HURRICANE Melissa’s extreme strength forced the interruption of school feeding programmes, damaged agricultural land and caused an economic disruption of food availability. Jamaica entered 2026 with the national spirit of restoration and recovery, but the country has two jobs ahead – rebuilding what was destroyed and making healthy food policies and systems resilient to future disasters.

After all, there is a bright light among the rubble. Recently, Jamaica advanced several policies, including the approval and commencement of implementation of the National School Nutrition Policy. The objective of the policy is to create healthier, safer and more supportive school food environments for children’s development and learning, and establish minimum nutrition standards for the sale and provision of food in schools. It also provides the framework for school feeding programmes, prioritising unprocessed, nutrient-rich foods. However, a policy on paper does not inherently withstand the impact of a category-five shock; Melissa revealed a disparity between the design of policy and the reality of climate risk.

When the storm hits the plate

Unfortunately, the impact of natural disasters on the local agriculture sector has been severe. Currently there is a threat of food insecurity with shortages of fresh produce and meats which schools, markets and households heavily rely on. Furthermore, increased costs due to decreased availability of fresh foods is a stark reality facing our households.

How does this relate to children and school food environments? First, the breakdown of supply chains is typically followed by hunger and scarcity. To fill the gap created by this shortage, the marketplace often turns to ultra-processed and shelf stable foods that are inexpensive, easy to transport and quickly distributed. Though a viable temporary solution in emergency contexts, this may potentially reverse many of the positive trends in children’s diets and create less protective school food environments. Second, the use of sponsorship, donation, branded educational materials and digital marketing by the food industry targeting children is likely to increase unless governments, schools and communities maintain strong standards and procurement practices.

Climate resilience

To protect children’s health during future shocks, nutrition policies must be deliberately designed for resilience. Using the policy as an example, one practical strategy is to incorporate disaster-risk planning directly in the framework, including approved emergency menus, safe food storage guidelines and procurement procedures for substitutes when supplies are disrupted. Linking food procurement to investments for food storage, processing and transportation would help ensure food continues to move after storms occur. Lastly, eliminating policy loopholes that allow food and beverage companies to access schools via donations, sponsorships or branded “relief” packages that are essentially marketing to children, would be beneficial in maintaining a firewall between emergency relief and commercial marketing.

These suggestions require coordinated effort among our education, health and agriculture ministries, as well as prior investment. Jamaica’s emergency portal and recovery plans demonstrate the government’s commitment to recovery and social protection systems; thus creating an opportunity for embedding nutrition and health continuity into disaster planning.

Health on the frontlines

Natural disasters also have human impacts beyond empty shelves and damaged crops. Increased psychological stress and disruptions in chronic care continuum are just a few, which exacerbate the risk of using maladaptive coping mechanisms. Individuals with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are especially vulnerable when their daily routines are disrupted, particularly access to healthcare providers, medications and healthy food supplies. Mental health problems like anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder can further compromise the individual’s capacity to self-manage long-term conditions. Therefore, any resilience plan that fails to consider the needs of individuals living with NCDs and in low lying, flood-prone or remote communities will undoubtedly deepen existing health inequities.

What can we then do to respond to immediate needs and build long-term resilience to protect future generations?

*Protect care continuum by ensuring that essential medications such as insulin and antihypertensives are included in emergency distribution points and properly coordinated to ensure ongoing supply to those in need. Provide mobile clinics and community health teams for affected areas.

*When possible, provide food relief packages with fresh or minimally processed foods. Food assistance programmes should be designed to meet the nutritional requirements of children and avoid in-kind relief that includes sugary beverages or ultra-processed snacks.

*Expand community-based psychosocial services in conjunction with food and shelter responses, to assist in recovery and chronic disease management.

Short-term solutions assist with immediate relief efforts, but ultimately no plan is complete without considering both the short and longer-term challenges that exist with developing comprehensive recovery and preparedness plans:

*Promote the use of resilient seeds and climate smart agriculture as a first line of defence against extreme weather events.

*Invest in post-harvest infrastructure related to processing, storing, transporting, etc, of produce; this will allow more of what is grown to be available at schools and markets in a safe and secure manner once the natural disaster has passed.

*Revise existing school feeding contracts and disaster procurement policies to meet nutrition standards and prohibit branded marketing tied to product donations.

*Integrate social protection and health systems by providing targeted cash or food assistance to households with NCDs or those in high-risk areas, ensuring timely access to medications and nutritious foods during crises.

As we move forward, let’s not lose focus as the goal is not merely better manuals or built infrastructure, but redefining our thoughts of food policy, to be a dynamic system designed to protect health when there are shocks to the system. Jamaica’s National School Nutrition Policy is a powerful foundation. Its promise will be realised only if it is paired with investments that shore up local agriculture, protect supply chains and keep children’s nutrition and health at the centre of emergency planning.

As costly and painstaking rebuilding is, this is our once-in-a-generation opportunity to redesign our food systems to be healthier, fairer and more resilient. Using the opportunity to link schools, farmers, health services and emergency planning, Jamaica can emerge from the disaster with stronger protections for future generations.

Rosanna Pike is a nutritionist and advocacy officer, Global Health Advocacy Project. E-mail ghapjm@gmail.com.

Rosanna Pike.