Basil Jarrett | Regional self-reliance is about more than only coconuts

ON MY most recent slough through Kingston’s evening traffic this week, I found myself flipping through radio stations looking for something useful to pass the time. After suffering through what passes as music these days, I decided to settle for some talk radio, landing on the tail end of Monday’s Beyond the Headlines episode with Dionne Jackson Miller. Dionne was wrapping a phone call with a gentleman whose voice was as distinctive as it was familiar, and, as I tried to pinpoint who it was, I got sucked into the conversation which I found very interesting, even if a bit misleading. The caller was bemoaning the fact that the Coconut Industry Board had been selling imported coconut oil from Guyana, rendering local coconut oils in his words, “uncompetitive”.

COCONUT CLARITY

The product in question is Only Coconuts virgin cold-pressed coconut oil, a Guyanese coconut oil known by its distinctive clear colour. I say distinctive because most Jamaicans are used to virgin coconut oil having a brownish yellowish colour, but, as a quick Google search will tell you, 100 per cent cold-pressed coconut oil can only be one colour – clear. That clear colour is the international standard for virgin cold-pressed coconut oil, and one of the main reasons why Guyana is able to export it to North America, Europe and the rest of the Caribbean.

For the uninitiated, virgin cold-pressed coconut oil is a totally different product from the refined coconut oil that you’re used to seeing on your supermarket shelf. As the name suggests, it is cold-pressed and unrefined, and retains all its natural nutrients. It is a wonder product used to boost heart health, aid digestion and strengthen immunity because of its antimicrobial properties. Virgin coconut oil is also packed with a tongue twister of a substance known as medium-chain triglycerides, or MCTs, a type of fat that is quickly converted into energy to boost metabolism, support brain function, and even aid in weight management.

OIL OR WATER

Sounds like a high-demand, supercompetitive product, right? Absolutely. The problem. though. is that Only Coconuts isn’t making Jamaican coconut oils uncompetitive, simply because, well, with the exception of a few niche manufacturers, there is no Jamaica-made, 100 per cent virgin cold-pressed coconut oil on the market. Don’t believe me? The next time you’re in your favourite supermarket, take a look at all the coconut oils on sale from your big brand companies. Without fail, every single one is imported. One reason that Jamaica has no significant coconut oil industry is simple economics. Coconut water is far more profitable and easier to produce and market. And, with growing global demand and minimal processing required, most farmers simply harvest young, green coconuts for water, leaving none to mature into the oil-rich ones. You can’t have both.

THE COCONUT WARS

For this reason, the majority of coconut oils available locally is imported, usually from Trinidad. But, as pointed out by Guyana’s Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, Trinidad does not have the capacity to manufacture coconut oil in such large quantities, so what it does is import it from Asia, re-package it and slaps a ‘Product of Trinidad and Tobago’ logo on the side. It is a contentious issue that has caused the Guyanese government to be at odds with the Twin Island Republic.

At the centre of the regional rift is the bitter coconut clash over fairness, trade, and regional loyalty. Guyana is crying foul, accusing Trinidad of a sly bait-and-switch by importing coconut oil from Asia and rebranding it as a CARICOM product, in order to evade tariffs. For Mustapha, this isn’t just clever marketing, but rather a betrayal of CARICOM’s promise of cooperation and mutual benefit. Guyana sees a pattern of trade obstruction while Trinidad insists it’s playing by the rules, arguing that it adds value to imported oil and helps meet regional demand.

This bruhaha between the region’s oil-rich big guns may seem unconnected to us here at home, but, as always, the devil is in the details. You see, one of Jamaica’s agricultural priorities in recent years has been the issue of food security and near-sourcing of our food supply, especially in the wake of last year’s Hurricane Beryl, and this year’s Hurricane Trump.

THE OIL-POWERED BREAD BASKET

In Guyana, a country hailed as the only nation able to produce enough food to not only feed every single one of its citizens without relying on a single foreign import, but also with the scale and resources to feed the entire Caribbean, Jamaica has a ready-made solution to its food security challenges right here in its backyard. And, with its newly found wealth making Guyana the region’s oil-powered bread basket, the rest of the Caribbean would do well to take note.

Currently, global supply chains are under pressure, food prices are soaring, and the new US tariffs have introduced a level of discomfort and unpredictability to the business environment. As a result, the rest of the Caribbean is now beating a path to Guyana’s doorstep, and who can blame them? From rice to seafood, coconuts to pineapples, Guyana is emerging as the agricultural lifeline of the region. Countries like Barbados are brokering agreements for livestock imports, Trinidad is investing in joint farming ventures, and Jamaica has been actively exploring deals for rice, seafood, and, of course, coconuts.

CARICOM RELEVANCE

Even CARICOM’s ‘25 by 2025’ food security initiative sees Guyana as ground zero and the engine to drive regional self-sufficiency. As land availability, population density and natural disasters choke agricultural output in most Caribbean islands, Guyana’s abundant land, freshwater access, and government-backed agri-initiatives make it the natural partner. In other words, there has never been a more important time for CARICOM to show its relevance.

The current uncertainty in the global trade climate has meant that, increasingly, countries and regions are now looking inward to shore up their food resilience. We would be foolish not to do the same. At this point, we have two options ahead of us: Follow suit and look towards our neighbours for the way forward? Or continue to let short-sighted insularity deny us the opportunity. To my mind, much like the Only Coconuts cold-pressed virgin coconut oil being sold at the Coconut Industry Board, the solution is very clear.

Major Basil Jarrett is the director of communications at the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) and a crisis communications consultant. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Threads @IamBasilJarrett and linkedin.com/in/basiljarrett