The Contribution Of The Aroids —Dasheen (Colocasia Esculenta), Eddoe (Colocasia E. Antiquorum) And Tannia (Xanthosoma Sagittifolium)— To Livelihood And Nutrition Security In The Caribbean: The Case Of St. Vincent And The Grenadines

Traditionally, aroids [dasheen (Colocasia esculenta), eddoe (Colocasia e. antiquorum), and tannia (Xanthosoma sagittifolium)] have formed the basic staples of the diets of many Caribbean people, especially the rural poor. However, the westernization of diets has had an impact on the consumption of these more traditional aroids. This is evidenced by the continued increase in the Region's food import bill, estimated at over US$4 billion in 2010 (FAO, 2011). These roots and tubers contain complex carbohydrates, are high in fibre and have a lower caloric content than the imported staples. In addition, their production is dominated by rural small farmers. This makes them good candidates for a food and nutrition security plan that supports several farm families in the Region. It is recommended that the production and consumption of the aroids should be promoted in the Region as one means of reducing the Region's dependency on imported carbohydrates, the rising food import bill, and possibly to abate some of the ill effects associated with the "nutrition transition"(Durrant, 1987). This study attempts to examine these concepts by looking at a farmers' group in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Eastern Caribbean, which has successfully linked food and nutrition security while improving the livelihood of its farmers through the production and export of dasheen. The data shows an increasing trend in production and export over the period 2005-2010 and this impacted positively on agriculture's contribution to the country's gross domestic product.