organic farming and climate change

8/3/2019 Organic Farming and Climate Change

1/20

KNOWING ANDGROWING WORKSHOP REPORT

JAMAICA JUNE2009

ORGANICFARMING,CLIMATECHANGEANDICTS

FOCUSGROUP/TRAININGWORKSHOPFOR

KNOWINGANDGROWINGFARMERSJune27thtoJuly1st2009WorkshopSummaryReport

Compiledby:Networked Intelligence for DevelopmentJamaica Organic Agriculture Movement


2/20


JAMAICA JUNE2009

ORGANICFARMING,

CLIMATE

CHANGE

AND

ICTS

FOCUSGROUP/TRAININGWORKSHOPFORKNOWINGANDGROWINGFARMERSJune 27th to July 1st 2009, Kingston, Jamaica

Implementing Organizations

Jamaica Organic Agriculture Movement, JamaicaNetworked Intelligence for Development, Canada

Participants from

Canada, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, Trinidad & Tobago

Collaborating Private & Public Institutions

Environmental Management Institute, UWI, Jamaica

Local Resource Presentations

Mr. Ricardo Clarke, Meteorologist, Meteorological Services, Jamaica

Mr. Owen Evelyn, Senior Director, Forestry Dept. JamaicaMr. Norman Foster, Vice-President, CGM Gallagher Group, Jamaica

Dr. Elizabeth Hope-Thomas, Environmental Management Unit, UWI, JamaicaMs. Donna Noble, Woodford Market Garden, Jamaica

Workshop Sponsors


3/20


JAMAICA JUNE2009

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction and context2. Climate change issues of concern to organic farmers3. Highlights of workshop discussions4. Immediate outcomes, proposed follow-up activities, and recommendations5. NID training methodologyAppendices

1:Farmsitevisit WoodfordMarketGarden

2:Workshopfacilitators Markus,Nidhi,

Dorienne


4/20


JAMAICA JUNE2009

I. Introductionandcontext

NetworkedIntelligenceforDevelopment(NID)inCanadaandtheJamaicaOrganicAgriculture

Movement(JOAM)havebeenworkingtogethersince2003tobuildthecapacityofwomen

farmerstofarmorganicallythroughtheKnowingandGrowingNetwork.Followingasuccessfuljointventurein2004where50womenfarmersfrom13Caribbean

countriesparticipatedinthefirstKnowing&Growingtrainingworkshop,thetwopartnerorganizationscommittedtocontinueworkingtodeliverappliedandtechnicalexpertisein

organicfarming,smallbusinessdevelopmentandinformationandcommunicationtechnologies

(ICTs)towomenfarmentrepreneursintheregion. Asecondregionalworkshoptookplacein

Grenadain2006followedbythethirdworkshopinGuyanain2007andatrainingoftrainers

workshopin2008.

Organicagricultureisthefastestgrowingofallsectorsinagriculture,worldwide. Shiftingto

organicfarmingisanattractivealternativeforsmallfarmersintheCaribbean,asthedemandfor

organicproduce

and

products

continues

to

grow

and

as

the

banana

and

sugar

industries

on

severaloftheislandsfaceadownturn. Organicfarmersareabletoapplylocalresourcesand

knowledgeaswellasnonchemicalinputstotheirfarmingsystems,conservetheirsoilandland

quality,andreviveIndigenousAgriculturalPractices. Thisinturncanhaveapositivelongterm

impactonlocalfoodsecurityandpromoteareturntoculturesandsystemsofholistic

environmentalmanagement.

Organicfarmingis,furthermore,ahighlyknowledgeintensiveandintimatemethodoffarming

relativetoothermethods.ICTslendthemselvestomoreefficientandeffectivemanagementof

thesefarmingpractices.Everythingfromfarmmanagement,pestcontrol,theuseofindigenous

herbicides,cropmonitoring,andsoilculturepromotiontoorganicstandards,certificationand

marketing

requires

constant

monitoring,

data

collection

and

record

keeping.

At

the

same

time,

manysmallscaleorganicfarmersfarminisolationandmightnotbenefitfromthelarger

communitybasednetworksthatsupportnonorganicfarmers.Asmorefarmersadoptorganic

methodssuccessfully,storing,processingandmarketingfacilitieswillneedtobedevelopedto

ensurethatproductsreachtheirmarketsmeetingthequalitystandardrequirements. ICTsare

importantforfarmerstousetobuildandnurturerelationshipswiththeentirechainoforganic

agentsincludingimporters,tradersandwholesalers.Manyofthecertificationprocessesare

increasinglywebbased,makingitimperativeforfarmerstofamiliarizethemselveswiththeease

ofaccesstoinformationandapplicationproceduresthatonlineapplicationslendthemselves

to.

