Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com

Food security issues highlighted at regional workshop

Monday, September 18, 2006

by: Stephen Cummings
Caribbean Net News Trinidad and Tobago Correspondent
Email: stephen@caribbeannetnews.com

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: There is heightened concern about food security in the region and it is now believed that urgent measures must be taken to address the vulnerability of some Caricom member states on this issue.

This was among the views put forward at a week-long regional workshop on food security and vulnerability analysis in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

The workshop, which ended on Friday, was a cooperative effort between the Regional Project Management Unit of the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization and the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources.

The main objective was to train middle-level government officials from the Caricom region to better understand the principals and concepts of food security and vulnerability.

Gregg Rawlins, Consultant and Project Manager of the Food and Agriculture Organization in speaking with Caribbean Net News said the region should be heading in the direction of producing more and that member countries should pay more attention to dietary matters.

He sees the urgent need for increased production and greater consumption of vegetables to help fight common human diseases.

Also a Jamaican food economist of the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute in Jamaica attached to the Pan American Health Organization speaking with Caribbean Net News underscored the importance of the nutritional aspects of food security in region.

"The major problem you will find in the area of food is that people are not consuming enough fruits and vegetables and these are major food groups they are good in preventing diseases such as cancers. We are over consuming sugars and sweeteners as well as oil and fats," he said.

"Obesity and overweight; these are major factors as a result of bad diet. Throughout the Caribbean we have forty to fifty percent overweight. Women are twice as heavy as their men folk. So this is a very important area so that the regional food strategy has to been seen in that context," he continued.

Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago was also said to be a major player in adding value to food security because of its resources in energy. A regional food policy framework is also to be developed among the fifteen participating Caricom countries.

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