Documenting Changing Food Prices in New Providence Bahamas 2017-2023
The objective of this study was to compare differences in food availability and food prices between 2017 & 2023, a 5-year span of time, inclusive of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study collected primary data directly from stores, in New Providence, Bahamas. Findings from our study reveal significant increases in the cost of all food items, except for pigeon peas, which remained stable, and sugar, which experienced a decline in price. Previous research has consistently demonstrated that rising food prices have a substantial impact on consumers’ perceptions, lifestyles, and consumption patterns. As a result, many individuals are forced to make compromises in their food choices to adapt to these price increases (Karpyn et al., 2021). These compromises in consumption patterns have far-reaching consequences, particularly for socially and economically marginalized families. For some households, these compromises have led to health crises, increased levels of hunger and malnutrition (Cordero-Ahiman et al., 2018), poor academic performance (Weaver et al., 2020), and low school attendance (Tamiru & Belachew, 2017), among other challenges.