The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries’ ‘Grow Smart, Eat Smart’ Campaign aims to boost agricultural production, while increasing the supply of nutritious and affordable foods to improve the population’s health.

Portfolio Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., said the strategy will “help us to produce a healthy and constructive nation; a nation that will be able to be more productive in every way.”

He said it will also serve to reduce the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) risks on the population.

“What we eat really impacts how we can execute our work. Given the alerts and concerns of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, we are collaborating with them and other stakeholders to make sure that the crops we produce are healthier and more nutritious for our nation,” he said. Meanwhile, the Ministry is looking to expand the school gardens programme through the Jamaica 4-H Clubs, as part of efforts to introduce the concept of farming at an earlier stage.

“We want to ensure that our children have a mindset towards farming, which allows them to appreciate the significance of controlling what they eat by knowing how to cultivate the food. We hope to be able to extend that programme by using some of this healthy, nutritious [food to provide] a range of options for the school feeding programme,” he said.

One of the key initiatives under the ‘Grow Smart, Eat Smart’ campaign is boosting agriculture in primary and secondary schools, through the supply of vegetable gardening packages while changing students’ mindset about agriculture.