The New Caribbean

About the Book

It's clear to me that the book is grounded in considerable personal and family experience,  and a wealth and depth of experience that few could match.  Eneas’ understanding of the Caribbean, both its history and recent development,  is second to none  -  and I can well imagine that it will generate considerable local interest.  The politics are one essential  background dimension, against which the later economic development can best be told.      It comes into its own though, inevitably, when he talks about agriculture.  It's apparent then that his professional understanding and experience are at their best.  Some of the  vignettes' of opinion are, in places, a bit arguable perhaps -  and should stir things a touch ( I suspect) - whilst other readers will be entertained.  It's not a bland read!  Eneas tells it as it is in places, and ( inevitably) this will make both friends and critics.

 Professor W. P. Davies

Vice Principal

Royal Agricultural College

Cirencester

Gloucestershire ,England

Godfrey Eneas continues his relentless advocacy for the small farmers in the Caribbean. As a regional respected leader in the sector, he uses his independent style to provide exemplary models of successful supportive policies for small farming. In his compassionate way of treating the subject he reminded us that for small farmers to face the challenges and complexities of today’s agriculture, a new order is needed. In this book, he provides a guide that can prove invaluable for policy makers, scientists and other leaders in the field alike. It’s a ray of hope for small farming in the Caribbean.

Dr.   Marikis N. Alvarez

Representative in The Bahamas

Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

In this insightful and engaging book,  Godfrey Eneas provides the reader with a clear, historical understanding of the dramatic transformation of the Caribbean from a region dedicated primarily to agriculture to one devoted to tourism and the provision of other services.  While this transformation has unquestionably resulted in increases in the standard of living in many island nations, it has also been accompanied by a corresponding increase in a number of challenges facing the region today.

While the transformation to a service-based economy has had a major impact on the way people live in this New Caribbean,  Eneas makes it clear that processes of profound change are still underway.

The revolution in information and communication technology and globalization are creating new opportunities and challenges for the region.The importance of integration among Caribbean nations, the need to increase food security, the persistent problems of migration and social inequality, and the need to strengthen social capital, enhance competitiveness and encourage economic diversification are treated in depth..

Dr. Glenn Galloway,

 Director of the Education Program and Dean of the Graduate School,

About the Author

Mr. William John Godfrey Eneas was born in Nassau on  November 20th, 1942 and  is the only child of his deceased parents, Mr. and Mrs. William V. Eneas.

Mr. Eneas attained his secondary education at  St. Augustine's College, Nassau,Bahamas  where,in 1960, he was successful in the Cambridge University Overseas Examinations. He entered Tuskegee University , Alabama and graduated with a B.Sc. in Horticulture in 1965. In 1966, he obtained a postgraduate diploma in Tropical Agriculture from the University of the West Indies at St. Augustine, Trinidad. A year later, he received a M. Sc. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin. From October 1967 to May 1968, he successfully completed a post-graduate course in Agricultural Economics at the University of Reading, Reading, England. In 1976, he participated in a three (3) month course in Rural Development at the Economic Development Institute at the World Bank in Washington, D.C.

In 1968,Mr. Eneas entered the Public Service of The Bahamas as professional officer in the Ministry of Agriculture where he progressed to become Director of Agriculture.In 1982,he joined the Private Sector as an Agribusiness Consultant.

In 1998, he authored the book, Agriculture In The Bahamas:Its Historical Development(1492-1992), is also a columnist with the Bahama Journal and has written numerous articles and reports on Agriculture in the Caribbean for various international agencies .The government of The Bahamas appointed him as the country’s Ambassador  to the United Nation's Food & Agricultural Organization(FAO) , Rome, Italy  in March 2003.Mr. Eneas also served as a Board Member of the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Centre, Turrialba, Costa Rica. 

Mr. Eneas is married to Sandra Reimer-Eneas. They have two sons, Geoffrey, a swim coach and Timothy, an Attorney-At-Law, two daughters-in-law (Vanessa and Suzannah) and two grandchildren (Giavanna and Alexander).