St. Vincent and The Grenadines

In St Vincent, vetiver grass has a long history, spanning decades if not more than a century. In the past there was strong common knowledge among many country folk especially about its ability to stabilize land; but its spreading was especially driven by the adoption and expertise developed in vetiver handicraft making.

Like other Caribbean islands where vetiver also has a lengthy history, in recent decades vetiver knowledge among younger generations has reduced; and appreciation of the capabilities of vetiver grass as a bio-engineering tool which can be incorporated into infrastructure solutions is not mainstream. Evidence of vetiver grass along roadsides and occasional steep and hilly properties can still be observed however, as you drive around the island of St. Vincent’s mountainous and winding ring-road. In addition, a significant project in recent years has been driving regrowth of vetiver grass awareness and education in St Vincent and the Grenadines, especially given its very unique nature which provides many social and economic benefits to those involved. This is the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates at Her Majesty’s Prisons in Kingstown through involvement in the creative design and production of vetiver grass handicrafts. The project was developed and is led by Vonnie Roudette and is called Grow In Time, and a short film capturing it can be viewed here on YouTube.