Atthesametime,asinmanyotherregionsintheworld,womenplayavitalifunderrecognized

andunsupported

role

in

food

production.

They

have

less

access

to

land,

extension

training,

affordablecreditandloansthandomen. Byimplication,womenhavelessopportunityto

articulate,negotiateoractupontheirconcernsinthefoodproductionsectoratthepolicylevel.

Thesefarmersalsofinditmoredifficulttoestablishmarketcontactsfortheirproducts,andmay

findthecostsofconvertingcroplandtoorganicachallenge. Atthesametime,research

indicatesthatnotonlydowomenmakeupto65%ofdaytodayonfarmand80%ofmarketing

decisions,butthatthereisalsoagrowinglevelofexpressedinterestandcommitmentto


5/20


JAMAICA JUNE2009

organicfarmingmethodsamongwomen,notleastbecausetheyhavealreadyexperiencedfirst

handthedamagingeffectsofsyntheticfertilisersandpesticides,andbecausetheyarevery

concernedabouttheirimmediatefamilyshealth.

NIDandJOAManticipatecontinuingthisworkwithwomenfarmersoverthenextfewyears

becausetheimpactsofthetrainingarepositiveandimmediate,andmoreandmorewomenaredemandingthiskindofhandsonpracticaltraining. AsthenetworkofKnowingandGrowing

participantsgrows,weareabletovisitfarmsofpastparticipants,andpastparticipantsoften

recommendotherstoattendnewworkshops. Inthisway,womenentrepreneurswhohave

participatedintheseworkshopsgrowandsupporteachotherinthissectorofagricultural

development.

1:Virtualfarmvisitpresentation DavidDolly

ThisworkshopwasfundedprimarilybytheUNDPsCARUTA(CaribbeanRegionalUnitfor

TechnicalAssistance)program.InthepreparatoryworkofCARUTAthroughTAPARD,UNDP

establishedarelationship

with

NID

collaborating

on

anumber

of

capacity

building

activities

particularlytargetingwomenfarmersandorganicfarmingsince2003.CARUTAiscurrently

supportingtheCARICOMsecretariatinestablishinganeffectiveinformationandknowledge

sharingsystem.TheuseofICTisincreasinglybecomingessential.CARUTAcanfacilitatethis

sharingofinformationthroughanestablishedwebsiteandatthesametimeprovidesupportto

CARICOMinestablishingtherequireddatacollectionsystem.Thescopeofthewebsitewillbeto

breachgaps,makinginformationeffectiveandstimulatingallstakeholderstothinkregionalas

withoutareallyfreeandeffectivemovementofagriculturalproducewithintheregionthereis

littlethatcanbeachievedintermsoffoodsecurityandagriculturaldevelopment.

2. Climatechangeissuesofconcerntoorganicfarmers

ManyofourglobalscaleenvironmentalissuesaredirectlyrelatedtoEarthsnaturalresource

base. Todaysmajorglobalscalechallengesincludeclimatedisruption,losingforests,losing

land,losingfreshwater,losingmarinefisheries,losingbiodiversity,andoverfertilizationwith

nitrogen(leadingtolargeareasofdeadlandandocean). Allofthesechallengesandlossesare

interlinkedandinterdependent,resultingfrommodernmethodsoflanduseandtherelentless

exploitationofresourcesforprofitandconsumption. Thelongstandardizedandestablished


6/20


JAMAICA JUNE2009

principlesoflandusemethodsneedto

beunlearnedandreversed,the

vestedinterestsofanentrenchedagro

industrialsystemidismantled,andby

thesametoken,thosepeoplewhoare

thenaturalstewardsoflandandnaturalresourcesneedtobe

recognized,valuedandempoweredto

takenewstridesinthecontextof

climatechange.

Thispilotworkshopdrewthelinks

betweenagricultureandclimate

change,andshowcasedthewaysin

whichorganicfarmingaddressesthe

negativeimpactsofclimatechange.

Thefour

day

workshop

explored

the

various

ways

in

which

climate

change

information

can

be

maderelevanttosmallholderfarmers. Theworkshopculminatedinapublicforumwhich

attractedawideaudienceincludingtheheadofFAO,thechiefoftheMeteorologicaloffice,

seniorstafffromtheMinistryofAgriculture,andrepresentativesoflocalandregionalNGOs

includingPANOSandCARDI. Thereisclearlyagreatdealofinterestintheoverlappingissuesof

smallscalefarming,thedamagetotheenvironmenttodate,andtheopportunitiesforengaging

farmersinmakingtheregionanetcarbonsink.

