Academic urges Caribbean to target Diaspora food market

OCHO RIOS, St Ann — Entrepreneurship and sustainable development expert and The University of the West Indies lecturer Dr K’adamawe K’nife is urging Caribbean countries to place greater emphasis on supplying food to their Diaspora communities, rather than focusing primarily on creating markets for regional products in distant international markets.

“If we produce to feed the 25 million here and the 25 million in the diaspora, that is 50 million people we have to feed. Why do you need to try to convince somebody in Europe or China to eat a green banana when we cannot produce enough green bananas for over 50 million people to eat?” he questioned.

He was speaking with the Jamaica Observer on the periphery of last Wednesday’s opening ceremony for the 10th International Conference on Food Security and Sovereignty 2026, held at Sandals Dunn’s River in Ocho Rios, St Ann.