We are now living in a time when stability of any kind has to be assessed daily. No longer can we be relaxed about availability of time and opportunity when we bring into focus the world around us and the volatile nature of our existence.
It has been said that “when the United States sneezes the Caribbean get a cold.” If that is indeed true then we need to take heed because the US has been sneezing quite a bit since November of 2024 and consequently, we should be well on our way to getting one of the worst economic viruses in our history.
Food prices and even more importantly, food availability should be at the forefront of our concerns with active efforts implemented now to safeguard against catastrophic shortages. It is no major revelation that food prices and availability are hinged heavily on a number of different factors, key among them the actual supply chain.
With the United States changing the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War in September 2025, coupled with the United States parking war ships and submarines outside Venezuela, there needs to be major concern about what is next.
This is happening while Russia and Ukraine are still heavily involved in a war that has solicited the involvement, support and condemnation of large economically powerful countries each picking sides as if it were a football match.
Then there is the Israel/Palestine massacre which seems far removed from our environment, yet the ripple effect may eventually touch our shores, and sooner than we might think.
The US trade tariffs, when coupled with these continuing conflicts, paint the truest picture of where we stand. In the United Staes farmers have been crying blood as their traditional markets have disappeared, China being among the biggest importer of raw materials and food produced in the US. Some farms have gone out of business, pointing to a significant decrease in overall production. Mexico has gone ahead to source new markets for their products while Canada has insisted on buying Canadian products, effectively adopting our “buy local” campaign.
It takes a rocket scientist to navigate through this economic maze. What we know for sure is that the supply chain routes from around the world will be severely hampered, leading obviously to increases in prices and severe shortages.
It is therefore incumbent on us to attempt to mitigate the effects of what seems inevitable. It therefore behooves us to educate ourselves on what may be approaching and how we intend to deal with it.
Reinstalling our buy local and eat local campaign may not be a bad place to start. Encouraging kitchen gardens or back yard food beds may also help. What is definite is that we must start acting.