Two men who have over 30 years of experience in food security in the Caribbean have developed and published a framework that will enhance the ability to provide affordable food in selected Caricom countries.
The launch of the framework took place at the Caribbean (Civil Society) Consultative Working Group meeting on June 4 at the Brix Hotel, Cascade.
The launch is part of a wider European Union-funded project entitled Enhancing Cariforum’s CSO Capacity to participate in National and Regional Development Programming and Policymaking, carried out in partnership with the Caribbean Policy Development Centre.
One of the authors of the framework, Dr Tigerjeet Ballayram, said he and Prof Fitzroy Henry were very enthusiastic and spirited about doing and presenting the study.
Presenting via Zoom, Ballayram said there are several challenges to food and nutrition security in the Caribbean and presented four lines of action to address them.
“We focused heavily on advancing a new framework to replace the food and nutrition security that was used for the past 20 years. We also wanted to elevate the issue of nutrition security as a policy priority.
“We advanced the idea that a food replacement programme with nutrition security and engagement of small and medium scale food producers are major components and a policy framework that prioritises several key policy areas.”
In the new approach, the Rights-Based Integrated Food System Framework, the framework is supported by the right to food and elevates it to a more prominent position.
It also acknowledges the entire food system and integrates both the food and nutrition security and food sovereignty approaches in a single framework.
In Ballayram's presentation, some of the outlined areas for advancing food and nutrition security and sovereignty included promoting the right to food, promoting good governance for food and nutrition security, strategically managing food imports in line with nutrition security and increasing domestic production capacity (Vision 25X2025), through which heads of Caricom committed to lowering the region's food import bill by 25 per cent.
[caption id="attachment_1088106" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A picture of the new framework developed by Dr Tigerjeet Ballayram and Professor Fitzroy Henry to help battle the food and nutrition security issue in the region - Photo by Enrique Rupert[/caption]
More areas outlined were the food and nutrition security and sovereignty and development agenda of 2030, especially sustainable development goals one, two and three (poverty, food and nutrition security and health/non-communicable diseases (NCDs)), the sustainable increase in agricultural production and productivity with increased access to healthy foods, engaging and supporting small and medium-scale food producers and lastly, building resilience and sustainable livelihoods in rural economies.
Caricom programme manager, agriculture and industry, Shaun Baugh said this framework marks a step forward in the collective understanding of the reg
