The first plant clinic in Trinidad and Tobago was opened by Plantwise, in partnership with the Ministry of Food Production, in 2012. Today there are eight monthly clinics running throughout Trinidad and two on Tobago, giving free information and advice on crop problems to smallholder farmers. There is a strong culture of using pesticides and other agrochemicals on the islands, and one of the aims of the Plantwise programme is to use the plant clinics to recommend safer alternatives.