Charles Jr announces 'grow smart, eat smart’ strategy to boost Jamaica's food security

'Grow Smart, Eat Smart' is the mantra of the new campaign by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to get Jamaicans to eat more local foods and boost local production.

The new thrust will be led by the Food Security and Agribusiness Council, a public-private sector working body focused on maximising the potential of the country's agricultural sector, portfolio minister, Pearnel Charles Jr announced on Tuesday.

“It is not my intention to undo the work of my predecessors or uproot the framework established under 'the New FACE of Food, but rather to build on existing structures and policies, expand those that need further development and implement systems in areas which are lacking,” Charles said at the start of his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.

He went on to explain that the purpose of the Council would be to monitor, assess and address the issues that arise from the sector in a comprehensive way as well as to protect the interests of the Jamaican people.

He says the council will develop initiatives to enable the re-imagining of the current structure and operation of the agribusiness sector. Focus will also be placed on improving agricultural climate resilience through modernisation; financial planning including resource allocation in the areas of technology, strengthened infrastructure, innovation, improved governance, and effective policy making.

“We will be deploying all resources at our disposal and mobilising this dormant resource to contribute to the bolstering of the sector as an undervalued gem in our arsenal in the fight to secure Food Security,” Charles said.

Charles, who was appointed to the portfolio in January, said Jamaica's food security needs to be enhanced especially given the rising prices linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine-Russia war.