Authorities in Barbados and other Caribbean countries are being urged to grow more breadfruit trees as a means of helping to boost food security.
The call came on Wednesday from Sedley Michael McLaughlin, Co-Founder of the Trees that Feed Foundation, an organisation that specialises in planting fruit trees to feed people, create jobs and benefit the environment.
He said the breadfruit tree, which requires little care and produces more than 150 breadfruits on average per season, should be considered as a main food source, especially since it could be used as a substitute for some imported items.
“This is something we are pushing. There are huge advantages to developing breadfruit for its nutrition and its ease of growing in the climates that we have in the Caribbean; and there are the fruit trees as well,” McLaughlin said.
He was one of three panellists in the July edition of the Central Bank of Barbados’ Caribbean Economic Forum on Thursday which was held under the theme Addressing Food Security in the Caribbean.
Trees That Feed Foundation has started work to grow more breadfruit trees in several countries including Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and Ghana, and McLaughlin said his organisation was trying to get Governments, entrepreneurs, farmers and individuals to show greater appreciation for the versatile fruit.
He said among the governments involved, there was already a high level of willingness to partner with private enterprises.
“I actually think that is going to be the magic that is going to help to solve a lot of these [food insecurity] problems. The governments typically have resources, the private enterprise has the entrepreneurial spirit and perhaps the financial acumen that is necessary for this to work,” McLaughlin said.
“There has to be somebody making a profit, otherwise you are looking for subsidies forever more which won’t work. Now I can say I see more effort going into public/private partnerships [and] more awareness.”
Assistant Secretary-General for the Directorate of Economic Integration, Innovation and Development at the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, Joseph Cox said the need to tackle food insecurity has become even more urgent in recent times, in light of changing weather patterns, more floods, droughts and extreme temperatures.
He said he believed breadfruit should be used as a substitute for many imported items. However, he said it may require “a reintroduction” to the younger generation and the issue of praedial larceny would also need to be addressed.
“So while we are looking at these things and there are considerable opportunities – and I absolutely welcome the idea of planting the fruit trees and so on because there is a lot of potential there for it – we have to reintroduce persons to what you can do with the foods we do have, modern presentation, etcetera,” Cox said.
“We also have to look at the issue of the praedial larceny, we have to look at the supply inputs and some of the creative ways we can bring things to market.” (MM) ]]>
