[1] Dasheen, also known as taro, blue food and kalo, arrived to the Caribbean aboard Trans-Atlantic slave ships.
[2] Provision grounds, small tracts of the least desired land, were allocated by planters to slaves so that they could grow their own food for their survival.
The planters conceded to this arrangement to avoid absorbing the expense of feeding the slaves they imported to power their sugar plantations.
[4] Ground provisions are a common traditional food, but see growing interest due to farm-to-table movements and culinary tourism.
Trade in ground provisions, with the exception of potatoes, which have seen major imports from Holland, takes place among CARICOM countries.
[6] In 2020, Tobago offered cash incentives for farmers to encourage food security during Covid19, including sweet potatoes and cassava.