The resurgent trend in the Caribbean’s tourism industry may turn out to be a mixed blessing for the region as increasing numbers of visitor arrivals spur greater demand for imported foods to cater to their tastes.
While regional governments spent much of last year contemplating ways of cutting a 2009 food import bill estimated at more than US$3 billion, a January 2011 report published by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) indicates that Caribbean agricultural imports from the US rose by a further 5 per cent last year as the region’s tourist industry moved to accommodate the tastes of visitors
