This is the first in an ongoing series from Bermuda's Food Sovereignty Forum which aims to highlight the importance of food sovereignty for Bermuda's future. This series will feature opinion pieces from farmers, activists, community leaders and residents across the island, sharing the challenges, opportunities and solutions on the path towards a more resilient, self-sufficient food system. To learn more or get involved e-mail the committee at foodforumbda@gmail.com

Right now, as we all know, Bermuda’s food system is deeply dependent on imports. Estimates suggest that we produce only about ten per cent of the food that we consume, while roughly 90 per cent of it arrives by ship or plane. On the surface, our import system may seem highly convenient. However, it also makes us extremely vulnerable. When global supply chains are disrupted, whether by politics, pandemics, wars, climate events, or economic crises, our access to food can be affected almost immediately. Food insecurity is not only about global crises, it also exists within our community.

Last November, a group of key stakeholders organised the Food Sovereignty Forum, which brought together farmers, activists, community leaders, and residents who care deeply about the future of food on this island.

This act reflects a growing movement of Bermudians who are asking a simple, but profound question: how do we build a food system that nourishes everyone? One that ensures access to nutritious and affordable food, supports local production, reduces our dependence on imports and ensures that the food we grow and produce is shared equitably across our communities.

When we talk about food sovereignty, we are talking about something much bigger than agriculture. We are talking about resilience, self-determination and the future of Bermuda. Food sovereignty means that people have the right to control their own food systems, such as how food is grown, how it is distributed, and how it nourishes the community. It means food is treated not simply as a commodity, but as a human right and a shared responsibility.

Research from the Non-Profit Alliance of Bermuda Food Security Report found that during the pandemic, 11 per cent of residents were reported to be skipping meals, two per cent of the population went an entire day without eating and 17 per cent were reported eating less preferred foods because they could not access what they needed. These numbers remind us that food insecurity is not something that happens somewhere else. It happens here, often quietly, behind closed doors, in households and dinner tables across our island.

Food is a fundamental part of the cost-of-living challenge that many Bermudians face. At the Cost of Living Summit last year, discussions highlighted how heavily food costs affect household budgets. Because most of our food is imported, prices are directly impacted by shipping costs, fuel prices, global inflation, and supply chain disruptions. When those external costs rise, Bermudian families feel it immediately at the grocery store. Our food system is not only vulnerable, it is expensive.

Many organisations have stepped forward to respond to immediate needs through food distributions, mutual aid networks, and community support. Those efforts are essential, and they demonstrate the power of caring for the community.

But food sovereignty asks us to go further. It asks us not only how we respond to hunger, but how we transform the system that creates vulnerability in the first place. Food sovereignty challenges us to rethink our relationship with land, with agriculture, and with each other. What would Bermuda look like if we truly committed to feeding ourselves?

This is part of the vision of food sovereignty: a Bermuda that produces more of its own food, protects and restores its agricultural land, supports local farmers, reconnects people with nature, creates opportunities for the next generation and ensures that everyone has equitable access to healthy, nutritious food.

Food sovereignty does not mean that Bermuda must produce everything we eat. It means building a food system that is more resilient, sustainable, democratic, locally rooted, and just, and ensuring that the people who depend on that system have a voice in shaping it.

Imagine farmland treated as essential infrastructure, protected and supported the same way we protect our roads and hospitals. Imagine every parish and neighbourhood with thriving community gardens. Imagine schools where children learn not only maths and science, but also how to grow food. Imagine rooftops, backyards, and unused spaces across the island producing fresh food for our communities. Imagine young people seeing agriculture not as something from the past, but as part of Bermuda’s future.

Food sovereignty does not mean that Bermuda must isolate itself from the world. Imports will always play some role in our food system. But sovereignty means we are not completely dependent. It means we build resilience, we develop the capacity to nourish ourselves even when global systems falter, and it means reconnecting with traditions that once sustained this island.

For generations, Bermudians relied more heavily on fishing, farming, and sharing food within their communities. These practices were not only economic but were also cultural. They strengthened relationships between people, the land and the sea. Rebuilding those systems is not about going backward. It is about moving forward in a way that is more resilient, more equitable, and more sustainable.

The path towards food sovereignty will not be simple. Bermuda faces real challenges: limited land, high costs and competing development pressures. But innovation, co-operation and community leadership can expand what is possible.

Food sovereignty is not a single programme or policy. It is a long-term transformation that requires farmers, policymakers, educators, organisers, retailers, wholesalers, and everyday residents to work together. Most importantly, it requires a shift in how we think about food. We have to stop seeing food as something that simply arrives here. We must start seeing food as something we collectively source, grow, protect, and share.

To work towards food sovereignty we should strive to increase local food production, reduce reliance on imported food, improve access to affordable healthy food, protect agricultural land, and preserve traditional and heritage foods. As well as strengthening community gardens, supporting and training new farmers, increasing youth involvement in agriculture, improving policies affecting farming and food production. These goals represent not just ideas, but a shared vision for Bermuda’s food future.

Over the coming months, you will read opinion pieces from various voices in the community about the current challenges, but also the opportunities and solutions in making Bermuda food sovereign.

We want to hear what you have to say. We want to hear your experiences and we want to continue building this vision together. Because at its heart, food sovereignty is about more than agriculture. It is about dignity. It is about resilience. It is about community. If we commit to that vision together, we can build a food system that reflects the values of Bermuda — one rooted in co-operation, sovereignty, and of course, love.

• Aaron Crichlow is the founder of Bermuda Is Love (Registered Charity 1051), leading efforts to ensure everyone’s basic needs are met through justice and collective care. He is also a lawyer and philosopher, with a focus on human rights, dignity and human flourishing