Caribbean Research
Changes in climate and other important environmental factors are a major concern to food security throughout the Caribbean. Such changes not only directly threaten the production of food from land and sea for local consumption, but also threaten revenue from export crops and other industries, which is needed to import food. Together, both factors will bring added complications for food security in the region.
Regional features
The Caribbean region is characterised by many small island states with diverse cultures, environments and food systems. They import about three quarters of their food from outside the region and largely rely on tourism and export crops to provide revenue. The region is therefore susceptible to weather extremes and changes in preferential export markets. Regional institutions are only weakly connected.
Regional policy priorities
Regional policy priorities to limit the economic damage of changing international markets, balanced in part by tourism, include:
- Better food security and self-sufficiency by increasing and diversifying agricultural and fisheries production.
- Improved trade policies and competitiveness through exporting more high quality produce and processed products.
- Enhancing sustainability of the food and agricultural sector and alleviating rural poverty by creating more rural employment.
Research questions
National-level
- How would changes in climate variability (and especially extreme events), water availability and sea level affect local communities’ food systems?
- How would national and regional policies best be adjusted to enhance adaptation options?
- To what extent would these strategies affect food security by altering the reliance on local or imported commodities. How would changed land management and associated changes in runoff affect coastal fisheries and other aspects of coastal zone ecology, including the income from tourism?
Regional-level
- How might GEC alter agricultural revenues and destabilise the region’s food system?
- To what extent would improving trade between islands improve the resilience of the food system?
- How would enhanced regional trade affect national economic development and natural resource conservation?
To see a list of meetings held in the region, please click here.
For further information, please see the GECAFS Caribbean Science Plan and Implementation Strategy.