How local agriculture can meet the challenges of improving the nutritional quality of food and reducing environmental impact in Guadeloupe (CALALOU)

Background and challenges

Over the last few decades, Guadeloupe has been confronted with public health problems with increasing rates of obesity and chronic diseases linked to diet. The inadequacy of diets in relation to nutritional recommendations, particularly for the most disadvantaged populations, helps to explain these high prevalences. However, work carried out as part of the ANR NuTWInd project has highlighted, among the consumption profiles identified, a so-called "traditional" profile of very good overall nutritional quality, with high consumption of fish, fruit, vegetables and tubers.

Guadeloupe is a territory where the agricultural sector is highly specialised in export crops (sugar cane and banana), and the local supply of products for the domestic market cannot cover the demand, 80% of which is imported. In addition to the geo-climatic constraints of agriculture, there are socio-economic and environmental constraints that hinder the island's ability to meet its own food needs.

In view of these urgent public health and nutrition issues, developing local agriculture to meet the nutritional and health needs of the Guadeloupean population is a priority.

Goals

The objective is to develop an innovative “fork to farm" approach that will allow the analysis of the potential and feasibility of a relocation of food production in Guadeloupe with a view to improving the nutritional quality of this food and reducing its environmental impact. The aim is to:

1.  identify the necessary and possible changes to improve the nutritional quality of food for the general population and for school catering using local products;
2. study consumer preferences for these local products and the capacity of stakeholders to coordinate to meet the demand of school canteens;
3. define scenarios of increased demand for local agricultural production;
4. model these scenarios in order to assess the impact of these changes on the organisation of production systems;
5. quantify the environmental impacts that would result from this relocation of food production.

Partners

• Montpellier Interdisciplinary center on sustainable agri-food systems
• Unité de recherche AgroSystèmes Tropicaux
• Laboratoire d'Etudes et de Recherches en Economie sur les Structures et Marchés Agricoles, Ressources et Territoires
• Technologies & méthodes pour les agricultures de demain
• EcoDéveloppement
• Plateforme Expérimentale sur le végétal et les agrosystèmes innovants en milieu tropical