As Guyana joined in the observances of World Food Day 2009, Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud urged that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to take a hard look at locally grown and produced foods, particularly since Guyana has embarked on a programme to assist the region in attaining food security.

Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud

Persaud, during a World Food Day activity here, said it is very worrying that the region through its actions and policies seems to prefer importing food rather than using locally grown produce.

“It is my opinion that such problems have arisen in the Caribbean region because we, as a people, have moved away from our traditional nutritious foods and have embraced a lifestyle, including the foods, subtly suggested to us through a blitz of TV advertising,” Persaud said. (more…)