Someofthekeythematicissuesthatwerediscussedincludedthefollowing:

2.1 ClimateChange,FoodSecurityandOrganicFarming

Themonocrop,slashandburn,highsynthetic(chemical)inputagriculturethatispracticedin

theregionrunscountertoconservingandnurturingtheland,tothebiologicalfoundationsof

farmingandtooptimizingnaturalresourcesandnaturaldefencemechanisms. Thecombination

andconvergenceofanumberoffactorshasleftagricultureintheCaribbeanregioninserious

crisisandfoodsecuritycompromised.

Bydrawingthelinksbetweenerosion,depletionofsoilcontent,andthedamageofhurricanes,

participantsareabletoconsiderthelong

termadvantagesofmanagingtheirfarms

throughaholisticorganicsystem.

Participantsconsidered

the

value

of

nurturinghealthysoil,togrowhealthy

food,tofeedalocalpopulation,and

distinguishbetweenorganicfarmingand

local(traditional)farmingmethodsand

whatthismeansforsustainablelocal

livelihoods. Insodoing,thecauseand

3:Forestrydiscussion OwenEvelyn

2:Workshopdiscussions


7/20


JAMAICA JUNE2009

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Energy De foresta tion Agriculture

(excluding land

use change)

Industrial

processes

Waste

%to

talofGHGemissions

Developed Countries Developing Countries

effectofmonocropping,stretchingthecroptoitsmaximum(asopposedtoitsoptimum),and

cyclesoffamineandlowharvests,aredrawn.Theworkshopfacilitatorsalsodebunkaseriesof

commonmyths;thattoconverttoorganicrequiresleavingthefarmfallowforthreeyearsor

thatconventionalcropshaveahigheryieldthanorganicallygrown. Workshopparticipants

exploredarangeofexamplesofclimatestressandassociatedconsequences,suchasmore

frequentheatwaves,heavierprecipitationeventsormoreintensetropicalcyclonesandtheimpactsonlivelihoods,foodandwatersecurity,health,biodiversity,coastalareadamageand

lossofsettlements. Participantsalsonotedespeciallydamaginghumanactivitiessuchassand

miningwhichhasledtoaterriblelevelofdegradationassandisremovedfromsoils,the

tourismindustryalsohasalottoanswerforaslargehotelcomplexesarebuiltonfragile

coastlands.

2.2 Turningcrisisintoopportunity:whyOrganicAgricultureissuchacompellingoption

duringclimatechange

TheForce5HurricaneIvanin2004heraldedanominouschangeinweatherpatternswithmore

frequentand

more

severe

storms

devastating

the

region

coupled

with

increased

rainfall

causing

severefloodinginterspersedwithperiodsofdrought. FarmersrightacrosstheCaribbeanare

facingthedirectandindirecteffectsofclimatechange.

Smallholderfarmersarethemostvulnerableoftheagriculturalcommunityandhavehadlittle

helptosecuretheirfarms,naturalresourcesandassetsinthefaceofincreasinglyunpredictable

weatherandrisingsealevels. Thesamefarmers,however,haveacriticalandyetunrecognised

roletoplayinaddressingclimatechangebychangingtheirfarmingpracticestouselessenergy,

tocarefornurturebiodiversityandbyreducingGreenhouseGasEmissions. Thefarming

methodidentifiedbytheUNEPandFAOasafundamentallysoundwaytoaddressclimate

changeisorganicproduction.

Agricultureanddeforestation(whichoftentimesgohandinhand)areasignificantcontributor

toGHGemissions(seeFig.1).

AccordingtotheIPCC

ClimateChange2007

SynthesisReport:Latin

America/Caribbean

region:By2050,

desertificationand

salinizationwillaffect50

percentofagricultural

landsinLatinAmerican

andthe

Caribbean

zone.

Ifdeforestationcontinues

attodaysrate,

approximately40percent

oftheexisting540million

hectaresofAmazonian

rainforestwillhavedisappearedby2050.

Figure1:SourcesofGHGEmissions


8/20


JAMAICA JUNE2009

TheIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange,FourthAssessmentReport(WG3,2007)

identifiesanumberofopportunitiesformitigatinggreenhousegasesinagriculture. These

optionsformitigationfallintothreebroadcategories:reducingemissions;enhancingremovals;

andavoiding(ordisplacing)emissions(pp505508).

Reducingemissions:effectiveagriculturalmanagementcanhelpreducethe

emissionsofcarbonandnitrogenflowsin

agriculturalecosystems. Theapproachesthat

bestreduceemissionsdependonlocal

conditions,andtherefore,varyfromregion

toregion;

Enhancingremovals:improvedagricultural

managementsuchaspracticesthatincrease

thephotosyntheticinputofcarbonand/or

slowthe

return

of

stored

carbons

can

result

inenhancedgreenhousegasremoval;

Avoidingemissions:cropsandresiduesfrom

agriculturallandscanbeusedasasourceof

fuel. Emissions,notablyCO2,cabalsobe

avoidedbyagriculturalmanagement

practicesthatforestallthecultivationofnew

landsnowunderforest,grasslandorother

nonagriculturalvegetation.

