Caribbean Faces Challenges in Reducing Food Imports

FAO acknowledged that reducing food imports in the Caribbean by 2025 constitutes a significant challenge. Caribbean countries have been working to decrease their reliance on food imports; however, the passage of Hurricane Beryl in July has complicated these efforts, affecting local production and the region's self-sufficiency.

The Caribbean stands out for its generally high food costs compared to other regions in Latin America. In 2022, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which includes 15 countries, set a goal to reduce food imports by 25% by 2025. CARICOM members emphasize that boosting local food production positively impacts the economies of Caribbean nations by creating jobs and fostering prosperity. Additionally, they highlight the public health benefits, as much of the imported food is directly linked to certain chronic diseases.

Irfaan Ali, President, Cooperative Republic of Guyana, and Leader, CARICOM, stated that to date, local food production has increased by 70%. However, efforts across the region are at risk following the passage of Hurricane Beryl. "Before Beryl, we saw a reduction in our food import bill of around 12%, equivalent to over US$500 million," noted Ali, who also lamented that the hurricane caused losses in the region's agricultural sector exceeding US$150 million.

Hurricane Beryl struck the Caribbean region this past July, mainly impacting Jamaica, Grenada, Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines, causing several deaths and widespread destruction of infrastructure and the agricultural sector. According to initial FAO reports following the disaster, the main humanitarian needs in food security focus on restoring the fishing capacity of artisanal fishers and those involved in the value chain. Furthermore, there is a need to provide planting materials to recover affected crops, as well as inputs for short-cycle crops that can serve as an alternative source of food and income. Cash support and food assistance are also needed to aid the affected population.

Mario Lubetkin, Deputy Director General for Latin America and the Caribbean, FAO, emphasized that reducing food imports in the region is a significant challenge with no single solution, but rather many. The FAO representative stated that irrigation is one of the key issues to prepare conditions for increasing or developing food production capacity. "This major irrigation project, which can only be implemented in areas with certain topographical characteristics found in the Caribbean, involves digging furrows along the crops through which water flows by gravity," Lubetkin explained in an interview with EFE.

The 2024 edition of the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report noted that the hunger rate in Latin America and the Caribbean registered a progressive reduction of 6.2% in 2023. Nonetheless, in 2022, 37.5% of the region's population was affected by food insecurity, compared to 29.6% worldwide. Moreover, the region had the highest cost of a healthy diet, reaching US$4.08 per person per day in 2021, compared to the global average of US$3.66. In 2021, 133.4 million people in the region—equivalent to 22.7% of the population—were unable to afford a healthy diet, as reported by MBN.

Lubetkin noted that while the reduction of hunger in the region is positive, there are still 41 million people suffering from hunger in the area, reminding that the goal is to achieve zero hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean. Furthermore, the official advocated for better sharing of knowledge on food production, innovation, and technology: "The region needs support from outside, but the key is to work within," he asserted.