39 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN APRIL 2021 THE CARIBBEAN INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE (CARIRI) Welcoming innovation The Food and Beverage Industry in Trinidad and Tobago is key to the economic wellbeing of the country. It is a key source of employment for many and has the potential to be a major foreign exchange earner. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has seen the importance of the industry intensify as many of those affected by job loss gravitate towards food manufacturing and food service related activities. The local Food and Beverage Industry is characterized by a large number of small enterprises and a few large operations. The country is still heavily dependent on food imports and Government is aggressively seeking to reduce the expenditure on imported food. As
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx