Increased prosperity, a well-traveled populous and an economy that depends on visitors from around the world have all contributed to the diet of modern Bahamians. It varies greatly from that of our ancestors just a generation or two ago and has dramatically increased our waistlines. It also negatively impacts the environment. Worldwide food production outpaces the generation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of even the transport sector, accounting for about 18 percent of global totals. There are really no reliable statistics to break down exactly what foods we are eating here in The Bahamas, but worldwide, the trend is toward increased consumption of meat, specifically beef, that is often seen as a status symbol.
However, with the latest "beef" scandals in the United Kingdom and USA, highlighting the inclusion of horse meat in the supply, it seems as good a time as any to take another look at what is on our plate. Unfortunately, much of the meat we consume these days is produced on CAFOs, or concentrated animal feeding operations, which reportedly result in animals being crammed into very tight quarters, given feed and pumped up with hormones and antibiotics so that they can be utilized earlier but they also come to market looking bigger.
Even though fish and seafood have been seen as better alternatives, locally we have been forced to introduce seasons to protect the Spiny Lobster and the Nassau Grouper from overfishing. In addition to meat consumption, we seem to be bigger consumers of processed foods and fast food with dubious lists of ingredients and lots of packaging, which in turn adds to the burden on our landfills. There has been a slow but steady increase in the amount of programs at the national level promoting healthier lifestyles, inclusive of the drive towards eating foods closer to their natural state.
All of which also tends to help the environment. This is, of course, easier said than done. Processed and fast foods are far cheaper than fresh fruits and vegetables. Indeed, this is a state of affairs that we have accepted as fact but anything can be subject to change. Although successive governments have been credited with trying to encourage investment in local agriculture, we consistently import at least 80 percent of what we consume. I think we all appreciate that a vibrant agricultural sector could drive down the cost of food, reduce foreign currency expenditure and perhaps most importantly help us retain a larger percentage of foreign earnings through tourism, if the local fare is utilized in our resorts.
A good start might be if we got back into the habit of making our gardens not just beautiful but spaces where we once again grow for our household consumption. When I was growing up, we had a pretty small yard, but we grew native limes, bird peppers, avocadoes, hog plums, cherries, soursop, coconuts, tamarinds, mangoes, bananas, papaya and peas. Believe it or not, there was also a house on that yard! We need to move to the right combination of more and less.
We need more consumption of fruits and vegetables, less consumption of meat in general, more farming on any scale and less consumption of heavily processed and packed foods, all of which can add up to great health benefits, reduction in the stress on landfills, lighten the economic burden and we get to do our part to reduce GHG emissions due to food production. o Send questions or comments to sbrown@graphitebahamas.com. Sonia Brown is principal of Graphite Engineering Ltd. and is a registered professional engineer.
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