Decreasing Food Insecurity & Improving Community Health With Zest Wellness
Thus far, the COVID-19 pandemic has been an unwelcome phenomenon that currently threatens food security and nutrition for millions of people worldwide. In an extended timeframe, the Coronavirus, along with correlated mitigating measures that countries have implemented, has disrupted the food supply chain’s functioning. This disruption has been severe for smaller nations that depend heavily on imports, such as the Caribbean. According to The United Nations Policy Brief “The Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition”, such disruption in the supply chain can limit a small nation (that depends on imports) access to fruits and vegetables, resulting in negative consequences for its citizen’s health and nutrition.
“Colonial has a tremendous reputation for being a wellness-oriented organization when it comes to wellness, demonstrated with the creation of The ZEST Wellness Garden Society.”
Colonial has a tremendous reputation for being a wellness-oriented organization when it comes to wellness, demonstrated with the creation of The ZEST Wellness Garden Society. A Kitchen Garden was erected in the Autumn season of 2018, bearing crops such as eggplants, radishes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, butternut squash, beets, tomatoes, and rosemary. During the course of the year, members of The ZEST Garden Society are trained and taught gardening techniques that will help them plant, grow, protect, and harvest crops, to build the confidence within them to create their own home gardens. It is also important to note that Home Gardening and Nutrition Education has been identified as a means to decrease food insecurity and improve community health (“Building on traditional gardening to improve household food security” by Mr. Robin March, Agricultural Economist of the Food and Agriculture Organization).
On the 11th June 2020, Colonial Garden Society harvested its third round of crops and coordinated a “FREE Produce Giveaway” drive that provided twenty-four (24) employees with an assortment of vegetables, herbs, and fruits. The produce bags included purple eggplants rich in vitamins and minerals that aid in digestion and heart health, and a bushel of rosemary that packs a sweet aroma. The event was a success as employees utilized the time to not only collect their FREE Produce Bags but also socialize with their fellow colleagues.
“The event was a success as employees utilized the time to not only collect their FREE Produce Bags but also socialize with their fellow colleagues.”
Events such as “The FREE Produce Giveaway” is just one of the wellness initiatives created and hosted by Colonial Group ZEST Wellness Team. The ultimate goal of Colonial Group is to change the perception and increase the awareness of wellness not only in The Bahamas but throughout the wider Caribbean.
