EDITORIAL – Barbados in need of a healthier population

It is time Barbadians heed the call to eat local, not only to reduce our high food import bill, but for the sake of the health of the nation.

We need to ensure that going forward, we have a healthy population with fewer non-communicable diseases (NCDs). So Barbadians need to roll up their sleeves and use whatever space they have in and around their homes to grow more herbs, vegetables and fruits. We cannot only pay lip service to this whole concept of eating home grown produce. We must act now, if we truly want to derive from the concept, any positive benefits.

At the governmental level, certainly, more can be done to encourage those in the country to establish their own backyard gardens. We have seen somewhat of an increase in those buying gardening supplies by some reports during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but what we really want to see is not only more Barbadians taking care of plants and flowers, but more citizens planting crops and herbs, if not in garden beds, then in barrels and in containers, which are easily accessible.

We need to grow more food so that we have more on hand to eat. We also need to see more Barbadians planting fruit trees. There was a drive started earlier this year, but perhaps that was curbed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, as restrictions are being lifted where the pandemic is concerned, let us turn our focus to growing more of what we eat so we can indeed “eat local”.

It cannot be stressed enough that it is time that Barbadians actively seek to change their unhealthy diets. Instead of greasy, fattening fast foods, citizens should be opting for local ground provisions. They should also cut down on processed imported foods and consume these in lesser quantities.

Eat local

Barbadians can surely put a dent in this island’s whopping food import bill if they would simply determine to produce more of what they eat and take the necessary steps to “eat local”.

While some may argue that this is easier said than done, those in the agricultural field pushing this concept of eating local will agree that small steps can lead to great gains. By now, every home in Barbados should feature some kind of home garden, as an indication that Barbadians are taking agriculture seriously and are desirous of eating more locally grown nutritious foods.

By simply just taking a look around at those moving to and fro, it is clear that some Barbadians are eating too many of the wrong foods, in very large quantities, and this negative activity is contributing to the rise in NCDs. Therefore, the time to act is now if indeed we want to have a healthier population, with less ailments and illnesses.

Diabetes, hypertension, obesity and overweight and also cardiovascular diseases are not what we want to see overtaking our population. Our children are also following in the footsteps of the adults and hence why it is even more critical to engage in healthier lifestyle choices as we go forward.