The Government of Jamaica is now poised to transform its food systems
The formal handover of the Food Systems Profile to the Government of Jamaica through the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries marked another phase of Jamaica's transformation of its food systems. The profile is the result of an evidence-based and extensive assessment completed earlier this year.
The Jamaica Food Systems Profile: Catalysing the Sustainable and Inclusive Transformation of Food Systems, was the document formally handed over to the Government of Jamaica during a ceremony on July 5, 2022.
Honourable Pearnel Charles Jr, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries accepted the document from Representative for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for Jamaica, Dr Crispim Moreira. Also present for the handover were UN Resident Coordinator, Garry Conille and Head of Cooperation for the Delegation of the European Union to Jamaica, Mr Aniceto Rodriguez Ruiz.
Minister Charles remarked that the food systems assessment would serve as a guide in determining the plans and policies to be implemented to ensure that the people of Jamaica have safe, nutritious and an adequate supply of food.
The UN’s Dr Conille’s noted that the handing over of the food systems profile to the Government of Jamaica represented an opportunity for the utilization of a tool to support the realization of tangible and sustainable change that can propel the development agenda over the coming years.
The Food Systems Profile is to be used to advance national dialogue on food systems and feed into policies, plans and programmes to enable more resilient and sustainable food systems development in Jamaica.
FAO Representative, Dr Crispim Moreira remarked during the handover ceremony that, the information presented could promote investments towards the sustainable transformation of food systems in the country. He added that central to this transformation is the strengthening of collaboration among stakeholders to ensure greater innovation and more efficient processes that fast track our development and help us to be prepared for the changing times.
The EU’s Aniceto Ruiz commented that the findings from the Food Systems Profile demonstrate that there is no one size fits all solution to food systems transformation. He added that the report reflects how Jamaica’s food systems are benefitting from the environment and its rich biodiversity and also how the country’s food systems can be improved to generate more employment, health and incomes in a sustainable way in Jamaica.
The Food Systems Profile is the result of months of extensive research, interviews and consultations with various stakeholders across sectors in Jamaica. It was funded through a partnership with the European Union (EU), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD). Development of the assessment was also supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Planning Institute of Jamaica.
The profile is expected to be an impactful steppingstone for the transformation of Jamaica’s food system towards a more inclusive and sustainable path.
The Profile can be downloaded at https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cc0073en