Expert: 'Panic farming,' not panic buying, can boost agriculture

“THE Caribbean may not have a food problem but a people problem when it comes to taking agriculture seriously.” That was the view expressed by international specialist at the Inter-American Institute for Co-operation on Agriculture (IICA) Dr Chaney St Martin at the Youth Economic Forum webinar titled Bridging the Gap to 2030, held by the University of the West Indies on Monday afternoon.

St Martin said careful consideration must be given to the agricultural sector as the covid19 pandemic had significantly changed the way the sector operated.

“The way we educate and the behaviour towards the sector is mismatched. We are often caught rambling and trying to put things together rather than having a proactive approach.

“We have a recycling of thoughts, interests and discussions that does not translate into new discussions and into our lives. We cannot continue to address the sector in isolation or as economic or a social issue.”

St Martin said the agricultural sector had a multi-functional role that went beyond food production.

“We are not only talking about food production in terms of supply or demand for food, but we are talking about a culture that can be branded so that we can have the economic returns."

He said "panic buying" should be turned into "panic farming" in which deficiencies in the sector could be addressed.

“The Caribbean is not a net exporter of food although there is adequate land mass and the skill-set to do that.

“There is also a mismatch of the 'unsustainable palette,' where our tastes are not being supplied for by the region. We have to address the issue of what our food preferences are, in order to address food security for the region.”