Little-White calls for National Nutrition Policy

MONTEGO BAY — Development Specialist and Food and Nutrition Consultant, Dr. Heather Little-White, has called for a National Nutrition Policy, to ensure a food and nutrition safety net, and advance capacity development at the household level, and economic livelihood at the community level.

She made the call as she addressed participants in the first graduation ceremony for some 30 persons in the innovative skills training in food preparation for community development and economic empowerment, a brainchild of Member of Parliament for East Central St. James, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, at the Windsor Lodge Community Centre, Somerton on Sunday (May 29).

Dr. Little-White argued that no country can successfully promote tourism without a rich culinary fare, promoting its heritage. She said that Jamaica has an obligation to provide better nutrition for both children and adults, through greater consumption of locally grown foods, prepared in tasty and attractive ways.

“To this end, countries like Jamaica must use agriculture to stimulate the local economy through local food consumption, and have value added to them to maximize nutrition at the household level, and create new tastes from our foods,” she argued  

She also lamented the limited use of the abundant foods and fruits to make more exciting products.

“Today, I want to thank the private sector firms for their support of this programme and to say to all Jamaicans, together we can make Jamaica a better place. We can make Windsor Lodge a better place, and we can make our individual households better places, by coming into team work and greater cooperation with one another,” she noted.

By GLENIS ROSE, JIS Reporter