Irrigatedagriculture

accounts

for

almost

70%

of

world

waterwithdrawalsandcloseto90%ofthetotalconsumptivewateruse(theportionthatislost

totheimmediateenvironmentforuse)ii. Watermanagementforagriculturewillbecomean

increasinglyimportantconcernasawaytocopingwithclimaterelatedwaterstress,particularly

inrainfedagriculture. Cropproductivitywilldependuponsufficientprecipitationtomeetboth

evaporativedemandandsoilmoistureneeds.Furthermore,thetwosectorsintheworldthat

usethemostwaterarechemicalintensiveagricultureandfossilfuelbasedenergyproduction.

Organicfarmingiiipresentsaviableandimportantopportunitytotheregion,notonlybecauseof

thenonchemicalnatureoftheoverallproductivesystem,butalsobecausedatagainedfrom

modelingbothlongtermfieldtrialsandpilotfarmsivshow:

its

considerable

potential

for

reducing

emissions

of

greenhouse

gases

(because

it

useslessenergythanconventionalfarming);

itssignificantcontributiontosequestrationofCO2inthesoilv

TheFAOreportsthatOrganicagricultureperformsbetterthanconventionalagricultureona

perhectarescale,bothwithrespecttodirectenergyconsumption(fuelandoil)andindirect

consumption(syntheticfertilizersandpesticides).Its2002reportstatesthatorganic

4:Compostingdemonstrationonfarm


9/20


JAMAICA JUNE2009

agricultureenablesecosystemstobetteradjusttotheeffectsofclimatechangeandhadmajor

potentialforreducingGHGs.vi

Otherpositivefactorsinclude:

Organicsoilshavebetterwaterretainingcapacitywhichexplainswhyorganicproductionisusuallymoreresistanttoclimaticextremessuchasfloodsordroughts

Carbonsequestrationinsoilsispromotedbyorganicmethodsduetotheadditionof

compost,mulches,manuresandcovercrops

Organicfarmingsystemsrequireregularandmethodicalrecordingoffarmingdata

suchas(askD)fororganicfarminspectorstomonitor.Thissystematizeddata

methodlendsitselftosystematicrecordingofweatherrelateddataforusebylocal

andnationalmeteorologicalstations

Asorganicfarmingcompriseshighlydiversefarmingsystems,thediversityof

incomesourcesalsoincreasespotentiallybufferingfarmerstoadverseeffectsof

climatechangeandvariabilitysuchaschangedrainfallpatterns. Coffeeplanted

underbanana

trees

alongside

asparagus

for

instance,

protects

the

coffee

bush

from

theravagesofahurricanewind.

Futurecarbonsequestrationprogrammesthatseektoofferfarmersenvironmental

feesforstewardshipofsoil,landandbiodiversitymayhaveaneasiertimeof

measuringeconomicvalue,costandpayments.

Biodiversityoffloraandfauna(includingbirds).

Organicfarmingoffersalowriskfarmingstrategywithreducedinputcostsand

lowerdependenceonexternalinputssuchasfertilizers.Byextension,thisoften

meansreducedfinancialrisk,reducedindebtednessalongsideincreaseddiversity

Otherrelatedbenefits healthyeating,localfoods,loweroverallfoodcarbon

footprint.

Participantsdiscussedtheseissuesfromtheirpersonalperspectivesandexperiences. Inthe

evening,theywereabletoviewaseries

ofcompellingvideomaterialsfromthe

RodaleInstitutethatdrawpositivelinks

betweengoodhealth,organicfarming

andasolutionforclimatechange.

2.3 TheOrganicExportSector,

internationaltradeimplicationsfor

womenfarmers

Organicagriculture

is

one

of

the

fastest

growingofallsectorsinagriculture,

worldwide.Accordingtoa2005World

StudyonOrganicAgriculture,currentlymorethan26millionhectaresoffarmlandareunder

organicmanagementworldwide.Thisismorethantwomillionhectaresmorethaninthe

previousyear anincreaseofalmosttenpercent.Theorganicsectoris,onaverage,underhalfa

percentofthetotalagriculturalsectorinmostcountries,theexceptionsbeingGermanyand

5:Virtualfarmvisit Rowan'sRoyaleorganiccoffee


10/20


JAMAICA JUNE2009

Austriawhichhavebetweentwoandthreepercentoftheiragriculturalareaunderorganic

production. Themajororganicproductssoldinglobalmarketsincludeinorderofimportance

aredriedfruitsandnuts,processedfruitsandvegetables,cocoa,spices,herbs,oilcropsand

derivedproducts,sweeteners,driedleguminousproducts,meat,dairyproducts,alcoholic

beverages,processedfoodandfruit

preparations. Nonfooditemsincludecotton,horticultureandlivestock.

