Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

Food security bill revised and going to HOA soon

Food security bill revised and going to HOA soon

The revised draft of government’s proposed Food Security & Sustainability bill has moved one step closer to becoming a law.
Speaking at the opening ceremony for World Food Day on October 16, Agriculture Minister, Dr Natalio Wheatley said the new bill will soon be presented to Cabinet for a decision.

“We’ve recently obtained a revised draft of the bill from the Attorney General’s Chambers and we are now aiming to submit it to Cabinet in the coming weeks and then to the House of Assembly,” Dr Wheatley said.

The Agriculture and Fisheries Minister said he has spent his time, since gaining the portfolio, advocating for a better and stronger legislative framework to properly govern the agriculture and fisheries sector in the territory. He also said most of the laws relating to the agriculture sector are approximately a century old.

Wheatley said the bill will look to provide better opportunities for farmers and fisherfolk in the Virgin Islands.

“Among the main aims of this bill is the establishment of an effective mechanism to promote food security and sustainability in the territory through the Virgin Islands Agriculture and Fisheries Authority,” he said.

He further added the authority is expected to have more flexibility than the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. This means more purchases can be made directly from the farmers and fisherfolks. Wheatley said if the produces of the farmers and fishers are up to a standard set by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, they will be guaranteed a market to sell these products.

The Food Security and Sustainability bill is designed to provide legislative solutions for food shortages in the territory. The Virgin Islands relies heavily on food importation from other Caribbean islands and the coronavirus pandemic has reduced the amount of produce being imported.

The issue of food security is a global crisis as studies by the United Nations show that approximately 2.3 billion people across the globe do not have regular access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food for proper nutritional values for growth and development.

The Food Security and Sustainability bill was crafted last year and has gone through several revisions. The ministry has also taken input from the different stakeholders in the industry on how best to move forward with the bill and tackle the issue of food insecurity.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×