Yams are plants belonging to the botanical genus Dioscorea, tubers of which are used either as a source of carbohydrate food or as a source of medicinal compound (i.e. steriods). Yam is traditionally grown by small farmers in all the islands of the Commonwealth Caribbean. In Barbados, it is also grown on sugarcane plantations. Dioscorea alata var. White Lisbon is widely grown in the Eastern Caribbean and Barbados. This variety has also featured prominently in the export trade of yam from Barbados, although its full potential has not yet been realized. Various aspects of the development of White Lisbon yam as a national enterprise in Barbados are presented and discussed in this paper.