Opportunitiesexisttotapintoexport,

regionalandlocaltourismmarkets,butwomenfarmerstendtobeisolatedfromsystematicand

easilyaccessiblemarketinformation,arenotproducingtoorganicexportstandards,donot

recognizethemselvesasentrepreneursorfarmingasabusinessandarethuslesslikelyto

translatetheirinterestandfarmingpracticeintoeconomicrevenue. Anumberofwomen

farmerswouldliketomakethisleapbutneedsupporttodoso.Themarketfororganicproducts

fromtheCaribbeanispotentiallyalargeone. Thereareregionalopportunities,whichcouldbe

exploredbytargetinghotelsandthegrowingecotourismmarket. IntheCaribbean,women

ownand

control

less

land

than

do

men.

The

majority

of

female

farmers

are

small

farmers.

Despitepoliciesintendedtoassureequitabledevelopmentwomen,theystillreceiveless

extensiontrainingandaccesscomparativelyfewerloansforfarmdevelopment,product

developmentandmarketing. Althoughthereislittleavailabledataonhectaresinorganic

agricultureintheCaribbeanitisindicatedthatineveryterritoryahighpercentageofwomen

farmersshowaninterestinfarmingintraditionalandholisticfashionsbutdonothaveaccessto

thestandardsandproductionprocessesrequiredforcertification. Thesefarmersneedinstead

togrowforlocalfoodsecurityandtotargetthedomesticmarkets,bothlocallyandregionally

wherethereisagrowingdemandand

needforhealthyfoods.

One

of

the

participants

from

St.

Kitts

mentionedherdifficultyinacquiring

morelandforfarming,andalsonoted

thatsomelandisbeingsoldtobiofuel

interests. Thisledtoabriefdiscussionon

themonocropfeaturesofbiofuel

plantations,andanintroductiontothecarbonemissionscapandtradeinitiatives. Thisaspect

ofthetrainingprogramwillbeexploredfurtherinfutureworkshopsasitisimportantfor

farmerstounderstandtheimplicationsandpotentialbenefitsofthecleandevelopment

mechanismasafarmincentive.

3. Highlightsofdiscussions

Specifictofarmingsystems:

Thereisaneedformorereadilyavailableinformationonappliedorganicfarming,suchas

howtotreatfarminsectssothatthoseattemptingtofarmorganicallydonotrevertbackto

easilyaccessiblechemicalpesticideswheninsectsbecomeaproblem;

Withclimate

change,

mono

cultures

are

goingtofail,sosystemswillnaturallymutate

towardspolycultureandpermaculture.

ErleRahamanNoronha,Trinidad

Iwillbegoingintotheprep.Schoolstoteach

childrenaboutorganicfarmingandcaringfor

ourenvironment.

If

we

begin

to

teach

our

young

children aboutcaringfortheenvironmentand

respectingwhatwehave itmaybecome

secondnature.

DonnaNoble,Jamaica.


11/20


JAMAICA JUNE2009

Publiceducationonthebenefitsofeatingorganicallyproducedandnaturallyfarmed

produceneedstobeheightenedparticularlyamongyoungerpopulations,althoughthereis

agrowingawarenessanddemandfornaturalfoodse.g.inSt.Kitts;

SimpleprintandaudiovisualadulttrainingmaterialsspecifictotheCaribbeancontext but

drawingalsoongoodpracticesintheSouth,needtobedevelopedwithfarmerinputto

counterprevailingmisconceptionsontheviabilityoforganicfarmingandtoaddmomentumtomakingorganicthedefaultagriculturalsystemintheregion;

Thereisnolocalcapacitytomonitorsoilcarbonsequestrationinconventionalversus

organicfarming,thiswouldbeusefulindemonstratingthebenefitsofonesystemagainst

theother;

Thechemicalinputsthataresoreadilyavailableasaresultoftheagroindustrialsystem

meansthatinitiativestoprovidesupportto

farmers,e.g.throughriskinsurance,will

oftenprovidenonorganicseedsand

fertilizerasarecoverypackage,butthese

inputsareofnousetotheorganicfarmer

andcan

set

back

those

who

are

attempting

toshiftawayfromchemicalagriculture.

