Young Jamaican researcher making inroads in US
Andrew Raffington envisions seamless blend of agriculture and technology
WHEN Andrew Raffington’s peers graduated from Greater Portmore High School in 2013, leaving him behind because he did not have enough passes to matriculate, the then 15-yearold was crushed, thinking that his dreams of success and a career were permanently dashed.
But when life handed him a second chance and an opportunity to repeat grade 11 at Ascot High in St Catherine, a career day visit from Caribbean Maritime University students prompted him to dream again.
The guidance given by those students, coupled with enrolment in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries’ Jamaica 4H Clubs agricultural research programme in the summer of 2014, cemented his interest in the field that is today powering his academic pursuits at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.
The Caribbean Maritime University alum, who is currently engaged in several intensive research projects, is envisioning “a future where agriculture blends seamlessly with technology”.
Raffington, in a recent interview with the Jamaica Observer, says his research, which has been documented in two papers published in the International Journal of Environment and Climate Change, primarily focuses on climate’s imprint on America’s food lifeline; next-generation supply chain in America’s agriculture; and quantifying efficiency and resilience of the United States agricultural supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“These studies critically analyse supply chain adaptations in response to environmental shifts, public health disruptions, and explore technological innovations in American agriculture and food chains,” Raffington, who was born and raised in St Catherine, tells the Sunday Observer.
Passionate about the food supply chain and agricultural systems in America, Raffington says he aims to develop an advanced supply chain system to enhance food security in the United States.
The Jamaican, who is a distinguished member of the National Society of Leadership and Success — America’s largest leadership honour society — says that his work, “which is more than just academic research, is a call to action and a vision for adopting agricultural technological solutions to create a sustainable and abundant future”.
According to Raffington, his experience in his birth country — with its own challenges in agriculture — adds depth and urgency to his research that highlights the challenges and potential within the American agricultural sector and examines the vulnerabilities in the food supply chain caused by climate change — including the impact of erratic weather and rising sea levels on agricultural production there.
Noting that his work also “raises concerns about the sluggish adoption of key agricultural technologies in the United States”, Raffington believes his conceptualisation of an e-technology hub, an innovative platform, is one solution.
“This readily accessible online portal aims to empower American farmers by providing comprehensive information with easy access to details and specifications of various agricultural technologies, interactive training through online courses and tutorials to equip farmers with the knowledge and skills to utilise these technologies effectively, and updates regarding new agricultural developments,” he tells the Sunday Observer.
The ambitious young Jamaican believes that by bridging the information and training gap, his e-technology hub “has the potential to address the identified challenges head-on”.
“This initiative could be a major catalyst, propelling the US agricultural sector towards wider adoption of crucial technologies and ultimately securing a more sustainable and efficient future for its food production system,” he argues.