintain sugar production in Barbados, Belize, Guyana, and Jamaica to ensure a steady local supply for Caribbean consumers and reduce reliance on imports.
Barbados has exported commercial sugar for almost 400 years and is now working to modernize its sugar sector and improve factory efficiency. “Basing the SAC on the island will allow the association to directly support those productivity upgrades while coordinating agricultural research across the region,” said McLachlan.
