Food in Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda depends heavily on imported food, although local production supplies sweet potatoes, pumpkin, vegetables, eggs, marine fish, conch and lobster. Local egg producers supplied about 90% of national consumption in 2024. Retail shops, public markets, food-service businesses, farms and fisherfolk channels provide access to food, but current nationwide market hours and price lists are not consistently confirmed. Local cooking includes pepperpot, a one-pot stew made with meat, local vegetables and spices; fungee or fungi, a cornmeal dish; ducana, made with sweet potato, coconut, sugar and spices and cooked in a banana leaf; and goat water, a strongly seasoned stew. Saltfish with fungi is commonly associated with Sunday breakfast. Drinks and ingredients include seamoss, tamarind, passion fruit, lemonade, sorrel and ginger beer. Seafood and daily catch, including lobster, have a strong place in local cooking and tourism. People eat at cookshops, street-food businesses, restaurants, hotels and resorts. These businesses may serve local food or international cuisine. The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority promotes local dining through programmes such as Eat Like A Local, Culinary Month and Restaurant Week. The 2026 Restaurant Week was scheduled for 3 to 17 May, with more than 50 restaurants and listed price levels of 25, 50 and 75; the source did not specify the currency. Antigua and Barbuda's food-based dietary guidelines use a pineapple food guide with seven groups: starchy foods, vegetables, fruits, foods from animals, peas, beans and nuts, fats and oils, and sugars or sweeteners. The guidelines encourage variety and daily vegetables and fruit, while recommending less salt, salty seasoning, sugar-rich food and high-fat food. They also address safe handling and storage and recommend exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life. Individual medical nutrition advice belongs in healthcare rather than in general food guidance. The Central Board of Health, or CBH, carries out operational food-safety controls, including inspections of food-service establishments, water-quality work and port-health activities. Public-health rules provide for registration of retail shops, food sellers and street vendors, generally until 31 December of each year. The Food Safety Act 2017 provides for licensing, food-safety training, fees and premises inspections, but the current implementation and responsibility of a separate Food Safety Authority were not clearly confirmed; businesses should verify the current procedure with the CBH. Food-safety complaints can be directed to CBH at 268.562.9300. Pre-packaged goods should show the product name, net contents, manufacturer, importer or distributor and address, country of origin, main ingredients and an expiry or date mark. Plant products subject to import controls require an import permit at least two weeks before shipment, a phytosanitary certificate and one shipment within the permit's 60-day validity. Plant Protection is responsible for this process, and violations can lead to confiscation. Antigua has the denser food, retail, tourism and fisheries network, while Barbuda has a smaller and more independent supply and production system involving the Barbuda Council and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Barbuda Affairs. Barbuda's food access can be more sensitive to transport and logistics, although no reliable current island-wide price or supply measurement was confirmed. Food prices are affected by import dependence, seasonality, transport, tourism and island-specific supply conditions. The December 2025 consumer price data recorded year-on-year increases of 3.2% for the Food index and 2.9% for food and non-alcoholic beverages; meat rose 11.9%, beef and veal 17.6%, poultry 14.7%, fish and seafood 8.0%, milk, cheese and eggs 6.1%, and bread and cereals 3.0%. Fruit, vegetables, oils and fats declined in that period. These figures describe price movement rather than a fixed national food or restaurant budget. Water scarcity, drought and climate change affect farming and food security. Desalination supplied about 70% of daily water needs in wet years and up to 100% in very dry years in the cited assessment. Solar irrigation, hydroponics, rooftop rainwater collection, aquaponics, protected agriculture, storage and local processing can reduce supply risks. Sustainable fisheries management follows the Fisheries Act No. 22 of 2006, and licensed local fishers receive seafood-safety and quality training. Shorter supply chains, cold-chain management and lower food loss are especially relevant for imported and seafood products.