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There’s a worldwide food shortage and its effects are being felt most deeply in the developing world. Food riots in Haiti toppled the government and in Somalia this week, 5 food rioters were shot by armed forces. There have also been food riots in Cameroon, Egypt, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Madagascar. Protestors are angry about soaring prices and scarcity. But it’s not that bad in Belize.

Yes, the cost of living is higher than it’s ever been and there have been flour shortages as a consequence of the worldwide wheat shortage, but there are no critical shortages. In fact, today Agriculture Minister Rene Montero told us that Belize is so self sufficient – that his Ministry is looking for ways to start exporting to its neighbours.

Hon. Rene Montero, Minister of Agriculture
“Our main challenge is good security and at the moment we are self sufficient in the basic grains and meats and we will continue to be self sufficient. We are organizing ourselves, we are organizing the farmers so that we can remain self sufficient in the basic grains like beans, rice, and corn.

In the same token we are also sufficient in also beef meats and poultry meats and since it is a global phenomenon that food prices are going up, the challenge for Belize is not only to remain self-sufficient but also to see if we can increase our production so that we can import to our neighbouring countries, that we know there is a market in both Salvador and Honduras for rice, beans, and corn and we are getting ourselves ready for that. We are getting our farmers organized so that we become an exporting country.”

As regards the rising price of flour, Montero said Belizeans have to start looking to other starchy locally grown crops such as sweet potato, cacao and plantains.