Toni-Ann Williams wants to change climate-vulnerable agriculture sector

TRELAWNY IS widely known for its yellow yam, and as the birth parish of track superstars Veronica Campbell and Usain Bolt. And Toni-Ann Williams, a strawberry farmer, might be another reason why this western Jamaica parish is world renowned.

Yet, she was not born in Trelawny, but that is where she resides and where her farm, Mosa Estate, is located. She is a native of St James, where she attended Mount Alvernia High School and Montego Bay Community College. She also attended The University of the West Indies, where she studied biochemistry.

And, in a world where the impact of climate-change on agriculture is of grave concern, she who recently received the 2023 Prime Minister National Youth Award for Excellence in agriculture/agri-processing is interested in revolutionising the climate-vulnerable agricultural sector.

“Farming chose me; it was something I started to do because it was my therapy. I started with tomatoes and sweet peppers at home in a small space. I tried to maximise what I could grow in the limited space I had,” she explained.

Now, she is the owner of Mosa Estate, an agritechandagro-processing business that focuses on health wellness and sustainability. It started out as a delivery service, “matching exotic fruits with the adventurous or curious consumer”. Strawberries from local and foreign sources were some of the fruits the business dealt with.

Williams said, “Our customers preferred local strawberries, but we weren’t able to provide them consistently as only a handful of farmers grow them locally. So, I decided to solve my own problem and create a system to grow them year-round and consistently.”

She is currently embarking on building out her climate-smart greenhouse to promote yearlong crop production. “A climate-smart greenhouse is one that provides an optimal environment for the growth of crops. It is unaffected by environmental stress or factors of climate-change as it has its own microclimate for the year-round production of quality fruits and vegetables,” Williams explained.

“The agriculture sector is often faced, year after, by natural disasters, such as flooding and drought that result in significant crop loss. My commitment to the sector is translated through my business, which is to always employ modern methods in adapting against these treats to create food security in the sector, while also efficiently using resources.

On the website, www.mosaestate.com, Williams is also promoting a healthy lifestyle with sugar-free and 100 per cent natural juices that are made of produce grown by local farmers.

“We have a green juice called ‘Green Delight’. ‘True Glow’ is our carrot and turmeric juice, and ‘Morning Boost’, our beetroot juice, which are all delicious and refreshing. Healthy does taste good! We also have a line of sea moss (Irishmoss) that you can find in Shoppers Fair supermarkets,” she shared.

With her company, this young entrepreneur was the 2023 recipient of the Development Bank of Jamaica IGNITE grant for Cohort 4. Mosa Estate was also a top-three national finalist for the international climate-change accelerator programme, Climate Launchpad in 2023; the Caribbean and national (Jamaica) winner for Most Sustainable Business from Mircopitch Caricom (2023); and a Flow Inknowvation third-place winner for the Caribbean (2023).

In addition, Williams/Mosa Estate was a Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship Virtual Accelerator participant (2022); the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce Micro Business Competition winner (2024), and a finalist for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the category of start-up (2024). Winning the Prime Minister National Youth Award is the latest of Williams’ long line of achievements.

“It is a tremendous honour. So, many emotions, joy, pride, gratitude! It’s a major achievement that gives me a sense of validation for my hard work and dedication. It was such a wonderful experience to have witnessed, especially with my parents, who are truly proud and have been supporting and working with me to build different aspects of the business over the years. After all, Mosa Estate is a dedication to them. The name Mosa comes from parts of their names. So, this experience and accomplishment is truly one that means so much to me,” she shared.

Williams also works part time as a programme coordinator, executing and coordinating projects that are geared towards youth mentorship, career and business development training. She mentors young women in business, specifically for the agriculture sector, helping them to build their businesses.

It is clear then, that people from across the globe, sooner or later, will be visiting Toni-Ann Williams in Trelawny to learn a thing or two from her to combat climate-change, a phenomenon that is threatening our very existence.