The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

MARINE Resources and Family Island Affairs Minister Clay Sweeting says there is a need for the country to develop a national food security strategy especially now with rising inflation coupled with the threat of climate change.

He said The Bahamas cannot continue business as usual and added the Davis administration is “committed to enacting policies” to help keep local food prices down.

“The challenges of COVID-19 have shown us that now, more than ever, we must develop (a national food security strategy),” he said at yesterday’s briefing at the Office of The Prime Minister. “We are seeing the sharp increases of food prices and the unpredictable delays of shipments. The Bahamas is also burdened by the astronomical price of food imports that hover around $1 billion; a bill that we cannot continue to pay. Additionally, our nation faces the peril of climate change. We must determine ways to strategically and sustainably grow our food.”

His comments come as he and other officials prepare to attend the Food for Future Summit & Expo in Dubai later this month.

The estimated cost of the trip is about $25,000 for each department, Mr Sweeting said. “We see this as a tremendous opportunity to conceive partnerships with other countries and entities who have been where we are and are seeking to bolster their food systems. We are looking to develop innovative, unconventional ways of growing food for many generations of Bahamians to come while safeguarding ourselves against the trauma of external pressures,” he said.

Mr Sweeting said his ministry has taken several steps toward food security, including reopening of the packing house at Hatchet Bay Eleuthera, “a staple in the Central Eleuthera community that has been closed for four years”.

He added: “Additionally, we have completed the renovations at the packing house in Cat Island and most recently, we moved a step closer in our goals by tabling and debating The Bahamas Agriculture & Marine Science Institute Bill, 2022 in Parliament. We established a president of the institution, and we look forward to the development of BAMSI.”

He also reiterated the government’s decision to lift the ban placed on the import of Canadian beef, done in response to mad cow disease in 2003. “For some time, The Bahamas has imported Canadian beef through US distributors who have repackaged the product for resale,” he said. “We are now cutting out the middleman, which we hope will reduce the prices of beef in The Bahamas. We are working tirelessly to reduce our import bill.”