Bermuda is in the middle of a food‑security crisis, and the latest figures published by The Royal Gazette should alarm every resident. According to data released by the Non‑Profit Alliance of Bermuda, the cost of feeding one person has risen from $177 in 2023 to $191 in 2025, even as the number of people receiving help has dropped by 16 per cent.

Owing to rapidly increasing costs, fresh meals distributed fell by 36 per cent, food vouchers by 46 per cent, and grocery bags by 14 per cent. This is not a system under pressure — it is a system buckling.

When fully employed Bermudians are waiting in line for food assistance, we are far past the point of incremental fixes. We need structural change — and we need it now. Charities are spending more and serving fewer people. Families are waiting for access to food.

Fully employed Bermudians — people doing everything “right” — are still unable to keep up with the cost of living. When more than 100 residents are waiting just to access a food pantry, the system is more than strained. It is breaking. And yet, even as charities stretch every dollar and volunteers work seven days a week, Bermuda continues to sideline community‑driven solutions that could ease pressure on the system.

The recent controversy over the inhumane treatment of feral chickens is an example. It is not just about animal welfare — it is about a government that refuses to engage and entertain practical, sustainable ideas that could reduce waste and strengthen food security.

About a year ago, members of a community group I belong to presented an alternative to addressing the feral chicken problem to the Government.

I have been told that we were not the only group that presented ideas. Our proposal was simple: redirect feral chickens into a regulated local egg and food source, creating the foundation for a small Bermudian‑owned business.

This would have reduced waste, supported food security, and turned a nuisance into a resource. The idea was dismissed outright. No consultation. No pilot. No willingness to further explore the concept with us. Meanwhile, reports continue to surface of sedated chickens being left behind — scavenged or simply wasted.

At a time when charities are rationing services and families are rationing meals, Bermuda cannot afford to keep rejecting solutions to secure a potential food source simply because they fall outside the Government’s comfort zone. We need a different approach — one that treats food security as a national priority, not an afterthought.

There are two potential but practical solutions we could consider implementing now.

We could launch a regulated “Food Recovery Pilot” using existing waste streams. This would allow vetted community partners to safely redirect edible surplus — including culled chickens, excess produce, and unused prepared foods — into the food-aid system. Many countries already do this, including the US, France, Spain and Britain.

These countries have established systems, legal frameworks, or government‑supported programmes that make surplus‑food redistribution a normal part of their food‑security strategy. If Bermuda was to do this it could reduce waste, lower costs for food‑aid providers, create micro‑enterprise opportunities and strengthen food resilience. It is low‑cost, high‑impact and entirely achievable.

Another idea is to establish a joint government-community food security task force — not another committee that rarely meets, but an actual working group with authority to co-ordinate food‑aid schedules, streamline procurement, negotiate bulk purchasing, identify new local food sources, support small‑scale agricultural and livestock initiatives. Some charities are already coordinating among themselves. They could benefit from a government partnership with real decision‑making power.

Bermuda is full of people offering solutions. Charities are innovating. Volunteers are stepping up. Community groups are proposing ideas that reduce suffering and create opportunity. Food security is not a luxury. It is not optional. It is the foundation of a stable, humane society. Ignoring viable proposals — whether they come from charities, entrepreneurs, or community groups — does nothing to move Bermuda forward.

We have an emerging crisis on our hands. Solutions exist but the question is whether the government will listen and act with urgency?

• Robin Tucker is the Shadow Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors and the One Bermuda Alliance MP for Hamilton South (Constituency 7)