Why does French Guiana import large quantities of meat and milk?

French Guiana must import large quantities of meat and milk primarily because its domestic production of these items is limited.1

While the territory maintains pastures that support cattle, pigs, and poultry, agriculture as a whole contributes only a small portion to the gross domestic product. The economy is heavily focused on services, manufacturing, and construction, with the majority of the labor force employed outside of the agricultural sector. Consequently, the territory relies on imports for most consumer goods, including food and agricultural products, resulting in a chronically unfavourable balance of trade.1