NASSAU, The Bahamas -- Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources the Hon. Jomo Campbell said in recent years, The Bahamas faced various challenges related to food safety including food borne illnesses, supply chain disruptions and evolving regulations.

“As we focus on food safety, it is essential to acknowledge the unique challenges faced by The Bahamas.  With over 700 islands and cays transporting food safely and efficiently can be a logistical challenge,” Minister Campbell said during the Preventive Controls for Human Food Course facilitated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) in collaboration with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) at the British Colonial Hotel on Wednesday, August 21, 2024.

He said, referring to the challenges of an archipelago: “This can lead to longer shipping times and potential spoilage or contamination of perishable goods.  Many small-scale and local producers may lack access to the necessary resources such as funds, training and technology to implement effective food safety measures and comply with standards.”

The Minister also noted that the country largely relies on imported food products – something that the government is working on to change.

He explained that the three-day course is just one of the initiatives that the Ministry is supporting in its effort to create more economic opportunities for Bahamian agribusinesses, and diminish the nation’s agricultural trade imbalance.

The Minister said the completion of the course will allow the participants to meet the requirements for the US Food and Drug Administration Processed Food Import Certification so they can export Bahamian food products to the US.

He said although this certification allows for critical export opportunities, it is also critical to the nation’s own food safety.

“Food safety is not a regulatory requirement; it is a fundamental aspect of public health and community welfare.”

US Chargé d'Affaires Kimberly Furnish said during US Vice-President Kamala Harris’ visit to The Bahamas last June, she recommitted the US government’s support for the US-Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis 2030 (PACC 2030).

Ms. Furnish said, “Under Pact 2030 Food Security Pillar, the US government through the United States Agency for International Development and USDA [is] working to address the barriers the Caribbean, including The Bahamas, faces in the agricultural trade.

“To that end, the US continues to find ways to assist The Bahamas’ efforts to prioritize agriculture in its nationwide agenda, in its efforts to diversify and modernize the sector, to diversify the country’s food imports, to improve security and to improve the export of locally grown products.”

She explained that to further those efforts, the course will assist Bahamian producers interested in exporting products to the US.

Food producers, processors, quality assurance professionals and regulatory inspectors are taking the course.

Some of the topics the course will touch on include an introduction to a food safety plan; good manufacturing practices; biological food safety hazards; food allergen preventive controls determination; sanitation preventive controls; supply chain controls; validation and verification procedures; record-keeping procedures and a recall plan.

PHOTO CAPTION

Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources the Hon. Jomo Campbell gave remarks at the Preventive Controls for Human Food Course facilitated by the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service in collaboration with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture at the British Colonial Hotel on Wednesday, August 21, 2024.  US Chargé d'Affaires Kimberly Furnish also brought remarks.    (BIS Photos/Patrick Hanna)