Exploring Historical Impacts on Health and Environment: Barbados' Reparations Discussion

The government moved on Wednesday to expand the conversation on climate reparations, with a new focus on how the legacy of slavery and colonialism affects today’s environmental and health crises.

During a discussion held by the Office of Reparations and Economic Enfranchisement alongside the Barbados Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Commission, experts explored connections between historical exploitation, NCDs and climate change.

The event shed light on research by Ria Harrison and Kali Grant: exploring the historical impacts of slavery and colonialism on environmental security, climate change, and health in Barbados.

Programme advisor Rodney Grant emphasised the importance of widening the reparations debate, explaining that the office’s role was to gather intelligence through research and discussions.

“We are not at the forefront, but we are at the point where we gather intelligence… by doing discussions and exploratory missions,” he noted, adding that reparations must be tackled from multiple angles, including environmental, health, and institutional impacts.

Grant explained that the research flagged several areas for further investigation, including agriculture, deforestation, and NCDs.

He raised the possibility of exploring how the unhealthy diets imposed during slavery, such as excessive use of salt and sugar, might have long-term health impacts on Barbadians today.

“We may or may not find a link between that and this modern contemporary issue of NCDs,” he said: “but it’s important enough for us to discuss it.”

The link between health and reparations was further reinforced by Chairman of the Barbados NCD Commission, Suleiman Bulbulia, who described the partnership between the two organisations as crucial in addressing Barbados’ NCD crisis.

“Eighty-three per cent of our deaths are attributed to NCDs,” Bulbulia said, calling it a national health emergency.

He noted the significant financial burden, with NCDs consuming 65 per cent of the budget of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Bulbulia also acknowledged how historical factors, including the poor diets and environmental degradation from slavery, have contributed to the current health challenges.

“We recognise that a great deal of our lifestyle habits… are rooted in the period of enslavement,” he said, adding that the degradation of land for sugar cultivation and reliance on imported, ultra-processed foods also play a role.

The research presented by Harrison and Grant, titled Historical Linkages Between Slavery, Colonialism, and Threats to Environmental Security Within Barbados and Small Island Developing States, examined how slavery’s legacy continues to influence health and environmental security.

Bulbulia referenced Dr Kenneth Connell, deputy chair of the NCD Commission, who pointed out that the overuse of sugar and salt in the diets of enslaved people, along with alcohol consumption, has had lasting effects on Barbadian health.

He further explained that these poor dietary habits have persisted over generations, contributing to high rates of NCDs.

“We recognise that a great deal of our lifestyle habits today, which we sometimes call our culture, are rooted in the period of enslavement,” Bulbulia said.

He also cited further research, explaining how trauma experienced during slavery may have had a genetic impact on subsequent generations.

This study, according to Bulbulia, underscores the need for reparations to address both historical and contemporary challenges.

Grant concluded that while the discussion may not definitively link NCDs and reparations, it was an essential starting point in understanding the broader impacts of slavery and colonialism.

“It’s about repair… in respect to education, health, climate, and more,” he said.

The partnership, according to Grant, is a step towards creating a comprehensive approach to reparations that addresses the many dimensions of the legacy of slavery. (SM)