A recent study estimated that three million people in 22 Caribbean countries and territories are food insecure.
The Caribbean Food Security and Livelihoods Survey was conducted by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
A WFP release explained that despite modest improvements over last year, food insecurity in the English—and Dutch-speaking Caribbean remain persistently higher than pre-pandemic levels.
According to the release, the cost-of-living crisis, global economic volatility, and the lingering impacts of the pandemic have impacted the situation. Â
It said Small Island Developing States (SIDS) continue grappling with high food costs and inputs for productive sectors.
Ninety-six percent of survey respondents reported rising food prices over the past three months.
Citing a high dependence on imported goods and limited economies of scale, the WFP noted that much of the population of SIDS struggles to afford a healthy diet.
The UN agency also noted that with a highly active Atlantic hurricane season forecast to kick off on June 1, the threat of natural hazards on food security looms large for those living in the region.Â
“In the face of persistent food insecurity, impactful investments in agriculture, finance, and social protection are urgently needed,” it observed.
The WFP release also urged robust investments in disaster management as critical to fostering resilient food systems.Â
“Every individual in this region deserves consistent access to nutritious and affordable food for their families,” said Regis Chapman, Representative and Country Director of WFP’s Caribbean Multi-Country Office.Â
The Caribbean leaders need to come with a comprehensive plan for agriculture in the Caribbean more investment capital to the farmers stopped playing with food security its as serious as secure people and borders
@anony – I don’t want to believe the Caribbean leaders are not well aware of this short coming. What Caribbean leaders seems to culturally do at the time of election when they needed your vote to get into power, they spend quantum resourceful time to school you of what they will do or see that it gets done once you give them your vote to get into power. When they get into power, they then abuse your vote for their own personal gain, laugh at you and make a total mockery of the entire population they represent. What amuses me is that we used to once feed the world, the Caribbean as a whole collectively, now the table has turn, because the forkers at WTO realized that our soil is fertile we can grow anything and export it in a collective manner, ultimately, we will become an affordable self-sustenance population. Why this trend become twisted is because our leaders started to inhabit a culture of who should be richer than who, who should be and remain under the poverty line this is the guarantee return your vote would earn you. Until we can collectively start to kick leaders out of their office before a term election come around this will not change. But it is a double sword situation, because for that to happen it will take a revolution, which will make us fall trap and the circus continues. Non OECS countries leaders will ever encourage food safety security, its only talks. Watch Jamaica supersede Guyana in agriculture export and champion food security for its people. Mark my word.