Nutritional needs, food availability and the realism of self-sufficiency

ABSTRACT

This paper analyses the nutritional problems of the Caribbean region and points to the causal factor as being not an insufficiency in food availability but inequity in its distribution, associated with income inequalities and injudicious food choices both in quantity and quality in relation to nutritional requirements. There is however, an associated food availability problem relating to the high dependence on imports to meet basic energy and protein requirements. It is suggested that these problems of food and nutrition could be solved by implementing unified multisectoral food and nutrition programmes which seek to address the problem of dependence through greater regional self-sufficiency. However, even with the best efforts there would remain significant shortfalls particularly in legumes, vegetables and cereals at the turn of the twentieth century