Many Jamaicans grappling with food insecurity, inability to afford a healthy diet

A new report has revealed that 55.1 per cent of Jamaica's population experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in the period 2021 to 2023.

The report said this places Jamaica among the Caribbean countries with high food insecurity prevalence.

The finding was published Monday in the Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition, released by the United Nations' Food And Agriculture Organization (FAO) in collaboration with several other organisations.

The FAO said "food insecurity refers to restricted access to food for individuals or households, due to limitations of money or other resources. Consequently, it is defined as a lack of continued access to food, which decreases the quality of the diet, disrupts normal eating habits and can have negative consequences for nutrition, health and well-being".

Another key finding of the report was that in 2022, approximately 22.1 per cent of Jamaica's population could not afford a healthy diet, one of the lowest proportions in the Caribbean.

The study noted that Jamaica has one of the highest costs of a healthy diet in the region, estimated at 6.42 PPP (Purchasing power parity) dollars per person per day in 2022. The report said this represents a significant increase from previous years, aligning with the general trend across the Caribbean.

It said Jamaica is categorised as a net importer of agri-food products, making it vulnerable to global food supply disruptions caused by climate variability and extremes.

In looking at the broader picture, the FAO report noted that Latin America and the Caribbean have seen a decline in hunger and food insecurity for two years, driven by social protection programmes and post-COVID recovery.

However, it said disparities persist, especially among women, rural populations, and vulnerable groups. It added that the region is unlikely to meet most nutrition targets, and healthy diets remain expensive.

It said 74 per cent of Latin American and Caribbean countries are highly exposed to extreme weather events, affecting food security.

"Changing patterns of climate variability and extreme weather events are negatively affecting all dimensions of food security and exacerbating other underlying causes of malnutrition in all its forms in Latin America and the Caribbean," the 2024 Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition stated.

The report underscored that Latin America and the Caribbean is the second-most exposed region in the world to extreme weather events, following Asia.

The 2024 Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition is a joint publication by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

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