Agricultural expert Godfrey Eneas yesterday made a push to the government to enact a “Food Security Tariff,” which he said will give better market access to local producers.

Mr. Eneas, who also serves as The Bahamas’ Ambassador to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), noted that The Bahamas’ food system has to overcome significant barriers.

“I will shortly propose to the minister that we introduce a Food Security Tariff to ensure that what we produce is available to the Bahamian public,” he said. “Food and nutrition security in The Bahamas will not be a reality without the cooperation of local food importers who, at the moment, control the food market.”

Mr. Eneas was among the speakers at a ceremony commemorating World Food Day at Arawak Cay.

As The Bahamas’ representative at the FAO he explained that world hunger is among one of the greatest challenges facing mankind.

“Many of us in this country take food for granted,” Mr. Eneas said.

“If you need some rice, meat, eggs, vegetables we go to the food store. However, there are scores of countries where food is not readably available because of poverty – food is unaffordable, because food production has been adversely affected by factors like climate change, the inability to purchase or obtain inputs like seeds, fertilizer, pesticides or the harvest has been destroyed by pest and diseases.

“One out of every eight people globally suffers from hunger. Feeding mankind has become a very complex undertaking.”
He noted the significance of this year’s World Food Day theme, “Sustainable Food Systems for Food and Nutrition Security” and reminded that The Bahamas imports $1 billion dollars’ worth of food.

“We depend on the global food system because our food system is woefully inadequate,” Mr. Eneas said. “With reference to our present food system and its ability to provide food and nutrition security, there are serious shortcomings which, I am happy, to say are being addressed.”