by Anesta Henry (Barbados Today) Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has issued a call for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to come together to advocate for products being imported from the global market space to have front-of-package labelling.
She said it was important for her call to be answered since Barbados and other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries do not have enough weight on their own to convince global producers to introduce this kind of labelling that would help citizens make better decisions about the foods they consume.
Mottley said the 46 SIDS across 193 countries have the option of collaborating to advocate for better food options to be sent to their shores.
“And [we have to] act together and say to the marketplace that we are not simply small countries to receive that which you do not want, that we are equally deserving of dignity and respect, and that together we are going to make the clarion call for our circumstances to be noticed.
“We spend too much money on the diabetes epidemic, we spend too much money fighting cardiovascular problems, and we spend too much money having now to move patients to dialysis who have not controlled their diabetes properly.
