Basseterre, St. Kitts (SKNIS) — The Department of Agriculture is hosting its 8th Annual Eat Local Day on Friday, June 26, 2015 at the Independence Square from 11 a.m.
Alphonso Clarke, Marketing Officer at the Department of Agriculture, outlined the department’s expectations.
“Our hope at the department is that we can work together to raise awareness of the importance of supporting our local sustainable farms,” he said. “We hope to increase the flow of local food to the restaurants across the federation, in order to protect our farm lands and ensure their success, so that future generations can have access.”
Eat Local Day is designed with four objectives in mind. These include: the presentation of local foods in varied forms so as to get locals more appreciative of the taste and versatility of local produce; to create more markets for local vendors who supply the raw material; to place focus on the food and nutrition security, and to provide an avenue for promotion of agricultural projects. One such project is the Breadfruit and Breadnut project that the Food and Agricultural Organizations (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) sponsored last year.
These years’ Eat Local Day will also incorporate dishes throughout the region to highlight the diverse cultures of residents.
“This event is taking to the various culinary festivals that are becoming very popular throughout the region,” he said. “The main difference is rather than concentrate on one commodity, the focus is anything produced locally. The format will be as the previous years with local caterers preparing strictly local meals to serve hundreds of patrons with the dishes done in all forms and fashions.”
Locally made drinks from fruits and produce will be provided by the St. Kitts Agro Processors and the Fahies Agricultural Women Cooperative.
Eat Local Day was founded in 2007 by Alistair Edwards, the current Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, to encourage caterers to provide all locally sourced menu items.