WILLEMSTAD - The Council of Ministers has approved the creation of an Interministerial Project Group on Food Security, a new body tasked with developing a coordinated national strategy to make Curaçao less vulnerable to disruptions in global food supply and price shocks.
The project group will operate under the leadership of the Ministry of Economic Development (MEO) but will bring together several ministries whose portfolios directly affect food access and production. This includes the ministries responsible for agriculture, public health, social development, and logistics.
Government Acknowledges Fragmented Approach Must End
With the establishment of this project group, the government formally recognizes that food security is a cross-sector issue. Until now, various initiatives—ranging from small-scale agricultural support to social assistance programs and import regulation—have operated separately.
The new structure aims to:
improve coordination between ministries,
align existing programs, and
eliminate policy fragmentation.
According to MEO, the group’s mandate includes evaluating how Curaçao can reduce dependence on food imports, strengthen local production, and identify points of vulnerability within the island’s logistical and supply chains.
Focus on Rising Prices and Household Impact
Another key component of the project group’s work will be analyzing how global price fluctuations impact Curaçaoan households. Food security is increasingly viewed not just as an economic challenge, but a social one, especially as the cost of living continues to rise.
The government wants to better understand:
how international market shocks translate to local supermarket prices,
which households are most affected, and
what policies can cushion the impact.
Part of Broader Regional Resilience Strategy
The creation of the project group aligns with wider regional developments. Earlier this year, the Kingdom of the Netherlands announced additional support for economic resilience in the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom, with food security identified as a core pillar.
Curaçao’s new project group places the island squarely within that regional policy direction.
Details Still to Come
While the decision has been approved, the concrete measures, funding, and implementation timeline have not yet been made public. The project group will be formally constituted in the coming period and tasked with producing policy proposals to guide future government action.
For now, the government describes the initiative as an important step toward ensuring that Curaçao’s population can access reliable, affordable, and sustainable food supplies—regardless of global uncertainty.