Regional and National Institutional and Policy Support for Food Security

This chapter examines the state of food security across the Caribbean region, looking at trends over the past 15 years. The aim is to highlight the specificity and peculiarities of the Caribbean compared with the rest of the world, and to identify the factors that are responsible for the Caribbean situation. The available data indicate that the Caribbean region has faced fluctuating levels of food security, with initial progress in reducing undernourishment between 2005 and 2015, followed by concerning setbacks. Despite efforts to tackle food insecurity, recent data reveal a reversal of gains, underscoring persistent challenges. Alarmingly high rates of severe food insecurity are noted particularly in Haiti (82.5% between 2019 and 2021), but also in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. While there has been a slight reduction in severely food insecure individuals between 2020 and 2021, the overall trend contrasts with global patterns. The prevalence of stunting and wasting among children under 5 years old is relatively low compared to other regions, however, disparities persist among Caribbean countries, with Haiti exhibiting significantly higher rates. Additionally, the region faces a dual challenge of overnutrition, with rising rates of overweight and obesity contributing to the burden of chronic non-communicable diseases. Some of the factors that contribute to food insecurity include limited access to affordable food, vulnerability to natural disasters, and economic challenges exacerbated by recent crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and external conflicts. Addressing food insecurity in the Caribbean requires targeted efforts at both regional and national levels, focusing on systemic issues and building resilience against future crises to ensure sustainable solutions for the region's food security challenges. The Caribbean has been shaped by the twin forces of slavery and colonialism, which have conditioned these islands/territories to be food insecure, by focusing on the exclusive production of commodity crops for exports, while importing most of its food from the colonial masters. The ushering in of independence in the early 1960s saw governments placing focus on domestic agriculture, resulting in a fair measure of agricultural diversification. In recent years, with the liberalization of global agricultural trade, the region lost its preferential markets for its commodities in Europe and saw a significant surge in imported foods. The small size of Caribbean island states dictated that they act in unison in order to survive in an increasingly globalized world. To that end, after the failed federation experiment in 1961, the countries of the region established the Caribbean Community in 1973. Within this regional framework, CARICOM over time has established an impressive array of institutions and policies to support regional food security. However, a lack of political commitment to regionalism has resulted trade rules being ignored and critical institutions starved of funds. The COVID-19COVID-19 pandemic clearly exposed the region’s vulnerability and galvanized a new surge of activism in support of food security, under the ‘25 by 25’ initiative, to expand agricultural production and reduce the region’s food import bill by 25% by 2025. With Guyana leading the charge and the endorsement of the region’s private sector, there is much optimism for food security.