We were honored to receive the UK–Belize Climate & Nature Legacy Private Sector Partnership Award in recognition of our innovative Smart Grow initiative. The program, launched by our Belize Sugar Industries (BSI) team, modernizes the country’s sugar supply chain through a blockchain-enabled system that improves production transparency, promotes climate-resilient farming practices and expands financial inclusion for 2,000 smallholder growers.
The award, which recognizes effective private-sector partnerships that support sustainable development alongside economic growth, was presented during a formal ceremony on February 3 at the British High Commissioner’s residence in Belmopan, Belize.
“I was incredibly proud to accept this award on behalf of the entire BSI team,” said Communications & Government Affairs Officer William Neal. “It affirms our hard work and the strength of our partnership with the UK and the people of Belize. This isn’t just an achievement—it celebrates our journey toward a future for Belize in which innovation serves our economy and renews our commitment to protect the environment that sustains our industry and our community.”
Launched in 2024 through the Compete Caribbean Partnership Facility, the Smart Grow platform supports traceability, strengthens production management and embeds climate-smart practices at the farm level. The platform also links farmers with financial institutions while strengthening national supply chain resilience by addressing information gaps across the value chain and integrating credit providers directly into the digital ecosystem, enhancing the bankability and long-term resilience of small-scale farmers.
The project was executed with co-financing and technical supervision from IDB Invest and IDB Lab, anchoring private-sector engagement through blended finance and technical support.
The UK–Belize Climate & Nature Legacy Awards, funded by the UK’s Climate & Nature Diplomacy Fund (CNDF), highlight the UK’s commitment to supporting long-lasting environmental partnerships and celebrate projects that demonstrate impact, innovation, community leadership and measurable benefits for the environment and people. Nominations were sourced across multiple expert teams, ensuring a diverse and representative pool of candidates.
“This approach ensured that nominations came from professionals with firsthand knowledge of program performance, community impact and policy relevance,” said Zana Wade, the UK’s Climate, Environment and Energy Officer for Belize & the Caribbean. “Every nominated project underwent an independent evaluation based on a detailed, category-specific scoring matrix. Each category had its own tailored criteria to ensure fairness and consistency.”
The final slate of awardees was endorsed by the British High Commissioner to Belize, H.E. Alistair White, along with Mellissa Rivero, the High Commission’s Program Officer.
In parallel with the awards program, our BSI team participated in a series of high-level and technical sustainability forums in at the Commissioner’s residence in Belmopan, marking the culmination of a five-year collaboration under the UK’s Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP) in partnership with the Government of Belize and the British High Commission. The OCPP, a flagship UK government initiative under the Blue Planet Fund, supports Belize in protecting its marine environment and fostering a sustainable blue economy.
“The discussions were relevant to our broader sustainability and ESG goals in Belize, particularly where climate resilience, environmental stewardship and responsible investment frameworks intersect,” said Belize Country Manager Mac McLachlan. “There is a synergy between blue economy initiatives in Belize to protect marine and river ecosystems and our regenerative agriculture efforts, including water management and compost.”