Part of The Bahamas' commitment to the United Nations' (UN) small island developing states agenda, its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is food security and seeing this country's "growing" $1.1 billion food import bill begin a drastic decline.
Godfrey Eneas, ambassador to the United Nations' Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) and president of the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI), spoke at the United Nations Small Island Developing States Symposium (UNSIDS) yesterday at Melia Nassau Beach resort. He outlined goals The Bahamas has set out to decrease its reliance on foreign grown and produced food.
Eneas said The Bahamas' $1.1 billion food bill represents about 20 percent of CARICOM's and explained that Caribbean countries' large food bills are chiefly being fueled through tourism.
"Tourism accounts for seven million visitors annually in The Bahamas," he said.
According to Eneas, decreasing this country's food dependency will be addressed through Agri-Vision 2021.
"Agri-Vision is the country's five-year food and nutrition security plan to feed Bahamians and our visitors," he said.
That plan is being spearheaded by BAMSI, which is "an autonomous entity under the University of The Bahamas".
The Bahamas' goals, outlined by Eneas, are to end poverty, end hunger, ensure inclusive and equitable quality education; build resilient, sustainable industrialization and foster innovation; provide for sustainable consumption and production of affordable and nutritive food, combat climate change and its impact; and conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.
Eneas told Guardian Business yesterday that related projects are already up and running on Eleuthera, Long Island, Exuma and Andros and have been reaping results.
"We have established farming groups on every island that adopt the BAMSI technology and adhere to the BAMSI standards," he said. "We take their products, market them and pay them."
BAMSI was asked to have a booth at the UNSIDS symposium to showcase to other small island countries what The Bahamas has been achieving on the agricultural and fisheries front, in the run-up to Agenda 2030 and in adherence to the Sustainable Development Goals.

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