Caddle to Govt: Revisit ‘basket of goods’ as chronic diseases rise

The Mottley administration should consider revising its basket of goods to include healthier products, as the country grapples with mounting health challenges, a senior administration member suggested on Friday.

The zero-rated basket of goods includes food items exempt from value-added tax (VAT) to make them more affordable for consumers. It is also a fixed basket of goods and services used to calculate the Retail Price Index (RPI), which tracks inflation by measuring price changes for the items households typically buy.

As the House of Assembly debated the 2023-2028 National Policy on Ageing, Minister of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology Marsha Caddle called for a broader focus on nutrition alongside efforts to make healthy foods more affordable.

“It may be time to look at that basket of goods to insist on more healthier products being included,” Caddle said, while underscoring the government’s efforts to maintain affordable prices for certain items.

The minister challenged the prevailing narrative about the cost of healthy eating, arguing that portion control and nutritional understanding are equally important factors.

“There is a narrative that it is expensive to eat well,” she said. “It is the case that foods that have lower nutritional value are often some of the cheapest foods that you can find. But I want to offer a different consideration, and it has to do with something as simple as portion control.”

Caddle stressed the importance of understanding appropriate portion sizes: “A portion of sweet potato is eight ounces, that could fit in my hand.”

The St Michael South Central MP called for a shift in the national mindset regarding food consumption.

“We need to start a national conversation where we understand that food is meant to nourish us. It’s not a hobby, it’s not a pastime,” she urged.

Highlighting the changing lifestyle patterns of Barbadians, Caddle pointed out that many citizens now lead more sedentary lives compared to previous generations. “Most of us are no longer out in the fields working and burning 5 000 calories a day . . . many of us barely move when the day comes, and if we are not intentional about getting up and walking or going to the gym, or stretching, we may not move for a month or a year.”

While commending recent efforts to educate citizens about health maintenance, Caddle emphasised the need for further educational initiatives. “I think that there is a role to be played by those institutions of the state and others who are leading the conversation on nutrition.

“You can’t outrun a bad diet,” she said.

The minister concluded by calling for a more accessible approach to health and wellness discussions.

“We have the opportunity here to make the conversation about health, wellness, and longevity, one that is more accessible, and one where we show people it’s not as difficult as we think,” Caddle said.

“While this government continues to invest in making healthy food more affordable, there is also a role for families and individuals and communities to play.”