Pt. 2 - Who are we? Green Festival Better Caribbean Exhibit
- Ariana Marshall
- May 12, 2016
- 5 min read
Seven more sneak peaks. We can't possibly answer this question with one blog, but for now here's a peak into 7 of the businesses which participated in our Better Caribbean Green Festival Exhibit.
In this article - LCI Organics Ayissa Textile Design, Shakad Design Wear, Healing Earth Life Products, Artist Made Barbados, Shemar's Organic Products and IBIS Wellness Inc.
LCI Organics
Sustainability Features – Therapeutic ingredients are indigenous, uniquely Caribbean and responsibly harvested such as Aloe vera and Mauby. Her packaging is minimal and can be easily recycled.
What I found interesting about their story – This business owner has a background in pharmacokinetics so therefore she has created products which consider the optimal absorption of carefully selected therapeutic ingredients. In particular, mauby is a bark which when drank in combination with coconut water has been found to manage high blood pressure. Her exploration of the delivery of mauby through skin care delivery and an antioxidant and exfoliant is progressive.
Read more about mauby in this study by the University Of the West Indies.
Products at Green Festival – Mauby Spice, Goat Milk and Honey, Lemon Zest, Aloe Vera and Cucumber.
Offered in Barbados (retails in specialty shops and made to order) –
*Questions about products? Contact them via their Facebook page
Ayissa Textile Design and Shakad Design Wear
Certified Green Business with the Green Business Barbados Program (Future Centre Trust/IADB)
Sustainability features – Collects and stores rain water for use in business operations. Reuses dyed water as much as possible. Recycles plastic and electronic waste. Uses LEDs.
What I found interesting about her story? Ayissa Textile Design operates her business in Calabash Gardens in partnership with her three other family business - Shakad Designs, Calabash Art by Isage and De Pot Man. The have built sustainability into how these three business co-exist and share the cost of electricity and water. There businesses reside in a beautiful garden where calabash trees and various other plants are grown to help with flood control on site. Her daughter's business - Shakad designs - uses Ayissa's textiles to create beautiful Caribbean fashion pieces such as the coconut husk bustier on display at Green Festival; clutches, bags and more. Also key chains and other smaller art pieces are made from recycled ends of textiles and calabash. Concrete pots from their other family business "De Pot Man" are used as vats for recycling dye water.
Products at Green Festival – Display only - Backdrop/Table cloth and Coconut husk bustier by Shakad Designs.
Offered in Barbados store (#8 Pelican Village, St.Michael) – Caribbean inspired tie-dye textile pieces and products such as wraps, wall hangings, furniture throws, table cloths, pillow cases, coasters, bags, clutches, dresses, skirts, shirts, bookmarks, key chains and more.
*Questions about products? Contact her in store – 1-246-426-7521 or via
Facebook (Ayissa Textile Design) or Shakad Designs.
Instagram – @ayissatextiledesigns @shakaddesignwear
Shemar's Organic Products
Member of the Organic Growers and Consumers Association (Certified Green Business with the Green Business Barbados Program (Future Centre Trust/IADB)
Sustainability Features – No application of chemicals to produce. Water conservative methods used in farming. Composting and use of natural soil ammendments.
What I found interesting about her story – The owner of this business has a background in nursing and sees the value of using food as medicine. All of her condiments include at least two medicinal ingredients such as cayenne, tumeric, dandelion or apple cider vinegar. She creates most of her condiments from produce she's grown which is in abundance in order to avoid wastage.
Products at Green Festival – Bajan hot sauce, tamarind sauce, honey mustard dressing, sundried tomato/cranberry dressing and garlic pickle.
Offered in Barbados (at the Cheapside open air market on Saturdays or at the Holder's Farmer's market on Sundays – Same products along with kale pesto, dandelion mustard dressing, liver detox tonic and seasonal organic produce (kale, lettuce, zucchinis, carrot figs and more).
*Questions about products? Contact her via - shemarsorganicproducts@gmail.com
Or at the farmer's market each weekend.
Artist Made Barbados
Created CS.Collective sign for Green Festival Exhibit
Sustainability Features – Hand-made art and products. Her store/design studio is housed in a 10 x 10 Chattel house which is the original representation of sustainability in Barbados (learn more about this concept through Chattel House Inspired. She uses minimal electricity in her operations and her working space is naturally lit and ventilated.
What I found interesting about their story – She uses burlap which is often dismissed as fashionable material to create most of her purses/clutches. Her art also carries an environmental conservation message in a way which vividly depicts the Caribbean environment.
Products at Green Festival – Turtle burlap purses
Offered in Barbados – Wider variety of art and craft including hand - made hand bags, clutches, purses, murals, signs and more.
*Questions about products? Contact her via her Facebook Page.
Healing Earth Life Products
Photo credit - Healing Earth Life Products
Sustainability Features – The use of natural herbs in vegan capsules rather than synthetic medicines reduces the pharmaceutical waste load which increasingly ends up in our water ways.We have only recently begun to understand how medications affect our environment after they pass through the human body and return into our environment. Although there are limited studies in regards to this occurrence in the Caribbean, it has been found that aquatic ecosystems are being disrupted worldwide. Therefore any attempt to reduce the load of medicines in the environment without compromising human health are much needed in the Caribbean where we depend heavily on the health of our marine ecosystems.
What I found interesting about their story – This business has found a way to make herbal supplements convenient and at the same time provide consultations by a holistic practitioner about how to integrate these supplements into your health care regardless of whether you have used conventional medicine most of your life.
Products at Green Festival – Fibroid Formula, Anti-infection and Super Cleanse
Offered in Barbados (retails in office location, local health stores and online here) – All products on display at Green Festival and in addition - Sinus and Cold Formula, Anti-inflammation, Woman's tea, Male Energy, Feminine Energy, 14 day herbal detox packages and more.
*Questions about products? Contact them via their website or Facebook page
IBIS Wellness Inc.
Photo credit - Ibis Wellness Inc.
Sustainability Features – Biodegradable Banana paper is used for the packaging of her soaps. All ingredients are indigenous to the Caribbean. Selected plants used to create products are grown on site using permaculture practices.
What I found interesting about their story – This business was one of the first businesses to become certified in the Green Business Barbados program in 2015 and she has recently received an opportunity for further investment into developing her business through the Youth Agripreneurs Project in the Global Forum on Agricultural Research. Her background is in chemistry and she is currently completing her studies in International Business at the University of the West Indies.
Products at Green Festival – Grapefruit Splash and Mango Tango Soaps
Offered in Barbados (direct delivery and retails at specialty stores throughout Barbados) – All soaps mentioned above along with Neem and Mint, Oats and Honey, Coconut Paradise, Secrets of the Nile. Other products include lotions (moringa and hemp; neem)
*Questions about products? Contact them via their Facebook page or you can purchase her soaps here.
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