Two decades ago, countries belonging to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) imported 54% of their food. By 2011, the figure had risen to 71% and the food import bill now exceeds US$4 billion a year. To counter this trend, Caribbean countries have pledged to increase domestic food production and reduce their reliance on imports.This will be good not just for the balance of payments, but for the health of their people. Imported foodstuffs may be cheap, but they are often calorie-dense and of low nutritional value. This has led to an obesity epidemic and the associated rise in non-communicable diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and various cancers. Governments, the private sector, and small-scale farmers all have an important role to play when it comes to increasing home-grown food production, and the stories told in this booklet provide an insight into a variety of projects and programmes that are helping Caribbean islands to become more self-sufficient.

With the exception of Haiti, the sensationalized issues of hunger reported in certain parts of the developing world are largely unknown in the Caribbean. Despite this, there are growing concerns about the state of food security in the region, as declining domestic production and increased dependence on imported food create vulnerability. This study examines some of the contemporary issues impacting food production and food and nutrition security in the CARICOM region of the Caribbean. The authors focus on enhancing domestic food production as the most appropriate way to improve food security and discuss strategies for building capacity in local food production systems. The book is the product of over ten years of research by the authors. It will be of interest to scholars and students of Caribbean geography, cultural geography, food and agricultural geography, and food security.

The last decade has seen a growing body of research about globalization and climate change in the Caribbean. This collection is a significant addition to the literature on a topic that is of critical importance to the region. It explores research from a number of Caribbean islands dealing with a range of issues related to agriculture and food in the context of globalization and climate change. Using a broad livelihoods perspective, the impacts on rural livelihoods are explored as well as issues related to community level resilience, adaptability and adaptations. The volume is strengthened by gendered analyses of issues and discussions informed by a diverse range of research methods and methodologies. Scholars of Caribbean studies and studies pertaining to social, cultural, economic and environmental issues facing Small Island Developing States (SIDS) will greatly benefit from this book.

Agricultural trade is a major factor determining food security in Caribbean countries. In these small open economies, exports are essential, whilst imports provide a large part of the food supply. This book examines various dimensions of trade policy and related issues and suggests policies to address trade and food security and rural development linkages. It is as a guide and reference documents for agricultural trade policy analysts, trade negotiators, policy-makers and planners in both the public and private sectors.

This book provides a multilayered analysis of food import dependency and its impact on food security in the Caribbean region. The study analyses the main impact of trade liberalization in the Caribbean within the WTO framework and main policy mechanisms to support domestic food production in order to reduce food import dependency. Moreover, the author evaluates economic and social benefits of food self-sufficiency as a strategy aimed to improve domestic food production by increased availability of locally produced food products.

This book is devoted to food production and the problems associated with the satisfaction of food needs in different parts of the world. The emerging food crisis calls for development of sustainable food production, and the quality and safety of the food produced should be guaranteed. The book contains thirteen chapters and is divided into two sections. The first section is related to social issues rising from food insufficiency in the third world countries, and is titled "Sustainable food production: Case studies". The case studies of semi-arid Africa, Caribbean and Jamaica, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Pacific Islands, Mexico and Brazil are discussed. The second section, titled "Scientific Methods for Improving Food Quality and Safety", covers the methods for control and avoidance of food contaminants. Substitution of chemical treatment with physical, rapid analytical methods for control of contaminants, problems in animal husbandry related to diary production and hormones in food producing animals, approaches and tasks in maize and rice production are in the covered by 6 chapters in this section.

Sustainable Food Production Practices in the Caribbean addresses the issue of sustainable agriculture from a practical perspective. Although the scientific and technological aspects are given attention, the authors use their accumulated research and field experiences to focus on tested, simple production systems and practices that sustain soil fertility, ecosystems and people. In so doing, they consistently advocate crop and livestock production techniques that require an agro-ecological approach, aimed at reducing the use of water, chemicals and pesticides and the preservation of the region's soils. This volume fills a void in this important area of Caribbean development: from the large scale farming organizations to the small farming communities that are the backbone of agriculture in the region; from undergraduates at the newly energized Faculty of Food and Agriculture at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine campus and other tertiary agriculture training institutions around the region to a young generation of students who now have the opportunity to sit for the new examination in Food and the Environment offered by the Caribbean Examinations Council at advanced (CAPE) certificate level. This book will also be a useful tool for agriculture extension officers and policymakers who are called upon to provide advice and leadership in the promotion of sustainable food production in the Caribbean. The 20 chapters in Sustainable Food Production Practices are comprehensive in their coverage of issues that go beyond primary food production to include often neglected areas such as post harvest, quality assurance, local regional and international marketing, post-production methods and systems and sustainable nutritional practices. Throughout, the emphasis is on simple, jargon-free descriptions, instructions and recommendations, supported by a variety of charts, tables and numerous full-colour photographs that richly illustrate key elements of the text.