A consultation on a National Food and Nutrition Policy and action plan for the Commonwealth of Dominica was held here on Wednesday.
The Dominica Food and Nutrition Council, the ministry of Health, Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute, Food and Agriculture Organization, Inter-American Institute for Cooperate on Agriculture and Pan American Health Organization, met in order to receive sufficient feedback from stakeholders by this afternoon so that the document can be finalized to be sent to cabinet by year end.
The policy hinges on food availability, access, affordability and safety in the context of the health, education, and socio- economic status of the population.
Climate change and resilience and its impact on sustainable agriculture is also another important area of focus in the policy.
Chair of Wednesday’s consultation, Elenore Lambert, in her opening remarks, urged participants to ensure that the new policy which emerges will be applicable today.
“The same policy that was applicable 31 years ago is not applicable today; and you are being urged that there is an important role to play in the food and nutrition in our country. Development is not just development of eating food and drinking rum but developing the health too”.
Lambert called on mothers to provide their families with guidance in good food choices and to include men in the planning. “Where are the mothers that are nurturing those children and giving them the guidance in food choices, so if we make plans we must make them knowing full well that mothers are not around where are our men? What plans have we got to incorporate men in our plans? It is essential because we are just talking in the air if we do not speak in context,” she said.
The consultation was facilitated by Consultant Nutritionist, Christine Bocage of the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI), Jamaica.
She disclosed that the CFNI will, from December 31, be replaced by a Caribbean public health agency which will result from a merger of five other institutions in the Caribbean.
CFNI has been in existence for the last 45 years.
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