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Dr. Robinson of the Dept. of Life Sciences Bats for Breadfruit

"After more than 225 years in the Caribbean, despite the fact that it has achieved culinary and cultural significance, the breadfruit remains largely a neglected and underutilised species.

Dr Dwight Robinson, head of the Department of Life Sciences, The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus, acknowledged this egregious oversight during last week’s launch of The Breadfruit Germplasm Collection at The University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, by Professor Laura B. Roberts-Nkrumah.

Robinson, in his review of the book, lamented the fact that lessons that should have been well learnt by now are still being ignored by the region.

“A section I found most interesting describes the fruit in some places as a food of gods and kings that was brought into the Caribbean as potential food for enslaved ancestors, many of whom rejected it and instead promoted its use for feeding pigs and poultry,” he told the audience at the Multifunction Room, the Mona Library, The UWI.

“When I read the section that spoke of the difficulty the breadfruit had competing with imported staples like rice and flour, I thought the more things change, the more they remain the same. As was the case when the breadfruit was only given attention when there was a food shortage because of embargo on food shipments to punish those who harboured any thought of being independent, so was the case in the past, and if we do not take heed, so shall the case be in the future,” he warned. "

 

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Published on 12 Sep, 2019

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