The Cayman Islands is now the fastest-growing market for US food imports in the English-speaking Caribbean, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture.
Over the past decade, Cayman’s imports of food from the US have grown by an average of 8.1% per year – almost double the 4.7% growth rate seen across the wider Caribbean basin.
In 2024, the basin – comprising 37 countries including the Cayman Islands – imported a total of $5.47 billion in food from the US. Cayman accounted for 2.5% of that total, highlighting its significant share despite its small population and size.
That year alone, Cayman imported US$136.78 million in food from the US, not including live animals. That makes Cayman the 58th largest market globally for US food exports out of a total of 189 countries, and fourth among English-speaking Caribbean nations, behind Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and the Bahamas.
The rise in food imports reflects a deepening reliance on food from the US. Cayman imports more than 90% of its food, with around 80% of that coming either directly from the US or by passing through US ports. This leaves Cayman exposed to external economic and political shocks, including changes in US trade policy.
Changing demographics and dietary shifts
The sharp rise in US food imports is driven by a mix of demographic and economic factors. Data from the Economics and Statistics Office shows that population grew by 29.2% between 2010 and 2021 – an annual growth rate of 2.4%. What’s more, between the official census population reported in 2021 and the estimated population of 88,833 cited in the Economics and Statistics Office’s Labour Force Survey Fall 2024, Cayman’s population grew by another 25% in less than three years since the census. This growth is fueled largely by an expanding expatriate community with diverse dietary preferences.
At the same time, a rising standard of living and steady GDP growth which the World Bank says averaged 3.3% annually from 1992 to 2024 – have shaped a more affluent, urban population with increasing demand for imported goods.
Tourism and the high-end culinary sector also play a significant role. The hotels and restaurants sector is estimated to have grown by 12.6% in 2024 alone, contributing 3.6% to GDP, according to the Economics and Statistics Office. These industries require a wide range of specialty ingredients to cater to international visitors and luxury tastes, further driving food import growth.
The USDA data also reveals a concurrent shift in dietary patterns. Over the past 10 years, imports of processed and prepared meats from the US rose by more than 1,700%. Poultry imports (excluding eggs) grew by 201% and imports of beef and red meat increased by more than 70%.
Fruits and vegetables also saw 10-year growth – up 367% and 167%, respectively – but those increases were far outpaced by the rise in animal proteins and processed foods.
Data from Cayman’s Economics and Statistics Office shows that between 2023 and 2024, imports of fruits and vegetables grew by 10.5%, while imports of meat and meat preparations rose by 15.4%. Cereal imports increased by nearly 19% and products like coffee, tea, cocoa and spices jumped by almost 25%.
Exposure to shocks and government response
There are economic risks associated with a growing dependence on US food imports. With most food imports tied to the US, Cayman remains highly exposed to US trade decisions. If further tariffs are introduced – as proposed by President Donald Trump – American food producers could face higher costs for key agricultural inputs like fertiliser, animal feed and packaging. These increased costs are likely to be passed along the supply chain, resulting in higher export prices.
For Cayman, this could mean higher prices at the supermarket, even for food items that originate in other countries but are shipped through US ports.
In a previous interview with the Compass, Pamela Coke-Hamilton, executive director of the International Trade Centre – a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization – pointed to the structural fragility of Cayman’s food system. She noted that nearly all of the food consumed in Cayman is imported, as evidenced by a food trade deficit of US$139 million between 2019 and 2023.
The data has implications for Cayman’s long-term food strategy, looking not only at how much is imported, but what kind of food is consumed – and from where.
“It’s not that we have to grow all that we consume – but we must have access to food based on our preferences and dietary need,” said Demoy Nash, Acting Deputy Director at the Department of Agriculture, in a prior interview with the Compass. “In the Cayman Islands, we currently have that. But what makes food security an issue is the food source – where we derive our food from.”
In 2022, the government led by Agriculture Minister Jay Ebanks – launched the Food and Nutrition Security Policy, underpinned by targeted programmes including the National Egg Strategy (NEST), the nucleus breeding herd project, a land lease scheme and a backyard farming initiative. The Minister has also deepened trade ties with Jamaica.
Premier André Ebanks has also alluded to increased collaboration with other British Overseas Territories to strengthen food security.