Promising food security summit

WHATEVER differences of opinion that have emerged in recent days among individual members of Caricom, the block must quickly close ranks and collaborate with Latin American partners to urgently address the need to bring food prices down and bolster food security.

Instead of focusing on needless distractions and tiffs over who said what and where and why, all would do well to focus on the task at hand.

Monday’s meeting between Caricom and Latin American officials in Ecuador provided hopeful signs that there are regional rumblings in the right direction.

At the 37th Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean held in Quito, Ecuador, the host state tabled a proposal calling for examination of how food prices and the regional food import bill could be reduced.

The proposal was supported by Guyana’s Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha.

It was also supported by St Vincent and the Grenadines Agriculture Minister Saboto Caesar, who noted that not only had the food outlook been affected by the Russia-Ukraine war but also the significant disruptions in food supply chains as a resultant of the covid19 pandemic.

In addition to these states, Jamaica, too, is placing emphasis on the importance of food security.

TT's Avinash Singh, the Minister in the the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries, noted the FAO's support for local initiatives such as updating the 150-year old fisheries legislation and the national school feeding programme, but also pledged government's commitment to regional food and nutrition security.

Over decades, there has been a lot of talk about how to boost our production, but very little effective action. A policy of using fiscal measures like tax incentives and VAT removals to attempt to stimulate the sector has not really yielded the kind of results needed to make sure we are in a better position.

As many know, direct attempts to pump money into farming have also failed, and past agreements with countries like Guyana have not really borne fruit. Now is the time to focus on the basics: such as growing local produce and changing the consumer habits of shoppers.

But the approach should also keep in mind that we are not alone and that there are regional implications for the failure of any one state to achieve food security.

There should be an examination of the areas in which expertise can be shared between countries. Attempts should also be made to formulate a Caricom-wide strategic plan that would identify which countries might be best suited for specialist areas or crops and to determine whether some countries might be poised to enjoy economies of scale.

Efforts should also be made – and indeed some are already in the legislative pipeline – to guarantee the free movement of workers who may be needed for agricultural ventures. There should be attempts to improve travel linkages more generally and the free movement of goods across borders. And yes, it is worth examining past bilateral agreements that could be repurposed for the current moment.

But focusing on food security should also take into account the impact of the ongoing climate crisis, which can only complicate efforts.

All of this suggests that we really need more summits such as Monday’s to iron out the path ahead.