Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne has launched a public call for residents to prioritize locally produced food over imported processed goods, arguing that this dietary shift would address two pressing national challenges: rising rates of chronic illness and unsustainable healthcare spending.
Speaking during an appearance on the *Browne and Browne Show* this past Saturday, Browne framed the push for greater food security as inherently linked to the promotion of healthier community-wide eating habits. “We need our people to eat healthier. We need to eat more of our local foods,” he emphasized during the interview.
The prime minister pointed to a clear causal link between the widespread consumption of imported processed foods and the growing prevalence of non-communicable, chronic conditions across the nation, including diabetes and hypertension. “The processed foods are what’s killing us,” he stated, noting that increasing intake of fresh local produce, homegrown vegetables and domestically raised meat would deliver measurable improvements to population health outcomes.
To support this transition, Browne confirmed that the Antigua and Barbuda government is already making targeted investments to expand domestic agricultural output. Key ongoing projects include the development of the Diamonds Agro-Industrial Park, the Christian Valley agro-tourism initiative, and the construction of two modern, state-of-the-art abattoirs that will increase the supply of high-quality locally processed meat.
Beyond public health benefits, Browne outlined the broader economic advantages of growing the domestic food sector. Expanding local production will strengthen national food security, cut the country’s overall import bill, and help ease the persistent pressure of the cost of living for ordinary households, he explained. He added that lower rates of diet-related chronic illness would also reduce the long-term burden on the public healthcare system, as these conditions require costly, ongoing treatment that strains public resources.
Browne’s remarks came as part of a broader conversation outlining the government’s agricultural modernization agenda, which is centered on encouraging Antiguans and Barbudans to back local producers by choosing homegrown food products. The initiative ties together public health, economic development and food sovereignty goals into a single coordinated policy push.