The Tribune

ENCOURAGING Bahamians to support sustainable food systems for food security and nutrition is the government’s agenda to take a natural approach to nurturing a healthy nation.

This was the message brought by Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Local Government, Alfred Gray, at the World Food Day celebration held on Arawak Cay last week. He spoke primarily to students at the event which was partnered by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.

Mr Gray said that the number of residents coupled with the visitor count equates to some 5.5 million people that the country must feed every year.

“World Food Day speaks to the need for us to grow what we can and buy only what we must,” he said.

The country imports approximately $900 million worth of food and when compared to the fact only about $150 worth of food is grown here, that is too much, he said.

“What that does say to me, as minister responsible, is that we have got to drive it home to the Bahamian people that there is a need to become involved in the agricultural process, because agriculture is not only farming. Agriculture speaks to the activity from the farm to the table; meaning everything you grow, the processing of those things that you grow, and indeed, it only stops when you put it in your mouth,” said Minister Gray.

“That requires, as I understand it, for each of us as individuals, and all of us as a country to ensure that we contribute in whatever way possible to the feeding of ourselves,” he added.

“Tell your parents, tell your friends, let’s start to do something and where could that something start? Right in your house on the porch. You can grow tomatoes on your porch in a little pot. You can grow cucumbers and cassava and pepper and everything else that you eat, in your backyard.”