Insurancepackagesneedtobedeveloped

tocaterforthespecificneedsoforganic

farming;

Thenotionthatthefarmitselfmight

containallthenaturalinputsthatthe

farmerneedstopromotesoilhealthandfertility,needstobedemonstratedinlocalized

contexts;

Thereisgeneralagreementthatthoseinitiativesthatworkwithandthroughwomen

farmersareusuallytheonesthathavelongtermsustainabilityandthereforeitiskeyto

continue

working

deliberately

and

strategically

with

women

farmers.

Specifictoclimatechange:

Publicawarenesscampaignsonthebenefitsofgrowingtrees,andonthedisadvantagesof

slashandburn,orthedepletionofmangroveforcoal(forinstance),needtobewidespread

andbroadcastinthecontextofclimatechange;

Meteorologicalrecordingofclimatechange:datacollectionintheregion,potentialroleof

farmers,smallandlargescalealiketomakeweatherrecordinganintegralpartoffarm

activities,Needformorecoordinationbetweenagriculturalinstitutions,weatherrecording

attheuniversitycentresandfarmersthemselves;

Theimportanceofforestrytofarmingandviceversa. Asfarasfiguresgo,Jamaicais

omittingeight

times

more

than

it

conserves,

and

although

the

countrys

contribution

to

climatechangeisconsideredminimal,JamaicashouldtrytobeanetCO2sink. Thereis

moreroomforsolarandwindenergyandlessenthusiasmhereforthebiofuelalternative

despiteexternalpressures;

AprefeasibilitystudyonanprogramofcompensationtofarmersinJamaicaasaresultof

exposuretoweatherriskshasjustbeencompleted,thiswouldbeanidealtimetoensure

oodfordMarket

Garden

hillside

organic

ng


12/20


JAMAICA JUNE2009

thatanumberoflocalorganicfarmsareincludedinthenextphaseofthepilotinitiativeroll

out;

Thepotentialforgrowingbothfoodandfuelonfarms,tomakeupforthelossoflocal

vegetation(suchasseagrapewhichisharvestedforcoal);

Theimportanceofputtingtreesintofarmingsystemsimmediatelysothattheymaturein

thenexttenyearstoprotecttheislandsfromclimatedamage.

SpecifictoICTs:

Thereisanarrayofwebsitesthat

wouldbeusefultofarmers,

dependingupontheirlevelofease

withaccessingandworkingwith

theweb. Alltheparticipantslefttheworkshopwithanemailaddresssetupandhaving

subscribedtotheIFOAMorganicnewsletterbyemail. Afewparticipantswereinterestedto

learnabout

skype.

Most

were

interested

to

see

the

variety

of

websites

that

they

could

access

forregularisedinformation.

Thereareonlinetoolstomeasurehouseholdandfarmsteadcarbonfootprint,but

theseneedtobecustomizedandrecalibratedtotakeintoaccountaCaribbeanrural

settingandthecarbonfootprintinvolvedinpackaging,wastemanagementand

processingonandofffarm;

ParticipantswereabletoseeGoogleEarthmappingandtounderstandthe

implicationsandbenefitstofarmersofhavingthiskindofinformation.

IforganicfarmersintheCaribbeanaretobeactiveplayersintheglobaltrendtowardsorganic

farming,

then

it

is

essential

that

they

have

access

to

the

Internet,

and

that

they

begin

to

use

ICT

basedapplicationsfortheirinformationmanagementandcommunicationneeds. ICTsafford

relativelyinexpensiveaccesstoawealthofinformationandnetworks,marketinformation;

comparativedataonfarmgateprices;consumeranalysesaswellasorganicmethods. Thelatter

includenotonlyproducingorganicproductsbutalsoensuringthattheproductsarestored,

processed,handled,labelledandmarketedaccordingly. Inaddition,informationmanagement

softwareaffordseasierrecordkeepingandbyextension,moreefficientmeansofforecasting

supplyanddemandforproductsandproduce.

Tohelpwomentakeadvantageofcomputerizationanddigitizationinthecontextofexistingand

emergingorganicandnaturalproductsmarkets,thereisanurgentneedtobuildoncurrent

initiatives.Existingnodesofactivityneedtobedevelopedintoastronginteractivemarketing

network.This

requires

training

in

basic

ICT

skills,

emarketing

skills,

website

management,

visionbuilding,andexposuretoICTserviceproviders,marketingorganizationsandregulations

andstandardsbodies.Oneofthemainconcernsofnewentrantsintotheorganicmarketisthe

smallconsumerbaseandthelackofmarketpremium. Aneffectivewayofcreatingand

maintainingthesemarketswouldbetoputbuyersindirectcontactwithgrowers,andthisis

whereinformationtechnologyandconnectivityareakeymediumexchange.

