BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The world’s population is expected to reach nine billion by 2025. If for no other reason, this fact should place the issue of food and water security at the top of any national agenda. How will all of these people be fed? Will we be able to produce enough food? How will we engage in the type of food economics that will ensure that no one country is wasting its surpluses while other countries remain starved? If we struggle to do this now, how much harder will it be in coming years, unless we change our approach?
We ask these questions knowing that despite many calls for a greater push to get persons producing more food locally, our youth – those who will be responsible for feeding our nations tomorrow – are not all inclined to get into what they perceive to be such “laborious” means of earning an income.