Good nutrition of a population is central to national
development not only as a social good but also from
an economic standpoint. Coordinated sectoral actions
are required to best address the nutrition-related 
problems.  This issue of Cajanus calls attention to two
important sectors – agriculture and education and 
concludes with a presentation of the priorities and
strategic approaches required to improve nutrition,
health and national development.

In issuing the Nassau Declaration in 2001, the Caribbean
Heads of Government pronounced that "the health of a
region is the wealth of the region". This Declaration stood
on three pillars: non-communicable diseases (NCDs),
HIV/AIDS and Mental Health. Previous issues of Cajanus
have elaborated on the critical role of nutrition in NCDs
and AIDS.  This issue draws attention to the little known,
but essential, role of nutrition in mental health.

Food poisoning at a local food festival or tourism event, convulsions resulting from unscrupulous peddling of harmful food supplements and the unfettered consumption of “empty calories” from vending machines are images that we cannot allow to be a regular part of the Caribbean consciousness. This issue   of CAJANUS gives focus to these aspects of food safety where regulation may need to be introduced or enforced.

The focus of this issue of Cajanus is the obesity epidemic in the Caribbean. The strategies needed to fight obesity in light of the dimensions of the obesity problem in the Caribbean are discussed extensively. The reported findings will inform scholarly research on the subject.

This issue of CAJANUS is based on a report on food and nutrition security in CARIFORUM countries prepared by the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI) for the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in August 2007.