Brathwaite provides blueprint for consumer revolution

By Kimberley Cummins

Latin America and the Caribbean are said to be the fastest-growing region for people who cannot afford or access adequate, nutritious food. According to reports, between 2017 and 2019, the number of people unable to access a healthy diet rose 8.4 per cent.

This underscores former Director General of the Interamerican Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) Dr. Chelston Brathwaite’s recommendation for a “revolution” in the Food and Agriculture sector in Barbados.

According to him, this revolution would “recognise the right of the Barbadian population to food and would integrate all relevant national institutions in a mission to improve food security on the island”.

Expounding on his comments on the same issue in Parliament recently, the Independent Senator stressed the importance of food security to the health and prosperity of a nation.

He believed that it is so vital that it should be addressed beyond just increasing the production and supply of local foods but also through access, affordability, availability and the quality and safety of our food supplies. This is especially critical as it relates to Barbados given the island’s increasing cases of chronic non-communicable diseases.

Brathwaite’s integrated food security plan would consist of several goals. These include: the review of legislative policies on the importation of food items and providing incentives to produce food locally and regionally; the review of land use policies, strengthening agricultural extension services along with the fisheries subsector, promoting Climate Smart Agriculture by the incorporation of climate-smart technologies in production; and making agriculture and food security a compulsory subject on the curriculum of schools.

Additionally,  it would focus on research and development efforts on agricultural technologies for the production and processing of locally produced products; the promotion of a change in the consumption patterns of the population from a focus on imported food to a focus on the consumption of local foods by promoting nutrition education and implementing appropriate policy measures; as well as the repositioning of the agricultural sector and recognising farmers as important contributors to our economic development and decree that all vacant arable land be used to produce food.

In pursuit of this integrated plan for food security, Brathwaite explained it would be a multisectoral approach that consist of greater collaboration among the farming community, governmental agencies, the private sector and the University of the West Indies.

Hence, he called on the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training to develop individuals with the skills, knowledge and competencies to engage in the production and processing of food for the nation; develop the understanding and appreciation of careers
in agriculture and their significance for national development; train teachers of agricultural and food sciences so that they can promote agriculture as a career among the youth of Barbados.

n addition to creating an ethos which generates a better understanding of the food and agricultural sector and its significance and importance for national development.

What’s more, Brathwaite wants a greater linkage between the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport and the Ministry of Agriculture so that tourists consume more locally produced food.

Moreover, he also wants greater private sector/public sector partnerships in food production and processing.

He continued: “The private sector as the major importers of food into Barbados should invest in the local agricultural sector. They should contract with local farmers to produce selected food commodities and should use their marketing and distribution channels to distribute farmers’ produce.”

In the area of research and innovation for agricultural development, Brathwaite called on the University of the West Indies to play a major role.

He suggested this be done through the undertaking of what he called “basic, applied and adaptive research” to address current and future challenges of the Barbados farming community and to provide management options for agriculture and agribusiness enterprises.

Also, to generate appropriate technologies to support the sustainable growth of agricultural production, entrepreneurship and agri-business.

Additionally, develop innovative extension strategies and formulate effective mechanisms for the transfer of technology to institutions and farmers for enhanced and sustainable agricultural production leading to the improvement of rural livelihoods.

He also pointed out the need to protect biodiversity and preserve the agro-ecosystem of Barbados and document traditional knowledge and technologies.

“I call on farmers to use technology to produce good quality products at reasonable prices and to manage their farms as a business enterprise.

“I call on all Barbadians, as citizens and consumers, to join the journey to national food security by buying more locally produced food thus supporting our farmers.

“Developing community gardens and backyard gardens for food production, avoiding the consumption of processed foods and ready-to-serve meals that are rich in trans-fats, saturated fats, salts and sugars. . . .

“These are not ordinary times, as we seek to build a modern society and a modern economy after COVID and after the war, reducing our food insecurity should be an important part of our efforts.

“Failure to achieve the goal of reducing the food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025 could result in higher food prices and an uncertain economic future,” Brathwaite added.