TOVA HAMILTON TELLS FOOD CONFERENCE THAT TOURISM AND AGRICULTURE ARE LINKED AND SHARE RISKS AND EXPOSURE
OCHO RIOS, St Ann, Sept.11, 2026 (JIS):
State Minister in the Ministry of Tourism, Tova Hamilton, is calling on hoteliers, farmers and policymakers to embrace tourism as the agricultural sector’s most valuable and strategic business partner.
She urged the industry to increase the use of Jamaican-grown produce in meals served to visitors to the country.
(Tova Hamilton addressing the 10th International Conference on Food Security and Sovereignty at Sandals Dunn’s River on Thursday, Sept 10)
Ms. Hamilton was speaking on the second day of the 10th International Food Security and Sovereignty Conference, at Sandals Dunn’s River in Mammee Bay, St. Ann, on Thursday, September 10.
The event was held by the Food Hygiene Bureau (FHB) under the theme – ‘Building Resilience in Food Systems: Enhancing Food Security and Sovereignty’.
Ms. Hamilton outlined three specific commitments for hoteliers, agricultural producers, policy leaders and conference delegates to embrace going forward.
JIS reported that the first is the expanded use of digital supply networks, such as the Agri-Linkages Exchange (ALEX), to streamline direct procurement between the hospitality sector and local producers.
The State Minister’s second recommendation is for hotels and other tourism interests to enter into forward procurement contracts with local agricultural cooperatives, giving farmers the financial certainty to invest in climate-resilient infrastructure.
Ms. Hamilton also called for greater integration of Jamaica’s food heritage into hotel and resort menus.
“When the next visitor sits down to breakfast in Jamaica, let more of that meal come from a Jamaican farm… let more of its value reach a Jamaican family. Let the meal be memorable, and let the prosperity stay,” Ms. Hamilton said.
Highlighting planning under Tourism 3.0, Ms Hamilton said the strategy is intended to turn the steady demand from the tourism industry into a reliable market for farmers through long-term commercial contracts. This will reduce the country’s dependence on imported food and keep more tourism-generated income within rural communities, she noted.
(Dr Biput Biswas, from Fort Valley State University in Georgia, USA, demonstrating and explaining the great benefits of hydroponics in boosting food production. He has the attention of, at right, Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism Tova Hamilton and Dr Marva Hewitt, Managing Director of the Food Hygiene Bureau. Dr Biswas spoke at the Conference about the relatively cheap cost of setting up hydroponics systems and their high production output).
“Locally grown produce from Jamaican farmers must always be the first choice for hotels, resorts and restaurants,” she said.
“By systematically shifting resort purchasing towards domestic production, we convert tourism demand into an engine for local agricultural investment, rural employment and national food independence,” she added
