School vendors and canteen operators have been told there is nothing to fear as Government continues to roll out its School Nutrition Policy.
In fact, Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Davidson Ishmael, told a group of vendors and concessionaires attending the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Barbados’ most recent Vendor Workshop last Saturday, that they should see themselves as some of the major stakeholders of the policy.
The session was held at the Barbados Defence Force, The Garrison, St. Michael, on the topic, The School Nutrition Policy: Next steps and Practical Ideas to Healthy Preparation of Meals.
“So if someone comes and says, you need to produce…sell and distribute healthier meals or healthier snacks or healthier options, [people tend to think] ‘it’s probably going to take away some of my sales’. There’s a natural fear that will come among vendors and concessionaires in that regard.
“But I’m so glad that I’ve been hearing from the Heart & Stroke Foundation and many of the other NGOs and the Ministry of Health itself, that we’re trying to help you to find alternatives. And there always are alternatives. There are always healthier alternatives to what you may think is the only choice at this point,” Minister Ishmael stated.
He further noted that such training sessions which were devoted to helping vendors find alternative, healthier options were crucial to the health of the nation. The Minister pointed out that frank conversations were necessary to highlight the fact that Barbados had a problem with childhood obesity, obesity in general, and the management of other non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Minister Ishmael added that the financial burden the situation was placing on a small island developing state such as Barbados was concerning.
“And now that we’ve noted that we have a problem, we’re having a frank conversation, starting from that point, how do we go about solving that problem? One is by making sure that we give our people access to nutritious meals, nutritious options. And two, is by ensuring that every stakeholder puts their hands to the plough and does what he or she can do to help us to reduce and address these problems.
“Vendors, I’m encouraging you all across Barbados, those who are present in this room and those who will hear this in whatever form, I’m encouraging them to come on board fully with the government; with the Ministry of Health and Wellness, with the Ministry of Education, with all of our strategic partners. Come on board and let’s work together to find the alternatives that will be healthier, lower in salt, lower in sugar, lower in being ultra-processed oils, and are closer to nature, closer to being organic so that we can give our children a fighting chance at being the healthiest versions of themselves…,” he emphasised.
Mr. Ishmael stressed that fostering healthy habits in children now, ultimately meant the healthier and more productive they would be as adults.
The workshop featured presentations on The links in High Sugar/Salt/Fats and Childhood Obesity/Diseases by Chair of the Barbados Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition, Professor Anne St. John; Keeping it Healthy, Tasty and Simple – Preparation of Wraps and Tacos by Tiffany Brathwaite; and The National School Nutrition Policy and The Necessity of this Policy, by Nutritionist, Nicole Elliott. Participants were also given free blood pressure and body mass index checks.