Ifyoutellfarmersthatthereisafilmshow theywill

come!Thatisthebestwaytoteachnewmethods.

BryanAnderson,Jamaica


13/20


JAMAICA JUNE2009

4. Immediateworkshopoutcomesandchangesresultingfromthepilotworkshop

4.1 Specificimmediatefollowup:

Developmentofapolicybriefonorganicfarmingandclimatechangeforpolicymakersin

preparationforCopenhagenConferenceonClimateChangeinDecember2009;

FollowupcorrespondencewithPermanentSecretary,MinistryofAgriculture,Jamaicato

includeatleastoneorganicfarmperparishinthepilotinitiativetotestoutparametric

indexinsuranceinthecountry;

SendorganicfarmingandclimatechangeresearchfindingsandreferencestoheadofCCC,

Jamaica;

Localdevelopmentofcustomizedsoftwarepackageforonlinecarbonfootprintonline

measurementtoolforusebysmallholderfarmersintheCaribbean;

Drawupplansforfurtherregionaltrainingworkshopsforwomenfarmers.

4.2 Generaloutcomes:

FurtherrefinementoftheNIDmethodologicaltrainingmodelforsemitechnicalwomen

farmerstoincludeclimatechange;

Connectingthenewparticipantstoothersintheircountrieswhoarecurrentmembersof

theKnowingandGrowingnetwork;

Criticalawarenessofthelocalinstitutionalsupportthatneedsfurtherdevelopmentto

ensurethattheyarenotfunctioningatcross purposesbutalsothattheyinvolveand

engagefarmers. Thisincludesthoseresponsibleforsolidwastemanagement,national

securityforces,nationalwatercommission,forestry,meteorologicaloffice,climaterisk

insurancebodies,tourism,aquaandfisheriesdevelopment,etc;

AcknowledgementthatJOAMisanimportantplayerfortheregionasawholeandthat

more

needs

to

be

done

to

build

in

house

capacity,

human

resources

and

funding

base;

Buildingthetheoreticalandtechnicalknowledgebaseofwomenfarmersinorganicfarming

philosophyandtechniquesandinorganicstandardsintheregion;

Stimulatingthecrossfertilisationoforganicknowhowandmanagementprocesses

betweenfarmingentrepreneursintheregion,usingtraditionalmeansofcommunications

andevolvinginformationtechnologies;

HarnessingthoseaspectsoftheInternet,whichwillprovidewomenfarmentrepreneursin

theregionwithrelevantcommunication,marketing,managementandinformationtools;

Continuetowidenanddeepentheregionalinformationandmarketingnetworkoforganic

farmersinitiatedinApril2004,tohelplocalfarmersmarketthemselvesonothervirtual

networksandtonetworkwitheachother.

NIDwill

continue

to

work

with

women

to

enable

them

to

find

their

voices

and

alliances

and

networkforactionbeyondthefarm.

5. NIDTrainingMethodology


14/20


JAMAICA JUNE2009

Theworkshopfacilitatorsensuredthattheworkshopprovidesparticipantswithopportunities

to:

drawthelinksbetweentheirindividualactions,theircollectiveactivitiesandthe

political,tradeandagriculturalcontextsthattheyworkin;

recognizethepotentialimpactoftheirlocaldecisionsonnational,regionalandinternationaldevelopments,includingadaptingtoandmitigatingtheeffectsof

climatechange,itsimpactsonfoodpolicyandsecurity;

realizethattheyaremembersofaworldwidemovementthatflourishesbeyond

theirimmediatecommunitieswhosharethesamegoalsandvisions;

engageindiscussionswitharangeoflocalandregionalinstitutionalbodiesthatare

responsiblefortheenvironment,conservationandmanagingclimatechange.

Womenareoftenfacedwithrealandimmediatechoicesanddecisionssuchaswhetherornot

touseGMOseedswithoutalltheinformationathand. Itisstrikinghowmanymyths,

misconceptions,ormisinterpretationsaboundinbothorganicfarmingandinICTs.Thereare

alsobroader

and

emerging

concerns

regarding

climate

change

and

its

negative

consequences

formanyfarmersthattheorganizersaddressthroughthetechnicaltraining.

KnowingandGrowingprovidesaconfluenceofinterestbetweenwomenfarmerswhoneed

capacitybuildingbothintheirfarmingmethodsandmanagementandintheirinformationand

computerskills. ICTtraininghasmoreimmediateoutcomeswhenthetrainingisofferedwithin

acontextthatlendsitselftothebenefitsofferedbyICTsparticularlyinnetworkingand

communicationsbetweenandamongstinterest/usergroups. Thereisadditionalvaluein

bringingdispersedgroupstogetherfortechnicaltrainingbecauseparticipantsoftenfind

commonsolutionstocommonproblems,exploretechnicalskillstogetherandlearnfromeach

other,andthelearningprocessandcommunicationchannelsofferedbyICTsbringthemcloser

together

long

after

the

training

workshop

ends.

