Caribbean Farmers Network @gmail.com “ S ustainable Agriculture and Farming Practices for the...

Caribbean Farmers Network [email protected]

“ Sustainable Agriculture and

Farming Practices for the ECS”By: Conroy Huggins


CaFAN (Caribbean Farmers Network) has been established since 2002 as a regional network of Farmers Organizations (FO) within the Caribbean region with a mandate to represent farmers regionally.

Key Features of CaFAN: - 500,000 Farmers in over 15 Countries

- Unique Farmers Network - Unifying Network - Active Communication Channels - A Culture of Sharing & Capacity Building - A Culture of Youth Succession - A Culture of ACTION

In 2006, the Eastern Caribbean Trading Agriculture and Development Organisation (ECTAD) became its Secretariat, led by Chief Coordinator, Mr. Jethro Greene.

About CaFAN


A method of agriculture that attempts to ensure the profitability of farms while preserving the environment.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4 th Edition ©2000.

Legal definition of sustainable Agriculture:

The term ''sustainable agriculture'' (U.S. Code Title 7, Section 3103) means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will over the long-term:

1. Satisfy human food and fiber needs.2. Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the

agriculture economy depends.3. Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources

and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls.4. Sustain the economic viability of farm operations.5. Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.

NIFA: National Institute for Food and Agriculture of the USDA: United States Department of Agriculture.

What is Sustainable Agriculture?


Member Countries of the

ECS

COUNTRY AREAS OF COMPARATIVE

ADVANTAGE

ANTIGUA cucurbits, pineapples, paw-paw,

onions

DOMINICA Yams, dasheen, citrus, herbs,

ornamentals

GRENADA Exotic fruits and medicinal herbs and

spices

MONSERRAT Herbs

ST.KITTS-NEVIS Onions, white potatoes

ST. LUCIA Banana, plantain, breadfruit, exotic

fruits

ST.VINCENT Root crops, banana, plantains

breadfruit, exotic fruits.

The Role and Importance of Agriculture:

Agriculture has always been the foundation of developed and developing economies.

Sahadeo Ragoonanan, AGRICULTURE for CSec. Revised Ed. 2011


What is the present state of farming in the ECS member countries? -Challenges and Problems.

• Limited availability of arable lands• Increase in agricultural lands being

used for construction• Use of small plots of land, 3 acres or

less.• Use of chemicals and inorganic

fertilizers (Environmental impacts)• Monocrop culture (bananas,

sugarcane etc.)• Reluctance in farming

• Aging farming population (aged labour force)

• Youth lack interest to be involved in Agriculture

• High labour cost • High cost of inputs• High cost of production• High incidence of diseases (SVG,

Grenada, St. Lucia) -Moko, Black sigatoka others.

• Topography- sloping lands (Hill sides)


•Market access/access to market

•Seasonality of production depending on rain fall.

•Access roads to farms.

•Limited or no access to credit

•Poor record keeping

•Increasing incidence of exotic disease entry to the region

•Limited innovation in production to increase yield while mitigating against environmental degradation

•Increasing incidences of adverse climatic events on both agriculture and the natural environment

•Limitations in the managerial and technical capacities of farm operators

•Insufficient/inadequate soil conservation measures

•Little or no water harvesting plan for agricluture


Possible Measures for the Present/Future Farming Practices of

the ECS (New Model)• Promote farming/agriculture as a viable

and sustainable business.

• Adapting environmentally friendly farming practices (organic agriculture).

• Increase production and yields through improve varieties (planting material)

• Maximizing farm space

• Use of biological and other organic means of pest and disease control (natural predators, pen manure, compost etc.)

• Creating opportunities for youth thorough policy formulations.

• Youth involvement and participation is key to sustainable agriculture.

• Production of affordable foods vs cheap foods

• Linking food production to nutrition and heath and education.

• Linking producers to market (domestic, regional and extra-regional)

• Focus on food sovereignty, security and safety

• Adapting new models/methods of farming to improve existing practices (Green Houses/Protected Agriculture, hydroponics, urban agriculture etc.)

• Zoning of land for different uses


Case of St. Kitts and Nevis

Monkeys are a Major

problem in St. Kitts Agriculture.

A monkey trapper holds a vervet monkey he captured in the mountains in Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis. Thousands of vervet monkeys, which arrived in St. Kitts and Nevis on slave ships from West Africa, have lived uneasily with islanders for three centuries. Now locals are growing frustrated with the primates who are raiding local farms.


Case of Grenada St. Lucia and St.Vincent in Relation to Climate Change and FP’s.Devastation by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 Devastation by Hurricane Tomas 2010

St. Lucia and SVG.


1. The future of the agriculture sector in the ECS lies in the hands of youthful energies guided by tested experience, wisdom and in the unity of farmers and FO’s.

2. Food is a basic human right and the most important need in this world. No country can be truly independent if it depend on others to feed its people! Agriculture is key to food and nutrition security and sovereignty. It is essential to social equity, business expansion, economic growth and sustainable development in the ECS and in CARICOM.

Conclusion


1. Work with the Ministries of Agriculture and Research Institutions to evaluate new varieties that will withstand disaster and risk threats. For example, drought, heat, water tolerant and exotic diseases.

2. Proper cultivation practices and crop selection on hillside.3. Environmental friendly agriculture production systems.4. Farm record keeping to show commercial viability and

sustainability of production and production practices.5. Appropriate technical support and sharing of best practices

amongst farmers, FO’s and states.6. Linkages of agriculture through different sectors, e.g. food

security, health and nutrition, agro-processing and tourism. 7. Use of protected agriculture (green houses) to increase

production.8. Use of irrigations systems.

CaFAN Framework Strategy ApproachRECOMMENDATION

Caribbean Farmers Network @gmail.com “ S ustainable Agriculture and Farming Practices for the...

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