Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Mining Floyd Green is urging Jamaicans, local and abroad, to include something Jamaican in every meal throughout November in commemoration of Eat Jamaican Month.

“This year, Eat Jamaican Month is exciting; it’s engaging, and it’s tapping into our national pride to ensure that we buy local, eat local, and support our local farmers, fishers, and producers. For the first time, Madam Speaker, we’re extending Eat Jamaican Month to our diaspora. We launched this initiative at the Diaspora Conference, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Montego Bay in June, and we are now rolling out activities that invite Jamaicans abroad to join the movement. These include a logo competition for a Diaspora edition of Eat Jamaican Month, a Diaspora cooking challenge, and weekly recipe highlights. Full details are available on our ministry’s website and social media pages,” Green told Parliament on Tuesday, November 12.

The ‘Eat Jamaican’ campaign was born out of a vision for Jamaicans to ‘Grow what we eat and eat what we grow’, recognising that this is the way to reposition the agricultural sector through a process of integrated rural development as well as to develop a programme of sustainable food security. “The campaign has been organised to further promote the ‘Grow what we eat, eat what we grow’ message now in its 21st year. The aim of the campaign is to enhance awareness and consumption of locally produced foods, thereby supporting our farmers and economy,“ Green said.

During the month of November, the ministry has announced a list of activities, which include:

• iPledge to Eat Jamaican Challenge: A 30-day challenge encouraging Jamaicans to commit to eating local foods. Participants can share their journey on social media to inspire others.
• School Jingle Competition: A creative competition for primary and secondary school students to craft jingles promoting the ‘Grow what we eat, eat what we grow’ message. The competition runs from November 7-25.
• TikTok Cooking Challenge: Jamaicans are encouraged to showcase their culinary skills by preparing authentic Jamaican dishes using 100 per cent Jamaican ingredients and tagging the Ministry of Agriculture on TikTok. The challenge runs from November 8-25.
• Food Festival at Devon House: A showcase of Jamaican cuisine, highlighting traditional foods and beverages as well as local agricultural products. It will be held on November 22, at Devon House commencing at 11:00 am.
• Farmers’ Market and Cook-Off: A live cook-off featuring top TikTok participants, to be held on November 29, at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Playfield (cookoff commences at 11:00 am).