‘The Glue That Held Us Together’: Farming Community Reels After Death of Dunstan Demille

The Saint Lucian agricultural community is mourning the death of Dunstan Demille, a dedicated advocate for local farmers and a pivotal figure in the country’s food production sector. He was 59.

Demille, widely known by the nickname Chappy, died on Tuesday morning.

“Mr Demille or Chappy, as we would call him because he insisted on it, was larger than life,” said Keithlin Caroo-Afrifa, executive director of Helen’s Daughters, a non-profit that supports women in agriculture. “He was, in my opinion, the glue that kept the farming community together in Saint Lucia.”

Demille served for several years as perishables manager at Massy Stores and held similar roles in the hospitality sector. He was also the longest-serving board member of Helen’s Daughters, having been with the organisation since its inception.

Known for connecting farmers with buyers and helping them access critical markets, Demille also played a significant role in improving financial access for small-scale producers. “Mr. Demille introduced the small loans programme where farmers could get up to $5,000. Essentially, [farmers] would be able to pay off their loans via contracts… and it was low or no interest,” said Caroo-Afrifa. “For many farmers, that was the only way they could have access to finance.”

One local farmer, speaking to St Lucia Times, said the news of his death had sent shockwaves through the farming community. “I spoke to a friend this morning and she was completely distressed because she said, ‘He was the one who helped me get everything I needed; contacts at the Massy office. He was the one who helped me sell my provisions, sell everything that I had.’”

Demille’s work extended beyond Saint Lucia. Colleagues in Grenada have also expressed condolences. He’d also played a notable role linking local farmers to hotel chains and larger distribution networks.

“Mr Demille was responsible for countless products making it to store shelves,” said Caroo-Afrifa.

“There was never a time that he couldn’t spare to give farmers advice. You see some of the prepackaged things like the fish cake mix – all of those things. His ideas were larger than life. And it was always about the development of the country and the improvement of the status of farmers.”

Demille had recently been assisting with community outreach efforts in the Mabouya Valley. He was a member of the Caribbean Agricultural Business Association (CABA), had served on advisory boards for agriculture across the region, and was involved in cultural initiatives, including calypso songwriting and intercommercial competitions.

“We have lost something that we could never replicate,” said Caroo-Afrifa. “He was one of a kind. You could never get someone like Dunstan.”