Food in Grenada

Grenada's food system covers the main island, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. People obtain food through supermarkets, village shops, parish farmers' markets, the Marketing and National Importing Board (MNIB), fishing, farming and household production. St. George and St. Andrew contain the largest concentration of agricultural production. In 2023, agricultural reporting counted about 2.3 million temporary crop plants, including more than 1 million in St. George and the next-largest concentration in St. Andrew. Permanent crops included about 371,000 cocoa trees, 497,000 banana trees and roughly 950 acres of soursop. The nutmeg tree count had fallen by 14.6% compared with 2012, while poultry production exceeded 130,000 birds. Carriacou and Petite Martinique have smaller-scale agriculture, island logistics and fisheries that strongly affect local access. Household and community cooking often uses one-pot dishes, coconut milk, ground provisions, fresh herbs and spices, and salted meat or fish. Oil Down combines breadfruit, callaloo or dasheen leaf, dumplings, salted meat or chicken, coconut milk, herbs and spices; cooks reduce the liquid until the ingredients absorb it. Other local terms include saraka, fish broff, cook-up, rice and peas, saltfish, roti, nutmeg and mace, cocoa and breadfruit. Fish is central to the local diet. Seafood commonly includes lobster, yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi, grouper and crawfish. Family meals, community events, festivals and culinary tourism all influence how food is prepared and shared. The Grenada Food and Nutrition Council (GFNC) publishes food-based dietary guidance, provides nutrition education and counselling, and supports community outreach and food-preparation training. The revised 2020 guidance gives approximate proportions of vegetables 25%, staples 23%, fruits 20%, peas, beans and nuts 15%, animal foods 13%, and fats and oils 4%. It encourages variety, daily fresh fruit and vegetables, water, local herbs and spices, and fewer highly processed foods, snacks, sugary drinks, salt and excess fat. The School Feeding Programme has operated since 1950 and is intended to provide nutritionally adequate meals using local foods across pre-primary, primary and secondary education; historical coverage or subsidy figures should not be treated as current without confirmation. Formal restaurants, casual bars, roadside vendors and street-food businesses operate across Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. A food business generally needs a Refreshment House Licence before operating. The process includes environmental-health and police investigations, followed by the required notice and fee; the annual fee is EC$500. The Ministry of Health's Environmental Health services review food premises and facilities. The Food Safety Act No. 19 of 2015, Food and Drugs Act, Public Health Act and applicable compulsory standards govern safe production, storage, sale and distribution. The GFNC and responsible agencies address food quality across the chain, while the Grenada Bureau of Standards supports standards work. Food-handler and health documentation should be confirmed locally before opening. Disaster food donations are inspected by Environmental Health together with the Grenada Bureau of Standards. Food costs vary by island, season, weather, import dependence and transport. The Consumer Price Index for Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages, with a 2010 base of 100, stood at 139.85 in June 2024, up 2.35% annually, and 140.40 in September 2024, up 1.82% annually. An MNIB online listing snapshot showed avocado at USD 0.90, breadfruit at USD 0.50, callaloo at USD 1.00 and soursop at USD 3.00, but the units, season and availability were unclear, so these figures are not market averages. GFNC listed a dietitian consultation at $50, although the current service fee should be confirmed. Drought, irregular rainfall, erosion, pests, disease, hurricanes and import-chain shocks affect food security. Hurricane Beryl affected agriculture in Grenada and Carriacou in 2024. Climate responses include drip irrigation, soil and water conservation, agroforestry, crop diversification, agroecology, permaculture and aquaculture. Fisheries are predominantly small-scale commercial, serving fresh markets and exports. A Food and Agriculture Organization estimate places annual fish production at about 2,550 tonnes, with tuna and tuna-like species making up about 70% of the reported catch. Marine Managed Areas, value-chain work and an MSC assessment form part of the sustainability landscape. The Food and Nutrition Security Policy, National Agricultural Policy, 2025–2030 National Adaptation Plan and 25 by 25 initiative describe policy or planned directions; they should not be presented as measured outcomes.