The problem of achieving food security has been weighing heavily on the world's leaders within recent decades. There is a crisis which appears to progressively worsen, compounded by an unrelenting human population of 7 billion (and counting). We need to eat. It's a complex, natural and valued life process to each and every one of us and it literally bears fatal consequences if not carried out. With more mouths to feed than are currently catered for, we're scrambling to take control of a situation threatening our very existence. Millions of people die every year as a result of starvation. It's no secret that our ability to produce food is grossly outweighed by our consumption rate, and therein lies the problem. The carrying capacity of the world has been pushed beyond its actual limits in an attempt to satisfy this essential demand. We've increased the scale of our agricultural production, farmed our aquatic and marine systems, intensified food production units and burdened the Earth to provide. Consequently, we've threatened biological diversity and sustainability, environmental integrity and raised ethical questions concerning animal rights and genetically-modified foods. But how does all of this scale into our developing states of the Caribbean archipelago?
The Caribbean has been playing 'catch up' to the first world countries since we've known ourselves. Following in their footsteps of development, we're prioritising our affairs as the foreign states, with the economy and energy taking centre stage and requiring significant and direct resource inputs. A redirection of resources has subsequently caused states such as Trinidad and Tobago to incur import food bills breaking into the billions. With such ridiculous expenditure on food importation, we're attempting to restructure the agricultural sector that we single handedly eroded, ironically requiring significant financial resources. Ultimately, achieving this goal should see a reduced food import bill and a relatively self sustaining food producing sector. To do so, the right balance encompassing cutting edge technologies, practical expertise and cultural standards must be found, regardless of political pressures and problems. Education is integral to establishing food secure Caribbean states. The groundbreaking science of agriculture is responsible for doubling the production capacity of farmers, increasing their outputs while minimising their inputs and maximising on profit. From primary education levels through postgraduate studies, the Caribbean's many years of practical proficiency has contributed significantly to agricultural development. However one major problem hampering proper implementation within the Caribbean society is cultural stubbornness and ignorance.
Colonial times led to the development of the Caribbean states we know today, all commonly established with an agricultural foundation. The many years of trial and error taught us how, what, when and where to grow, which (when integrated into our culture and passed from generation to generation), makes potential amendments difficult. Very slowly farmers are adopting modern practices, including the technology used, a process desperately requiring a catalyst. Furthermore, the stigma attached to agriculture from the Colonial period has unfortunately branded itself into the Caribbean psyche. Only slaves, paupers and uneducated persons plant crops and actively fish. So why would the modern day teenager voluntarily choose laborious work usually identified with the lower socio-economic class? This regrettable stereotype has reduced the human resource invested in agriculture, painting a somewhat uncertain future for the sector. It must be broken and many more persons must be directed towards sustaining this highly profitable livelihood for the benefit of the nation. The market is alive and well for food production and the demand will only increase. Similarly, the export market is also highly active with our tropical produce fetching impressive prices in the temperate regions. A booming market coupled with committed Government support, advanced technologies and raw scientific fact can extensively alleviate the pressure of feeding the growing populations. This problem will continue to grow, increasing in difficulty if not addressed. It's crystal clear we must eat, therefore it's quite obvious we must also grow.