PRESENTATION
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Transcript PRESENTATION
The Caribbean Food System
and Controls on
Socioeconomic Development
April 2002
Authors
Compton L Paul
Donatus St Aimee
Winston J Phillips
Lynda Wickham
Christine Bocage
Present situation with food and
agriculture in the region
The present situation with food and agriculture
in the region is a continuation of the past
plantation economies for export. Sugar, cocoa,
coffee, citrus, rice, bananas.
No change in policy after adult suffrage, self
rule and independence.
Food production divorced from agricultural
production.
Present situation with food and
agriculture in the region (Cont’d)
Little importance attached to food for local
consumption
All resources allocated to export agriculture
Consequences
Development of monocropping to compensate
for limited land area
Cultivation on substandard lands to maximize
production at expense of productivity
High input agriculture to compensate for
reduced soil fertility.
Consequences (Cont’d)
Damage to environment: soil erosion, water
quality degradation, etc.
Vicious cycle of more inputs, less returns,
increased environmental damage, higher costs.
Effects on food crops production
Micro-climatic change: changing soil ph, soil
microbe interaction, etc
Effect on quality: action of fertilizers and
pesticides on texture of food crops.
Economic hardships
Quality change affecting sales reduced returns;
move to import use.
Health concerns: cancer, diabetes, etc.
Associated social problems.
– Poverty, crime, low worker productivity.
Changing global environment
Global changes can be divided into two
categories:
climatic
economic
Changing global environment (Cont’d)
Climatic:
Change
in rainfall patters; increasing
hurricanes; Ozone layer depletion
Over
fishing of migratory fisheries, outside of
national boundaries.
Increased
non-point sources of pollution.
Changing global environment (Cont’d)
Economic:
Formation
of
trading blocs that may be
exclusive
Development
of Standards and regulations
that can serve as NTBs
Change
in world demands for goods and
services, e,g, tourism replacing agriculture
in the Caribbean.
Changing global environment (Cont’d)
Change
in world consumption patterns; eg.
health food vs traditional foods.
Increased
MNCs.
competition from TNCs and
Required policy changes
.
Policy changes in the region will be required
at two levels:
national
regional
Required policy changes (Cont’d)
National
Need for clear agricultural policy:
regionalization of exports
Need for clear food and nutrition policy:
Linkages with Health and Education policies.
(Home economics, money management etc)
Required policy changes (Cont’d)
Need for progressive land and water use policy
Priority setting for R&D to ensure maximum
use of scant resources
Institution strengthening, including extension,
information dissemination
Incentives: tax concessions for R&D.
apprenticeships, etc.
Required policy changes (Cont’d)
Regional:
Capacity building to meet global standards
Synchronization of national agenda to regional
requirements
Research agenda (Cont’d)
Impact of macro policies on food systems
Development of food policies based on local
crops
Changing scenarios for demand for tropical
products, including the market for health food
products
Alternative high local input agricultural
systems
Research agenda (Cont’d)
Factors affecting taste and how to reverse
trends in the Caribbean
Capacity of S&T institutions to bring about
adaptive change and innovation
Priority setting exercises with limited finance
and other resources
The marine resources of the region and how
they can be harnessed
Research agenda (Cont’d)
Caribbean biotechnology in the context of
food, nutrition and health
Island ecology, biodiversity and adaptation
Island economies and capacity to respond to
external pressures
Back to Eden
The Caribbean islands before Columbus
If we were the first inhabitants would we have
done better
Now that we know better can we undo
anything