By Kirk Rampersad
A statistic released recently should stop every policymaker, business leader and citizen in their tracks.
According to the latest United Nations food security assessment, approximately 512,000 people in Trinidad and Tobago, representing 36.8 per cent of the population, cannot afford a healthy diet. Even more concerning, around 400,000 people are estimated to be facing moderate or severe food insecurity, while roughly 200,000 people remain undernourished. These are not figures from a conflict zone or a country experiencing economic collapse. They are figures from Trinidad and Tobago in 2026.
For years, discussions about the economy have centred on energy prices, GDP growth, foreign exchange shortages, fiscal deficits and inflation rates. While these indicators matter, they often fail to answer a much simpler question: How are ordinary citizens actually living?
The affordability of healthy food may be one of the most important indicators of economic wellbeing because it sits at the intersection of income, productivity, healthcare, education and quality of life.
The reality is straightforward. If more than one-third of the population cannot afford a healthy meal, then economic growth alone is not translating into improved living
standards.
The new measure of economic success
Traditionally, countries measured success through economic output. Gross Domestic Product remains important. It tells us how much an economy produces. However, GDP does not reveal whether citizens can comfortably purchase groceries, save for emergencies, afford healthcare or invest in their children’s future.
A country can record economic growth while simultaneously experiencing declining living standards. This is where affordability becomes a powerful measure.
The United Nations data shows that Trinidad and Tobago has experienced a gradual increase in the proportion of people unable to afford a healthy diet over the past
decade. The figure stood at approximately 31.5 per cent in 2017, rose sharply during the pandemic and remains elevated today despite economic recovery.
This suggests that while the economy has stabilised in many respects, household purchasing power has not recovered at the same pace. For many citizens, the economy may be growing on paper but shrinking in practice.
The hidden cost of food insecurity
Food insecurity is often viewed as a social issue. In reality, it is an economic issue. When households struggle to afford nutritious food, the effects ripple across the entire
economy.
Poor nutrition contributes to higher rates of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. These conditions increase healthcare expenditure, reduce workforce productivity and create additional strain on public resources.
The irony is that food insecurity does not always mean hunger. Many households can afford calories but cannot afford nutrition. Cheaper processed foods often become the default option because fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and healthier alternatives cost more. This creates a dangerous cycle where affordability challenges today become healthcare challenges tomorrow.
The Ministry of Health has repeatedly highlighted the country’s growing burden of noncommunicable diseases and nutrition remains one of the most significant contributing factors.
Why citizens feel economically stretched
One reason many citizens feel financially pressured despite relatively low headline inflation is that affordability is influenced by more than prices alone:
• Income growth matters;
• Productivity matters;
• Housing costs matter;
• Transportation costs matter; and
• Debt obligations matter;
Even if food inflation moderates, households may still feel worse off if wages remain stagnant while other living expenses continue rising.
The latest data suggests food inflation in Trinidad and Tobago has moderated significantly compared to historical peaks. However, affordability challenges remain because household incomes have not necessarily increased at the same rate as overall living costs.
This is why many citizens report working harder while feeling no closer to financial security. Economic pressure is increasingly becoming a middle-class issue rather than
solely a poverty issue. Many working professionals today are earning enough to survive but not enough to thrive.
The productivity connection
Food affordability is ultimately a productivity story. Countries that generate higher levels of productivity create higher wages. Higher wages improve purchasing power.
Improved purchasing power increases access to healthier lifestyles. This is why some of the world’s most successful economies focus relentlessly on productivity growth.
T&T has spent decades discussing diversification, innovation and competitiveness. Yet productivity remains one of our most significant challenges:
• If businesses are unable to produce more efficiently, they struggle to increase wages;
• If wages do not rise meaningfully, purchasing power stagnates;
• If purchasing power stagnates, affordability declines; and
The conversation about healthy diets is therefore not simply about food. It is about economic transformation.
A nation of consumers rather than producers
T&T’s food affordability challenge is also tied to its dependence on imported food. Estimates suggest that between 80 per cent and 90 per cent of the food consumed locally is imported, resulting in an annual food import bill that exceeds TT$6 billion. This exposes consumers to global supply chain disruptions, higher shipping costs, foreign exchange constraints and international commodity price fluctuations.
The impact was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent global inflationary period, when food prices rose sharply across international markets. Even today, many supermarket prices remain elevated despite easing inflation.
Food security therefore extends beyond agriculture. It is equally about improving productivity, reducing food waste, strengthening local supply chains and increasing domestic food production where economically viable. Building greater resilience into the food system will be critical if Trinidad and Tobago is to improve both food affordability and long-term economic sustainability.
The business community cannot ignore this
For businesses, these findings should not be viewed solely through a social responsibility lens. There are direct commercial implications. Consumers under financial pressure spend differently:
• They delay purchases;
• They trade down to cheaper alternatives;
• They reduce discretionary spending; and
• They become increasingly price sensitive.
This affects every sector from retail and hospitality to banking and real estate. A population struggling with affordability cannot drive sustained domestic demand.
Businesses therefore have a vested interest in supporting policies that improve productivity, increase wages and strengthen purchasing power. The long-term health of the private sector depends on the financial health of consumers.
What success should look like
The goal should not merely be reducing the percentage of citizens unable to afford a healthy diet. The goal should be building an economy where healthy choices become
the easiest choices.
That requires a coordinated approach involving government, private sector, agriculture, education and healthcare.
• It requires investment in productivity;
• It requires a stronger focus on skills development;
• It requires modernisation of food systems; and
• It requires improving the ease of doing business and creating conditions for higher-value economic activity.
Most importantly, it requires recognising that economic success is not measured solely by national accounts. It is measured by whether citizens can afford to live healthy, productive and dignified lives.
A final thought
Perhaps the most important takeaway from the recent United Nations report is that affordability has become the defining economic issue of our time.
Citizens are not asking whether the economy grew by one per cent or two per cent.
• They are asking whether they can afford groceries;
• Whether they can save money;
• Whether they can provide opportunities for their children; and
• Whether their standard of living is improving.
These are the questions that ultimately determine public confidence in an economy. If more than half a million people cannot afford a healthy diet, then the challenge before
us is not simply nutritional. It is economic.
And until growth reaches the dinner table, many citizens will continue to feel left behind regardless of what the headline numbers say.
Kirk Rampersad is a senior business and marketing executive who writes on marketing trends, consumer behaviour, innovation and strategic growth. Contact him at kirkram@hotmail.com
