Successful Farm-based Initiatives in response to Climate

Change in the Caribbean: lessons and experiences from the

field

Caribbean Agriculture’s response to Climate Change

• Formal recognition began during CPACC 1997-2001

• Risk Management Training Seminar for the Agriculture and Water Sectors. July 10-12, 2002

• Global models were interpreted in the Caribbean context

• Institutional responses by IICA, FAO, CARDI, CTA etc.

• Research focused on increased temperature, Carbon Dioxide, salinization, extreme weather events

Caribbean Agriculture’s response to Climate Change

Adaptation – to climate change

“adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities”

• Majority of CARICOM countries contribute relatively insignificant amounts of emissions

• but are disproportionately vulnerable • Adaptation is therefore more important than

Mitigation

What do I mean by “successful” initiatives

• Those adaptations that addressed one or more of the environmental impacts of Climate Change on farm operations

• Success in the environmental sense. HOWEVER What we seek are Climate-Smart operations

that lead to ECOLOGICAL Success

ECOLOGICAL success

• The adaptations address the direct natural environmental impacts

• Success is not only farm-based • The Policy, Socio-Economic and Financial

environmental impacts are also addressed

LIVELIHOODS are improved

Our Goal is to find ways to replicate the very few cases of

ECOLOGICAL Success(the true test of Sustainability)

FAO Baseline survey of sustainable practices

• Conducted in Barbados and 6 ECS during 2011• “Sustainability” included environmental,

financial and socio-economic elements • The approach was not to determine the

prevalence or statistical significance of the employed practices but rather to seek out even isolated cases of sustainable operation

• The practices considered to be sustainable dealt with land clearing, erosion reduction and soil improvement. Additionally, water conservation as opposed to rainwater harvesting and storage was a central pursuit

• But were expanded to include the entire Agriculture Ecology

FAO Baseline survey of sustainable practices

Sustainability feature

• SOIL MANAGEMENT (Soil quantity, quality)

• Appropriate Land clearing technique used (to maintain biodiversity, conserve soil)

• Appropriate Building site selection • Building layout• Terracing

Use of plastic mulch in Antigua (weed control, soil water conservation)

• Contour ploughing• Crop cover• Direct planting ( reduced on slopes to reduce soil loss by

erosion)• Drainage (soil conservation, reduced runoff rate)• Green manure• Nutrient recycling• Composting• Crop rotation

Bawdens, Sedgepond (sloping) soil conservation

Water Management• Harvesting• Collection from guttering• Direct Collection from rainfall• Adequate Drainage (to limit waterlogging/flooding)• Irrigation method (efficient use of water)• Mulch (protecting soil moisture)• Green cover• Dispensing to animals (efficient presentation, proper storage)

Sustainability feature CROPPING PATTERN

• Crop appropriate for area/slope• Proper plant growth habit• Crop rotation

Sustainability feature BIODIVERSITY

• Land clearing method (retaining flora and fauna)

• Avoidance of monogenic strains/lines• Product mix (complex agro-ecological

zone) • Bio/cultural pest management

Sustainability feature CARBON FOOTPRINT

• Reduced Fossil fuel use• Reduced Electricity use• Renewable energy use• Solar• Wind (energy generation)• Waste reduction/less landfill use

Sustainability feature WASTE DISPOSAL

• Use of crop residue/waste/entrails• Composting• Scrap metal/building material• Waste water

Sustainability feature MARKETING ARRANGEMENTS

• Contract sales• Listed consumers• Cooperatives• Value chain involvement• GAP certification• Standards-driven production (Fairtrade etc)

Sustainability feature TENURE

• Freehold• Leasehold• Rental• None

Sustainability feature SOCIAL IMPACT

• Integration into neighbourhood• Community involvement

• The Study considered close to 2000 holdings/operations by GPS survey, geography, agricultural district, and importance of the major crop/product,

• yet there were VERY FEW examples of operations utilizing a full set of sustainable practices across environmental, financial and socio-economic spheres.

“One of the most important uses of this study could be the reintroduction of Good Agricultural Practices with a focus on Climate-Smart Agriculture that could, in one fell swoop, ensure the viability of the sector in a comprehensive way.”

CARDI APP Baseline data

• Producers in 14 countries were asked “Have you made changes to your operations as a result of the changing weather patterns

Changes to operation occasioned by weather

Knowledge of resilient cultivars

Awareness of improved Breeding Stock

Weather-related disruption to income stream

Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project

• Farmers practise soil and water conservation through contour farming; the use of grass barriers, check dams, hedgerows and windbreaks; minimum tillage practices, and application of mulch and other forms of green manure.

• Other practices include zero-grazing, maintenance of adequate drainage systems, strip cropping, maintaining ground cover, use of drip irrigation or micro-sprinklers, and rain water harvesting. Farmers have also diversified their production system to include a variety of crops,

Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project

• Water management practices among stakeholders include rainwater harvesting, drip irrigation and establishment of ponds and water catchments.

Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project

• In the Bahamas, systems have been developed for adaptation to various levels of soil salinization, atmospheric CO2 enrichment and increased temperatures. Systems have also been developed to use low quality (saline) water for irrigation.

Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project

• In Belize, local producers are using traditional knowledge and adoptable new technologies, including adjusting planting schedules, and applying alternative energy applications (solar water-irrigation pumps and solar powered electric livestock fencing, biogas) to reduce energy costs

Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project

• Most farmers have begun to adopt the use of protective structures (tropical green houses) and fertigation, post harvest technology and storage units (onion and grains) and silvo-pastoral systems (forage & protein banks) for sustainable production to respond to longer, drier, hotter temperatures and pest incidence increases.

Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project

• Farmers are now investing in the establishment of reliable water sources to cope with severe drought such as well and water catchment construction for crop irrigation and artificial lagoons with controlled valves for livestock producers.

Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project

• Climate change adaptation strategies also extend to the production of value added products by smallholders.

• For example the expansion of the Flowers Bank Community Group services to the commercial production of virgin cohune oil, and the production of other products such as soap, candles and activated charcoal

Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project

• Other examples of adaptation strategies practised by smallholders include organic production by the BelleVue Chopin organic farmers and greenhouse production of nursery crops at the Giraudel Flower Group’s headquarters in Dominica.

Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project

Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project

Compost making machine

Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project

Giraudel Nursery

Jamaica continues to lead the way in Protected Agriculture

Pond construction to provide solar-pumped water

Jamaica Bauxite Institute photos

German-Grenadian Pilot Programme on Integrated Climate Change Adaptation Strategies, funded by the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), implemented by the Environment Division of the Grenadian Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, GIZ and UNDP.

Temperature of compost after 2 weeks - 45.5 C

ECOLOGICAL success

• The adaptations address the direct natural environmental impacts

• Success is not only farm-based • The Policy, Socio-Economic and Financial

environmental impacts are also addressed

LIVELIHOODS are improved

Approaching Ecological Success

Lennox LampkinFull range of natural environment adaptationsWater/Soil/Biodiversity/TerracingSocio-economic reach using “new media”

contributions to schools, activist level involvement

Targeted marketing

The Caribbean Climate-Smart Agriculture The Caribbean Climate-Smart Agriculture projects focus on five general areas projects focus on five general areas

1. Adaptation through adoption of innovations and good agronomic practices

2. Mitigating the impacts of climate change3. Fostering community resilience through rural

entrepreneurship 4. Strengthening linkages between the agricultural/rural sector,

tourism and the environment5. Promoting the participation of farm families, women and

youth into the practice of Climate Smart agriculture.