Lead Editor–Newsgathering
ryan.bachoo@cnc3.co.tt
Sherina Supersad spent the first week of COP30 in Belém, Brazil—a defining moment in her growing advocacy for women in agriculture. There, the 21-year-old Youth Ambassador of Agriculture delivered a series of presentations that underscored both her passion and the urgency of the issues she champions.
Her first talk focused on how the climate crisis is affecting women and reproductive health. The second highlighted the resilience of Trinidad and Tobago’s Indigenous peoples — how they preserve their culture and traditions, and how their generational knowledge can guide the fight against climate change. She also made the case for why the Caribbean must advocate to protect the Amazon.
Supersad’s journey began in secondary school. As a Form Three student at Gasparillo Secondary, she started a small plant-selling business. Her Agriscience teacher shared her passion, and the two encouraged each other to grow — literally and figuratively.
“This is when I fell in love with it,” she told WE Magazine at the COP30 conference.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Supersad moved her plant business online, advertising through social media while her aunts and uncles helped with deliveries. It was during this period that she began advocating for greater opportunities for women in agriculture — a commitment rooted in her own experiences.
“Being a woman in agriculture isn’t easy,” she recalled. “I had people tell me, ‘You’re a woman, you’re not supposed to do this… you’re supposed to be home.’ That stuck with me. I told myself I would prove them wrong, because as a woman you can do anything.”
Her advocacy soon expanded. Supersad began working on coastal erosion projects, mapping coastal and rural areas and tracking how many women work daily in agriculture. Now, she wants to take her work regional.
“I have already started,” she said. “I want to showcase the work women in T&T are doing. There is so much we can achieve through collaboration—whether within the Caribbean or beyond.”
Her mission is to encourage more women to see agriculture not as a male-dominated field but as a viable, respected career path. She argues that while women make up a significant share of the agricultural workforce, they remain underrepresented and undervalued.
Her rising profile reflects her message. Midway through COP30, Supersad flew from Belém to South Africa to work on women’s rights and gender equality. Despite perceptions that agriculture is becoming less attractive to young people, she believes large numbers of women in T&T remain both interested and involved — but stigma persists.
“It shows women are no longer being stereotyped into caregiving roles,” she said. “They’re going out there and becoming the breadwinners for their families.”
Women in T&T serve as agro-processors, producers and entrepreneurs, yet their contributions, she feels, are still not fully recognised.
“It is valued to a point,” she admitted, “but not valued enough — and not enough support is shown for women in agriculture.”
For two years Supersad has been pushing for a larger platform for these women. Yet she believes many in T&T take the country’s agricultural blessings for granted.
“We’re privileged in T&T to have what many places across the world don’t. People are protesting for even one-third of what we have. Women just need a little push to show the work they’ve been doing.”
When she’s not on the global stage, Supersad mentors young farmers in her community through the Whiteland Police Youth Club, where she is a senior member. She hopes to spark a passion for agriculture in the next generation — or at least help them discover a love for working with plants.
Even as she travels the world representing T&T, her heart remains at home, pushing for an agricultural sector where women are visible, valued and empowered.
