The Editor, Sir:

I am a Jamaican living in London who migrated seven years ago. In relation to the food shortage affecting Jamaica and the rest of the world, it should not be considered foolish advice to take on board the comments from the Minister of Agriculture and grow your own food.

Food from foreign countries

Jamaicans seemed obsessed with obtaining food from foreign countries rather than growing their own. Since migrating to England, I have found out how many preservatives and additives there are in the food here and the impact this can cause on the body.

Jamaicans living in Jamaica purchase more food from foreign countries than those living abroad. When visiting the Jamaican food shops here in London people from all nationalities, race and social backgrounds are buying Grace, Lasco, Dunns River, etc products.

Therefore, if other people can purchase our own products, why can't we. Why is it we as Jamaicans want to contribute to the US, the British and other economies than to our own?

Build Jamaica

For every sweet, packet or product we buy from another country is the more we are building their economy. Why not do our own, why not buy Jamaica and build Jamaica and try marketing our products globally?

Farming is not something to look down on but one to embrace and do with respect and dignity because when it comes down to it, if there was no farming there would be no one living.

I am, etc,

SUZETTE JAMES-COOKE

CjamesCooke1@aol.com

London, England

Via Go-Jamaica