John Jones

Barbados

Fighting food insecurity one sweet potato at a time

Farming wasn't always the focus for John Jones. A talented athlete, he played basketball at college in the US, before playing professionally around the world, including in Bolivia and Australia.

However, his studies of agriculture and agribusiness at Illinois State University, as well as time spent in South Australia (one of the country's farming hubs), got him interested in bringing this knowledge back to his home of Barbados. The island – along with many other Caribbean nations – imports more than 90 per cent of its food, which leaves it extremely vulnerable to food insecurity.

Against this backdrop, Jones' mission – to increase islanders' access to fresh, locally grown produce and show the island's youth that farming is a viable career option – is something of a revolution. At Thirteen Acre Farms, Jones grows staple crops like sweet potatoes, cassava, yams and watermelons. Every Thursday, he takes a truckload full of produce to a local community space so that locals can purchase from him directly.

He also gives guided tours of the farm to children and school groups, estimating that around 8,000 children aged four to 13 have visited the farm since its inception. Activities include feeding the animals and learning about their diets, sowing seeds, harvesting crops and taking home seeds to plant.

In 2023, Jones was the recipient of the Prime Minister's Youth Award for Innovation and Philanthropy in Barbados and in January 2026, he was appointed to the International Development Bank Group Bold Catalyst Board. This role will see him work in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank Group Country Office Barbados to share perspectives and insights in support of the 2025-2030 Country Strategy, which seeks to accelerate Barbados' progress towards inclusive growth and resilience.

Thanks to his impressive local efforts to address the global issue of food insecurity, John Jones receives the Champions of Change Award, sponsored by Illy, as part of North America's 50 Best Restaurants 2026.

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