In recent months, anyone buying eggs, or baked goods containing eggs, has suffered a shock. At one point last month, the price of a dozen eggs from a local brand importing them from the United States was going up by a dollar a week.

While the spiralling cost of eggs has received considerable attention, this is not the first time this year that our supermarket shelves have been affected by events overseas, and we are only in April.

In January, when wildfires ripped their way through parts of Southern California with tragic human consequences, they also destroyed significant amounts of the state’s agriculture. This led to bare berry shelves in some of our local supermarkets. There have also been severe shortages of bananas in recent years.

These events are reminders of what can happen when Bermuda is too reliant on food imports. The spread of pests and disease, as well as anticipated impacts from climate change, mean that such events will not only happen again, but are likely to become more frequent.

Of course, Bermuda’s food imports aren’t impacted only by avian flu and the weather. Geopolitical events are also likely to continue to push up imported food prices, in particular the threatened US tariffs, and the US Ships Act, which would impose huge docking fees on Chinese-built or Chinese-flagged vessels, such as Bermuda Container Line’s MV Oleander. While work is being done behind the scenes to mitigate this risk, work also needs to be done to ensure we have adequate supplies of nutritional necessities at home, such as eggs, to minimise the impact of these types of events.

The Government has recently highlighted the importance of food security and has pledged to take action to support this. In its 2025 election platform, the Progressive Labour Party stated its commitment to “promote the 100 per cent utilisation of arable land” and to incorporate food production “into select underutilised public spaces for food security, community gardens and hubs”.

The Government has also proposed the construction of a new agriculture services centre to accommodate increased local food production capacity. While the $14.4 million price tag for this centre is concerning, we applaud the recognition that we need to do more to promote food security in Bermuda.

Not only must we all get behind such initiatives, but we need to do more. This will not be easy, especially where agricultural land is on private property, but we implore landowners to appreciate the benefits and allow the island to benefit from them economically, environmentally and socially.

Expanding agriculture would benefit Bermuda economically because an increase in viable farmed land has the potential to improve local food production, leading to job opportunities and less reliance on imports.

This can also help us environmentally because growing our own food means less shipping and waste, and well-managed farmland can absorb carbon dioxide, prevent soil erosion and support wildlife such as bees and birds. Farmland also contributes to our “green space”, which has been shown to promote mental and physical wellbeing.

From a social perspective, Bermuda has a distinguished agricultural history and culture, with techniques, traditions and trade secrets being handed down for generations. Farmed land can provide the next generation with the opportunity to learn these skills along with others, such as conservation and healthy nutrition. It is also important that our local markets and farming co-operatives bring Bermuda’s communities together.

Getting underused agricultural land back into production is going to require investment in infrastructure, irrigation and soil rehabilitation, but if we are going to produce more food locally and increase our food security, it must be done.

The first thing that must happen is to refuse any development applications that propose to encroach upon agricultural land. Many planning applications include encroachments into agricultural setbacks, which — even if seemingly small — result in the chipping away of the protections. This must not be allowed to continue.

Further, where development is to be carried out in proximity to agricultural land, developers must be made to put processes in place that prevent that land from coming to any harm. If cement is being mixed on the agricultural land, or trash from the development is being dumped there, it could harm it significantly.

Furthermore, we propose incentives to encourage landowners to put their agricultural land back into production — either themselves or by allowing farmers to do it for them. Perhaps even some land tax relief could be given for the buildings on the parcel of land where an agricultural reserve is being used for food production.

Other initiatives which could support increased food production, but which will require more comprehensive and longer-term strategies, would be to turn some government-owned parkland into farmland, and to find more ways to encourage Bermudians to consider careers in agriculture. This would allow us to make best use of all the available land.

Importing foreign labour to work on farms is expensive, and the farmers we have spoken to would much rather employ Bermudians — but there aren’t enough people who are willing or qualified to do the work. This could change with apprenticeship programmes and tax relief. Such incentives could include removing the land tax on chicken coops or providing tax relief on fuel for farm vehicles and machinery. If farming becomes more profitable, more people would be encouraged to take it up.

For farmers unable to find the local labour they need, the Government could consider short-term, less costly work permits to cover their busy season between October and July. This cost saving could then be passed on to the consumer.

However, none of this would work if Bermuda’s residents don’t support local farmers by buying seasonal, locally grown produce from farm shops, farmers’ markets, roadside stalls or local supermarkets. Please buy local produce to support our farmers.

Residents who don’t already grow their own fruit and vegetables, or keep their own chickens, could do so. Bermuda’s climate is ideal for raising chickens, and just ten square feet of space is considered a luxury for two chickens. If more space is available, a moveable chicken coop can do two jobs. When placed over weeds, the chickens will gobble them up. Their faeces can also be used to fertilise home-grown produce.

This is not the same as feeding feral chickens, however, and we strongly advise against that.

Even if you don’t have the time for a full vegetable garden, consider a more passive crop such as bananas, which grow here in abundance. They are literally a low-hanging fruit! Other fruit trees that grow well in Bermuda include citrus, avocado, mango and sugar apple.

Bermuda, this is nothing new. Let’s get back to growing our own food, raising our own chickens and supporting our own farmers. We must also save the precious little agricultural land we have left before it’s too late. Without decisive action, food shortages and price hikes will only become more frequent.

• Kim J. Smith is the executive director of Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce