Region too dependent on food imports

The Caribbean Agricultural Research Development Institute (CARDI)  is concerned Barbados and the Caribbean are dependent on imported food, despite the countries’ favourable climate and human resources. 

Executive Director, Ansari Hosein, says it’s unacceptable that the region remains one of the most food-dependent in the world. According to him, the region’s food import bill is still estimated at around six billion US dollars annually. 

Mr Hosein sees the theme for Caribbean Week of Agriculture, “Accelerating Vision 25 by 2025,” currently underway in the Bahamas as relevant to the regional context. He notes it highlights the urgency of the need to transform the region’s food systems.

He adds the lingering effects of COVID-19, along with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, coupled with the Caribbean’s vulnerability to climate-related hazards have impacted the agricultural sector’s contribution in several areas.

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