Date of Graduation

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Agriculture

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences

Advisor/Mentor

Dr. Lisa Wood

Committee Member

Dr. Isabel Whitehead-Adams

Second Committee Member

Dr. Jennie Popp

Third Committee Member

Mrs. Vicky Watkins

Abstract

In recent years, food insecurity and the prevalence of hunger have rapidly grown throughout the world, but especially within Latin America and the Caribbean. Along with growing rates of food insecurity and hunger there are increases in medical conditions including negative impacts the functioning of every major organ system, increased rates of mental illness, both overweight and underweight children, wasting in both children and adults, and anemia. Availability and access to healthy, nutritional food options can help lower the risk of these conditions. With these considerations, the goal of this project was to create an all-encompassing manual and construction guide for the creation and maintenance of a small-scale meat rabbitry located in Stann Creek, Belize at the St. Matthew’s Anglican School (Pomona Valley, Belize). It was determined the best way to continue to meet the needs of the school was through the creation of a small-scale meat rabbitry to help supplement the current protein production generated by dual-purpose birds at the school. Once this was decided, research was conducted to determine the best design and information to include within the manual. The overall design for the rabbitry was created, and all recent and relevant information to the creation and maintenance of a rabbitry was compiled into the manual. Further included in this manual was a materials list, cost sheet, and construction guide for individuals to be able to construct the rabbitry; there were also explanations included throughout to help individuals curate the design to best meet their needs. The researchers anticipate that the implementation of a small-scale rabbitry will meet the immediate needs of the school while helping to provide both the students and the surrounding community with a supplemental source of protein. The researchers further anticipate that the local availability of this protein will provide an additional solution to food insecurity and malnutrition within the region.

Keywords

Food Security; Belize

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