Guyana Fully Self-Sufficient in Food, Burnham Policies Highlighted

Guyana has been identified as the only country out of 186 surveyed to be fully self-sufficient in all seven major food groups, according to a 2025 study published in Nature Food. This means the country can feed its entire population without relying on imported food.

Vincent Alexander, Chair of the Forbes Burnham Foundation, noted in a letter to the editor that this achievement goes beyond the concept of food security, which focuses on the capacity to acquire sufficient food. “Self-sufficient speaks to a sufficiency of food, which is home grown. Guyana therefore seems to be not only food secure, but not reliant on foreign supplies for its food security/self-sufficiency,” he wrote.

Alexander emphasized that achieving food security requires growing local food, supporting community gardens, buying locally, eating sustainably, and understanding the principles of availability, access, utilization, and stability.

Reflecting on Guyana’s history, Alexander credited the policies of the Burnham regime for laying the groundwork for the country’s current self-sufficiency. Under Forbes Burnham’s administration (1964–1985), the government pursued a strong policy of national self-reliance, focusing on agricultural development to reduce dependency on imports.

Through initiatives such as the Feed, Clothe and House the Nation plan, the administration supported farmers, promoted locally produced staples like rice and cassava, and encouraged citizens to “eat what you grow.” Investments in infrastructure, including irrigation and drainage projects like the Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary scheme, expanded cultivable land and boosted crop yields. While implementation was uneven and some measures contributed to economic challenges, Burnham’s policies laid the foundation for Guyana’s long-term self-sufficiency.

“Guyana therefore owes a debt of gratitude to the Burnham regime for its foresight and leadership, which built the foundation for what is now being declared, but not necessarily acknowledged, since politicking and revisionism trumps honesty and gratitude,” Alexander wrote. He added that the policy of self-sufficiency could serve as a pillar for national unity and the development of a shared national destiny.

CARICOM has targeted 2030 as the timeline for the achievement of food security across the region, but Alexander’s commentary underscores Guyana’s position as a leader in the pursuit of sustainable, homegrown food production.