National Security Strategy of Belize • • • • • Develop sustainable partnerships with NGOs, regional and international agencies for specialist training in agriculture and manufacturing Import-Export; A national energy conservation campaign; An import substitution strategy; Enable small business owners to benefit from agriculture and energy industries; Develop a “Buy Belizean” campaign; • Promote the diversification of energy sources and supplies by fostering diversity of sources of energy supply and modes/routes of transit so as to lessen the impact of supply disruptions, whether they are natural or man-made; • Work with other oil producing countries to respond to supply disruptions, particularly through the use of strategic petroleum stocks; • Pursue dialogue with major oil-producing countries to maintain responsible production policies to support a growing world economy and to reduce oil market price volatility; • Work with other countries to reduce global dependence on oil and develop alternative energy sources; • Adapt new technologies to increase production of basic food products such as corn, beans and rice for self-sufficiency and export; • Provide low interest rate loans to farmers and entrepreneurs in the food industry to enhance production and sustainability; • Implement an import substitution campaign to promote locally grown food products to reduce importation; • Increase volume of exports to reduce trade deficits and generate foreign exchange earnings; • Provide skills training for entrepreneurs in agro-industries; • Provide finance for research and training in agriculture; • Provide subsidy for agricultural inputs to reduce costs of production, hence, costs of living; • Take advantage of natural resources with comparative advantages to produce food at competitive prices; • Promote the use of alternate energies to reduce uce costs and dependency on fossil fuel. fuel The Strategy 28