In Jamaica, we dump more than 30% of our small farmer’s production due to a mismatch between demand and supply. We pay among the highest prices for food in the world, whether locally grown or exported. However, our local farmers are poor. Why is this? 

Is there a way to create a living wage for Jamaican farmers, lower food costs for ourselves and increase our agricultural exports? The short answer is yes. 

We need to ACCESS the global demand for produce, ASSESS what we grow now and bring the two into alignment. Our agricultural policy needs to be laser-focused on providing support to agricultural products where export markets and the value-added potential exists. 

Our pepper, ginger, mango, cocoa, coffee, ackee, papaya, romaine lettuce, avocado, sea island cotton and organic beef could give us the best global competitive advantage because of our unique Jamaican taste profile.

We have the resources to do better. By moving away from the simplistic import-substitution policy we have harbored in the past, we can create a set of agricultural objectives that ensures: 

• Efficient farmers make a good standard of living, 
• Guaranteed prices for farmers on priority crops, 
• Support for export agriculture and value-added products, 
• Lower food prices for Jamaicans, and 
• Allows us to build a school-feeding programme to maximize the use of local produce.

Let us use objective economic criteria to determine which crops we focus on. Our economies of scale, and terrain, won’t allow us to be globally competitive in every product. Therefore, we must have selection criteria for their justification. 

No country has ever created true wealth for its people without access to export markets both in goods and services. Jamaica will never create true prosperity for our three million people by just selling to our three million people!