P-28 Food security as a public health ethic: addressing the dilemma of import dependence in the Caribbean
Author(s):
N Tamayo-Jimenez
Year of Presentation:
2026
Objective: This paper examines the ethical implications of
food import dependence, arguing that the current reliance
on nutritionally poor foreign imports constitutes a failure
of public health ethics and a primary driver of the regional
Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) crisis.
Methods: A bioethical and policy analysis was conducted to evaluate the intersection of global supply chain fragility and regional health outcomes. The study frames food sovereignty through the lenses of Health Justice, NonMaleficence, and Sustainability, analyzing how laissez-faire importation policies affect vulnerable populations.
Results: The unfettered flow of cheap, subsidized, and ultra-processed foreign foods has directly fueled a catastrophic NCD epidemic. This dependence violates the ethical mandate of Sovereignty, as climate shocks and geopolitical instability leave regional food systems dangerously exposed. The research demonstrates that CARICOM states’ current failure to regulate nutritionally compromised imports is an ethical omission that externalizes long-term healthcare costs onto the public sector.
Conclusion: CARICOM has an ethical imperative to pivot toward a unified, precautionary regional food policy. This paper advocates for taxing nutritionally poor imports to subsidize local production and protecting arable land. Establishing food security must be recognized as the foundation of national health autonomy and regional resilience.