Puerto Rico imports around 85% of the food it consumes — a dependency that hurricanes have made painfully clear time and again. A home garden doesn't replace the supermarket, but it gives families something the system can't guarantee: fresh food steps from the kitchen, all year long.
A dependency we already know too well
After Hurricane María, supply chains took weeks to normalize, and fresh produce was among the first things to run out. The FAO and the local Department of Agriculture have agreed for years: increasing local production — including household and urban gardening — is an essential part of the island's food resilience.
What a home garden can actually guarantee
Herbs for sofrito, fresh salads, hot peppers, culantro, and short-cycle vegetables: foods your family eats every day that don't depend on a ship or a highway. In emergencies, established raised beds with root vegetables like sweet potato and plantain provide real calories right in the backyard.
Savings and freshness as an everyday effect
Beyond emergencies, the everyday impact adds up: fresh herbs are among the most expensive items by weight at the supermarket, and growing them at home costs pennies. The freshness is absolute — from plant to table in minutes, with no cold chain involved.
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Sources
Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture; FAO Caribbean food security profiles.