Bryan Proposes Restricting Food Stamps to Healthy Choices, Sees Farm Bill as Vital for Reviving Agriculture in USVI

At a recent meeting of governors in Washington to discuss priorities for the upcoming federal Farm Bill, Governor Albert Bryan highlighted challenges facing the territory's agricultural sector and expressed his hopes for support through new legislation.

Mr. Bryan was the co-chair of the Community Investment Task Force session at the 2024 Winter Meeting of the National Governors Association. During the meeting last Saturday, he noted that while the Virgin Islands is considered rural America, only 3% of food consumed locally is currently produced within the territory.

The USVI has set itself the ambitious goal of increasing food production to meet 35% of consumption levels by 2040 in order to address high food costs and affordability issues for residents. However, farming in the Virgin Islands faces significant pressures, including limited access to crop insurance, multi-year drought, and the impacts of climate change – most painfully felt in 2017 as two powerful hurricanes toppled much of the territory’s infrastructure and vegetation. Mr. Bryan called for the new Farm Bill to address these challenges and support the islands' agricultural revival.

“Part of this is about inclusiveness, remembering that the territories are part of America, they’re your America,” he told his fellow governors, noting that VI farmers are not covered by federal crop insurance programs.