Growing up in Puerto Rico, apoya lo local echoed as an anthem. It was and still is a homage to our ancestral resilience in the face of Spanish dominion and American influence. Yet within the supermarkets aisle, we all faced a conundrum. In the meticulously arranged produce section, the yuca and ame marked with Hecho en Puerto Rico, the seal of our homelands sweat and toil, competed against the far more affordably priced imports.

On the island, the simple act of grocery shopping metamorphosed into a decision fraught with economic implications. Backing our roots was often a very expensive form of activism.

Puerto Rico faces a sobering reality today: Even with a tropical climate that allows farmers to grow food year-round, the island imports more than 80% of its food, leaving its people, including farmers and chefs, at the mercy of outside powers, such as the Jones Act . Established in the 1920s, this law mandates that maritime cargo transport between U.S. ports be exclusively handled by ships owned and operated by the U.S., resulting in increased shipping costs to Puerto Rico and other non-continental U.S. lands that rely on these imports. The act has been cited repeatedly over the years as a factor in the islands economic and budgetary troubles .

In addition, the higher shipping costs associated with the Jones Act have put Puerto Rican farmers at a competitive disadvantage, straining the economic viability of local agriculture and leading to reduced production and higher prices for consumers on the island. Many Boricuas (Puerto Ricans) cant afford to apoyar lo local (support local) or, more transparently, pay a premium to buy from the local producers. The island has been in an economic recession since 2006 .

Though agriculture once thrived, employing a significant portion of the workforce on the island, it now accounts for less than 1% of Puerto Ricos gross domestic product (GDP). Natural disasters, such as hurricanes Maria and Irma, as well as multiple earthquakes further exposed the vulnerability of the islands imported food supply chains, propelling the need for a more sustainable approach.

Boricuas have never sat idly by, especially during the challenges that the last decade has brought. In fact, visionary Puerto Rican farmers and chefs across various sectors are leading a transformative movement to combat the islands food import dependency.