EDITORIAL

Alternatives needed

Every effort must be made to help reduce this country’s the food import bill, not only because we are spending millions upon millions of dollars annually to bring food into this country, but because as we do so, we are becoming an unhealthy country, as many of the foods imported are processed. Those foods are unhealthy – they contain unhealthy oils, are high in sodium and sugar and are also higher in calories, and our poor consumption patterns have paved the way for the myriad of lifestyle diseases that as a society we are being forced to deal with on a daily basis, including diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

It was therefore no surprise that the 2019 Indigo Wellness Index, which was recently released, ranked Barbados as the fifth unhealthiest country in the worldout of 191 countries. That ranking, they say is based on the incidence of, among other things, hypertension, obesity, and inactivity. It is clear therefore that our country has to get back to basics and begin once again to grow more of what we eat. But as we seek to do this, efforts must be made to educate Barbadians about the benefits, economic and health alike, to doing so.

It is in that vein that we were heartened to hear the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Indar Weir, say earlier this week that Government intends to launch a Farmers Empowerment and Enfranchisement Drive (FEED) Programme to produce most of those things that we currently import such as cabbage, broccoli, different varieties of lettuce, sweet peppers and tomatoes. One of those things that we import in bulk that indeed we must also cut down on is wheat- based products. Whether it is for human consumption or animal feed, we think it is high time that greater focus is placed on producing local alternatives to wheat.

We therefore hope in the near future to see cassava and other root crops being promoted even more to produce wheat flour and livestock feed alternatives, building on the work that has been done over the last few years. During that time a great deal of work was done in the area of cassava flour, with it being introduced to the local bakeries, with the view of either replacing wheat flour in part or in full in some of their products, and for the most part it has been successful. Initially there was concern that Barbadians would not like the new taste, but they have embraced the new products and we feel more of this has to be pursued.

Added to that, the import substitution potential of cassava flour for wheat flour cannot be denied, but the local manufacturing sector and the wider population in general must continue to be willing to give it a chance if the domestic cassava flour industry is to really take off. One study has suggested that the potential for foreign exchange savings was in the millions of dollars, if but a small percentage of wheat flour imports was replaced with cassava flour. So if for no other reason, we must seek to get this industry fully operational. It has also been suggested that apart from the fact that cassava flour does not contain gluten which makes it the perfect choice for persons who are gluten intolerant, it may be a healthier choice for diabetics than some other starches, because of its relatively low glycemic index.

But outside of the health benefits and the ability to cut down on the import bill and save foreign exchange, the use of cassava flour and flour made from other products that are grown locally can help provide much needed job opportunities for Barbadians. The former government was intent on planting some 3000 acres of cassava, and while we do not know if this is still the position of the new administration, one cannot help but see the financial potential not only in respect of cassava cultivation, but value added products as well that should not be passed up.

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Barbados Advocate

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