Guyana to promote food security
While most people in Guyana can eat well, given that the country produces a lot of food, a substantial amount of people still cannot afford to access the nutrition required for a balanced diet.
This is especially true for those who reside in remote and hinterland regions. Recently, heavy rains and flooding impacted the farmlands and food supplies of several regions across Guyana. Given the impact on produce and livestock, food prices sharply rose, especially for fruits and vegetables.
With the effects of the climate crisis becoming more apparent through increased natural disasters and disruption to food systems, there will need to be increased focus on climate-resilient strategies and environmental innovations.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Country Representative Dr Gillian Smith echoed this, stating that slowing the impact of the climate crisis within Guyana would necessitate “an efficient agricultural system, such as producing more with fewer resources and fewer carbon emissions.”
To aid in this, the FAO has developed modelling tools that can help policymakers navigate the trade-offs that transforming agro-food systems will entail. Some of these are crafting consumer incentives so that they can support more green practices, repurposing subsidies to research and development, and enhancing digital and innovative “green” technologies.
Increasing value-chain boosting investments such as irrigation, seedling storage, etc., for smallholders will reduce food loss and waste. Keeping international trade open, and protecting the most vulnerable people with safety nets will also greatly increase food security.
Commenting on how rural areas struggle with food access, Dr Smith believes that specific strategies can be implemented to encourage food security.
Amongst these is the development of
- Innovative processing plants aimed towards diversification of food production.
- Farmers Markets as these will help small local farmers financially and increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables for residents.
- Co-op Societies, where farmers can pool their resources, package, and sell to markets while keeping enough for low-income households and Farm School Programs.
These will allow farmers to, “sell fresh fruits and vegetables directly to public schools for meal programs so that nutritious meals and snacks can be served to students and teachers which can also impact educational knowledge about nutrition and local farming.
Food pantries for direct food assistance are also one way to help rural communities to be more food secure. They can distribute nutritious food to low-income families and work with the community medical staff to give families information on nutrition and disease prevention such as diabetes which is growing,” said Dr Smith.
The FAO has actively been working with the government of Guyana and stakeholders on systematic approaches that can generate win-win solutions – such as FAO’s Hand-in-Hand Initiative that includes ecosystems approaches, and strategies that empower women, and that can bolster hinterland and Indigenous Peoples’ agro-food systems.
Amongst their initiatives are the School Feeding Program and the FAO Sustainable Wildlife management program. “Through our school feeding program we have provided almost 80,000 meals and with the FAO Sustainable Wildlife Management Program, we are offering alternative livelihood and opportunities to ensure food secured communities in the Rupununi. Other ongoing programs we have at the moment are developing a policy document to improve the sustainability of inland fisheries and aquaculture, value chain analysis for the artisanal seabob industry, and improving monitoring and evaluation of the rice industries to name a few,” said Dr Smith.
With the Caribbean region’s import bill standing at an estimated US$4 billion per annum, Dr Smith stated that one of the largest challenges would be to get people to eat more healthy food that is produced locally.
Through increased community education and outreach, in addition to sourcing more food needs from within the Caribbean, she believes that we can begin the journey towards strengthened food systems across the region.
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