The Why

Food Insecurity continues to grow all over the world. There is not enough educational information as to the relevance of what you eat, different kinds of fruits, vegetables, and other foodstuffs grown naturally that are extremely beneficial to certain healthy conditions.

 

With over 79,100,100 people living with obesity, 66,900,900 with High Blood Pressure many people living with Obesity, High Blood Pressure, and Cancer, not only lack an awareness, but how the selections of foods grown naturally are beneficial to our overall health when consumed to reduce health problems that can last a lifetime.

 

Increase our food security and sustainability, by supporting small scale farmers; come together to establish trade and Industry partnerships with local, regional and international counterparts. For example, Afri Foods Rewanda collaborates with more than 500 farmers, 70% are women cultivating high-quality fresh horticulture produce for export. 

 

According to Oxfam, “supporting women farmers would help hundreds of millions fight hunger, poverty and climate change”.  Growth in small-scale agriculture is two to four times more effective at reducing hunger and poverty than any other sector, and women farmers are playing a central role. These farmers produce a huge amount of food for their families and surrounding communities”.

About 80 percent of the world’s food is produced by small-scale farming. Women make up on average 43 percent of this agricultural labor in developing countries. They are the majority in some countries. In South Asia, more than two thirds of employed women work in agriculture. In eastern Africa, over half of farmers are women. In Latin America and the Caribbean, between 8% and 30% of agricultural production is managed by women, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This is a centuries-old reality that has only been recognized in the last few years.

Backyard gardens and farming can help reap fruits, vegetables and herbs that contribute to a healthy, low-cost diet, along with other items. Gardening is found to be a meaningful reward of physical activity, that provides a dose of vitamin D, and improves moods…its benefits are endless.

 

Benefits derived from the natural environment reinfuses the importance of serving ourselves from nature’s pantry. These foods help us develop a culture of healthy eating, through lifestyles and consumption for improved health and disease prevention.

 

According to the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC), in partnership with the HCC Childhood Obesity Prevention Civil Society Organization (CSO), Nassau, Bahamas, has taken on the challenge of supporting sustainable food practices by the reins to promote backyard gardening, farming, sharing helpful information, showcasing similar & other items grown in the region supported by the Eastern Caribbean States.

 

Experts recommend backyard gardening as part of our food security response; farming is another.

 

Let’s return to our roots, supporting health and wellness for physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

 

Our call to action is to encourage, influence, and promote a culture of healthy eating; the value of Agri~Culture™.