President Irfaan Ali flew to Barbados on Friday, for the opening of the Barbados AgroFest, held under the theme “Greening Together- A Caribbean Ting.” In the featured address delivered at the Queen’s Park in Bridgetown, installed-President Ali offered 50 acres of agricultural lands to young Barbadian citizens who are desirous of embarking on agriculture.
Food insecurity remains a priority area of cooperation for much of the Latin American and Caribbean Region. According to the United Nations (UN) Hunger rose more sharply than in any other region between 2019 and 2020, reaching 59.7 million people, its highest point since 2000.
Four out of every ten people in the Region (267 million) experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2020. This equates to 60 million more persons than in 2019. Julio Berdegué, FAO’s Regional Representative argues that “we must say it loud and clear: Latin America and the Caribbean is facing a critical situation in terms of food security. There has been an almost 79 percent hike in the number of people living in hunger from 2014 to 2020.”
This reality of food insecurity is not isolated from the everyday experiences of Guyanese at home. Food prices in the oil-rich country have exponentially increased by more than 200 percent since the installed Ali government took office. Flooding of rice lands in the Mahaica/Mahaicony and Poomeron/Supenaam, and saltwater intrusion have sent many farmers in rural Guyana into bankruptcy, with little to no concrete plans from the regime.
The problem is further exacerbated by the unavailability of open lands. Much of the lands in Guyana are protected forests and ecosystems comprising rich biodiversity. Other lands are used for gold and bauxite mining, and as sugar estates. With a fake promise to revitalize the sugar industry and create 50,000 jobs, the Ali government refuse to create an enabling environment for former sugar workers and young Guyanese to cultivate the lands. Instead, the government remains fixated on cementing international agreements aimed at fleecing large portions of Guyana to external sovereigns.
In his address, Ali told Bajans that “we are looking at creating a winning formula for both Guyana and Barbados…” As part of this formula, Barbados will sell to Guyana, black belly sheep (not a need of the working poor in Guyana) in exchange for the purchase of prefabricated shade houses. Guyana will further yield rich agricultural lands from GUYSUCO to the Barbadian nationals to grow food for the supply of Bajan markets.
These projects are expected to be funded mainly by Guyana’s sovereign wealth fund. In March, President Ali committed USD$100M or GYD$20.7B as concessional low-income loans to fund agriculture across the Region. While laudable, such foreign policy stands in direct contradiction to the aspirations of the Guyanese people, who desire to live in a society free from want. These concessions are not available to Guyanese farmers, who continue to be affected by high operating costs, with no relief from the government; except for a $25,000 and $50,000 cash grant last year.
With yet another increase in gas prices from $249 to $269 per litre this week, the cost to produce food is projected to increase in local markets. This projected increase will be beyond the survivable limits most Guyanese can afford. Guyana’s Constitution provides that the government must ensure lands are put to social use for the economic and social advancement of the people of Guyana firstly.
The Constitution did not envisage the giving away of parts of Guyana for the benefit and use by foreigners to the exclusion of Guyanese. The lands must be used at all times for the economic advancement of the Guyanese people and to help them achieve their potential.
In this context, strategic partnerships with the private sectors of Barbados and Guyana can lead to mutual cooperation whereby Guyanese can aggressively use the said lands to grow food for export to Barbados and the rest of the Caribbean.
This policy approach would avert the further alienation of the working poor in Guyana from benefiting from investment opportunities in agriculture. This group includes the most vulnerable, indigenous populations, fisherfolks in the Berbice catchment, and farmers along the coastal belt.
Recently, a paper commitment was made with Brazil, Suriname, Antigua and Barbuda, and Trinidad and Tobago, for use of lands in Guyana for the benefit of the peoples of those countries. While Regional integration is critical in light of global challenges, the Constitution requires that the aspirations of these vulnerable groups remain of paramount consideration in the government’s developmental quest.
In the instance of Barbados, the giving away of 50 acres of Guyanese land is untenable, when thousands of Guyanese are at risk of food insecurity, saltwater intrusion on their farmlands, and a larger portion cannot afford a balanced meal in the capital city for around $1200 to $1800 per box.
More, In The Ring.
