Food security leadership must begin at home

Dear Editor,

As a public communications analyst looking at Guyana’s food security and national development, I believe Guyana is once again positioned to become a premier food-security leader in the Caribbean. However, while the prospect of Guyana playing a greater role in supplying food to CARICOM is encouraging, we must also take a serious look at the reality facing consumers at home

This is in response to the Guyana Chronicle article published on 10th September, 2026, titled “Guyana’s agricultural transformation positions country as CARICOM food security leader.” The vision outlined in that article sounds promising, and there is certainly reason for Guyanese to be proud of our agricultural potential. But before we celebrate our position as a regional food-security leader, we must ask a fundamental question: Are Guyanese consumers themselves benefitting from the food-security transformation taking place around them?

For many citizens, the challenge is no longer simply whether food is available. It is whether they can afford it. We are seeing a situation where locally produced agricultural commodities can sometimes appear increasingly expensive to the average consumer, while imported canned or processed alternatives may be viewed as a cheaper option. That is a troubling contradiction for a country aspiring to lead the Caribbean in food security.

Food security cannot simply mean producing more food, increasing agricultural exports, or becoming a major supplier to neighbouring Caribbean countries. It must also mean ensuring that the people who live and work in Guyana have reasonable access to nutritious, locally produced food at prices they can afford. If a farmer can produce more, but the consumer cannot afford to purchase that produce, then somewhere along the food-supply chain we need to examine what is going wrong.

In 2026, Guyana must therefore find a better way to manage its internal food bill. Greater attention should be given to the costs associated with transportation, middlemen, market access, storage, spoilage, packaging, energy, agricultural inputs and distribution. We should also examine whether farmers are receiving fair returns while consumers are paying increasingly high prices. A stronger connection between producers, wholesalers, retailers, markets and consumers could help reduce unnecessary costs throughout the food chain. Guyana has the land, natural resources, agricultural experience and economic opportunity to become a major food-security powerhouse for the Caribbean. But our greatest measure of success should begin at home. A country cannot confidently call itself a food-security leader if its own citizens struggle to afford the food produced on its soil. Regional leadership should complement domestic food security—not come at its expense.

Guyana should certainly pursue its ambition of becoming a reliable food supplier to CARICOM. But as we look toward that regional responsibility, let us also ensure that the Guyanese family sitting at the dinner table can afford the food on its own plate. That, in my view, is where genuine food security leadership must begin.