HomeBreaking NewsUWI Economist: Belize a ‘Food Basket of the Region’

UWI Economist: Belize a ‘Food Basket of the Region’

UWI Economist: Belize a ‘Food Basket of the Region’

UWI Economist: Belize a ‘Food Basket of the Region’

Despite Belize’s strong agricultural output, many families are still going hungry. A 2021 study by the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) shows that over half of households in Toledo were struggling to put food on the table.

Agriculture Minister Jose Mai says that it’s not production but access.

Mai insists that Belize produces more than enough to meet its domestic demand, especially when it comes to sugar production. “There are about fifteen thousand tons of sugar consumed in the country… We export fifteen thousand to the U.S., and the other goes to Europe. If we have to keep our sugar at home, we will have to do so, but I do not foresee us importing sugar like last year. We have to feed our country first, then worry about the rest,” he said.

But having food on the shelves is not the same as having it on the table, let alone being able to afford it. Data from SIB revealed the gap and showed stark differences across districts. While urban centres reported moderate levels of access, the south recorded some of the highest rates of food insecurity.

The Maya were most affected, with 57% facing moderate or severe food insecurity.

Meanwhile, Professor of Economics at the University of the West Indies, Roger Hosein, pointed out Belize’s importance to the region’s food supply in an episode of Open Your Eyes morning show.

Hosein described the country as playing “a tremendous role in regional food security” and urged Belize to continue maximising opportunities under the Treaty of Chaguaramas and through its CARICOM membership. Hosein said Belize should be encouraged to remain “one of the important food baskets of the region.”

Facebook Comments

Share With: