Major Characteristics of Caribbean Food Systems: Trade/Imports; Subsistence; and Nutrition

1. Major Characteristics of Caribbean Food Systems: Trade/Imports; Subsistence; and Nutrition Dr. Sharon Hutchinson On Behalf of Dr. Ranjit Singh Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, UWI, St. Augustine Global Environmental Change and Food Systems (GECAFS)First Caribbean Scenarios Meeting Kingston, Jamaica Sept 1-3 2005

2. Outline of Presentation • Definition and conceptual map of food systems • Characteristics of Caribbean economis • Characteristics of Caribbean food systems • Sources of vulnerability • Conclusion

3. Food Systems – A Definition • Food systems are a set of dynamic interactions between and within the biophysical and human environments that result in the production, processing, distribution, preparation and consumption of food. (GECAFS – Science Plan and Implementation Strategy) • These systems encompass: • Food availability • Food access • Food utilization

4. Elements of the Food System • Food Availability • Production • Distribution • Exchange • Food Access • Affordability • Allocation • Preference • Food Utilization • Nutritional value • Social value • Food safety

5. The Food Supply Chain Imports Market Marketing Intermediaries Consumers Production

6. Overview of Sources of Vulnerability Infrastructure Env. Damage/ Climate Change Imports Global Supply Local Supply Production + + Global Demand Local Demand Price Middlemen Real Income Consumers

7. Country Profile Table - CARICOM (Physical)

8. Country GDP and GDP per capita (2002)

9. Country GDP Growth Rates and Inflation Rates (2002)

10. Importance of Agriculture • Variable by country re: contribution to GDP • High for the region as a whole (GDP contribution) • High employment – directly and indirectly • Dominant in terms of resource use • Main plantation crops: • Sugar cane • Banana • Rice • coconut

11. Agriculture Contribution: GDP (2003) and Employment (1991-2002)

12. CARICOM* Food Trade In The Caribbean (2001) - % of All Trade * Excludes Antigua and Guyana

13. Production Characteristics – Dominica Case • Very small farms on fragmented holdings (74% of farmers hold < 5 acres) • 9,026 farm households (1995) • Like other OECS countries, most of the land occupied by small farmers is in mountainous areas of hillside slopes • Over reliance on a single crop

14. Production Characteristics – Dominica Case (2) • Lack of fertile land • High transportation costs due to mountainous terrain • Poor land tenure • Low technology systems

15. Recent Trends in Main Agricultural Commodities - Bananas •  export •  prices •  employment •  competition (especially new WTO rules)

16. Recent Trends in Main Agricultural Commodities – Sugar Cane • Significant  in income • Further 39%  prices (January 2006) • Already approx. 25%  in income in the last 4 yrs •  competition from other sweeteners

17. Recent Trends in Main Agricultural Commodities – Coconut •  competition from Soya bean and corn oil •  fears of ill health •  incidence of disease in crop

18. Recent Trends in Main Agricultural Commodities – Rice • Problems of global oversupply •  prices

19. Non-Traditional Commodities? • Production and exports not impressive •  exports of three important non-traditional exports (mangoes, plantains, root crops) •  production in the poultry sector (esp. Jamaica and Dominican Republic • Exports of fishery products appear stable • The Caribbean is not seizing opportunities in non-traditional, more processed food or import substitutes

20. A Look At The Components Of Food Supply • Own production (backyard/ subsistence farming) • Community production • National production • Imports (regional and international) • Food aid

21. How Can We Categorize Food Systems? • Urban • Rural • Non-coastal • Coastal

22. Characteristics Of Urban Food Sub-system • Very low/ nil own production • Very low/ nil community production • Largely national/ international food sources • Driven by consumer income • Very vulnerable

23. Characteristics Of Rural (Non-coastal) Food Sub-system • Income generating activities usually based on: • Traditional export crops (e.g. sugarcane, bananas) • Non-traditional commodities • Low community production of non-market crops • Largely national/ international food sources • Access to food based on wage • Fairly vulnerable

24. Characteristics Of Rural (Coastal) Food Sub-system • Food system highly characterized by fish and other seafood resources which account for the major source of protein • Income generating activities usually based on: • Seafood production • Coconut production • Low community production of non-market crops • Largely national/ international food sources • Access to food based on wage • Usually very low mean wages and poor political power • Very vulnerable

25. Geographical And Socio-economic Characteristics of SIDS Which Increases Vulnerability To Climate Change • Narrow economic base • Traditional exports and tourism • Low productivity and production • Plantation and small rain-fed agriculture • Economic dependence on larger countries for markets and investments • Imports; loss of trade preferences/ competitiveness; changes in trade policies; declining prices • Increased pressure on natural resource base • Increased incidence of pockets of poverty • Fragile coastal systems • Growing non-healthy food choices

26. Poverty • Approx. 25% of the total population in the Caribbean (more than 7 mill people), can be classified as poor (World Bank Poverty Head Count Index) • % Population below National Poverty Line (1989-1994) • Suriname : 47% • Guyana : 43% • Haiti : 60%

27. Nutrition • In the last 25-30 yrs, the incidence of energy-protein mal-nutrition and infectious disease has declined • This has been replaced by non-communicable, nutrition-related chronic diseases as the major cause of death • Obesity • High blood pressure/ heart disease • Diabetes

28. Conclusion • The food subsystems that rely heavily on imports will be extremely vulnerable • Changes in the food system must be assessed from both a global and localized perspective. • In the short run, the erosion of purchasing power may have the biggest potential to destabilize Caribbean food systems

29. Thank You! Major Characteristics of Caribbean Food Systems: Trade/Imports; Subsistence; and Nutrition Dr. Sharon Hutchinson On Behalf of Dr. Ranjit Singh Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, UWI, St. Augustine