NID

capitalizes

on

the

dynamics

of

bringing

womentogetherandofferingthemthespacetoexploretechnicalknowhowandrelated

experiencesandalwayswithinasocioeconomicandpoliticalcontext.

NIDandJOAMdeliveratriedandtestedtrainingmethodology,thekeystonesofwhichinclude:

Ensuringthateveryparticipantisbroughtintothedialogueanddiscussionright

fromthebeginningoftheprogramasequalandvaluedcontributorsofknowledge

andexperience;

Bringinginawiderangeoflocalcontentandlocalstakeholderstocontributelocal

contextandanalysistotheoverallprogram,whileprovidingtheparticipantswith

theopportunitytointeractdirectlywithspecialists;

Providingsome

structure

to

the

overall

program

while

allowing

for

fluidity

and

changesasdeterminedbytheparticipantsandotherlocalstakeholders.

Inthisway,acomprehensivetrainingprogramisdesignedanddevelopedincollaborationwith

participants,resourcepersonsandlocalmediatororserviceagencieswhereverpossible.This

ensuresfullandactiveparticipationonanongoingbasisbetweenparticipantsandlocal

resourcepersons,andmaximisesthelearningprocess.


15/20


JAMAICA JUNE2009

Thefocusofthetrainingispeoplecentredratherthangoalorientedandisguidedultimatelyby

theprocessofselfdiscovery.Thismethodoftrainingencouragesconfidencebuilding,skillsin

problemsolvingandselfempowerment. Itisaparticularlyeffectivemodeoftrainingforthose

whovaluethecreationofnetworksandpeergroupstobuildalliancesandtoshareideas.

Ourworkshopsprovidespaceforfivedifferentcomponentsfortraininginteraction:

Onlinetrainingsessions

Issuespecificfacilitateddiscussions

Contextspecificdiscussions

Fieldtrip

Videoscreeningsanddiscussions


16/20


JAMAICA JUNE2009

Appendices

AppendixI: Workshopschedule

AppendixII: Participantdetails

AppendixIII: NID&JOAMProfiles


17/20


JAMAICA JUNE2009

DayI:Sat27th

June DayII:Sun28th

June DayIII:Mon29th

June DayIV:Tues30t

9.00

10.30amNatural

systems

What

makesupnaturalsystems?

weatherforecast,seasonal

driversandprediction

capacity

FarmVisit

WoodfordMarketGarden

DonnaNoble,organic

farmer

Climaterisk

insura

NormanFoster,V.

RegionalBusiness

Development,CGM

Brokers

11.00

12.30pm

Arrivals&registrations

Refreshmentsfor

participants

(M.Sc.classroom,UWI)

Sealevelriseimpactswhat

thiswillmeanforlanduse,

farming&forestryinthe

Caribbean

Farmvisitmapping

exerciseDavidDolly,Erle

NoronhaRahamanand

DorienneRowanCampbell

Footprintsonthe

Mappingyourfarm

carbonfootprint

2.00

3.30pm

Introductions,

backgroundto

workshop,

workshop

objectives,introto

Knowing&Growing

network

Landdegradation&

conservationn

Conserving

crop

and

wild

speciesseeds ourrich

heritageofbiodiversity.

Floodanderosioncontrol

Computerroom

Virtualvisitoftwolocal

organic

farms:

Rowans

RoyaleBlueMountain

Coffeefarm&Markus

Braunsvegetablefarm

Computerroom

Basictrainingfor

beginners

onlinesourcesan

informationforse

surfers

4.00

5.30pm

Presentation&

facilitateddiscussion:

Drawingthelinks

betweenorganicfarming

andclimatechange:why

thisisimportant the

roleoftheorganicfarm

Agriculture&farming

systems

Howtheorganicfarmcan

mitigateagainstclimate

change.Preparationfor,

during&postdisaster

Discussionroundtable

Farmvisitreflections

Localknowledge&climate

change,howtocombine

thiswithorganic&

permaculturemethods,

sharingourlearnings

Computerroomco

GISMapping

Carbonfootprint

measures

Evening

program

DVD&groupdiscussion

Organicfarming

&

climatechange

Presentation&discussion

Weatherstations

&

data

collection:Clifford

Mahlung,JamaicaMeteorologicalService

Presentation&discussion

Forestry&

climate

change

OwenEvelyn,Senior

Director,Forestry

Department,Jamaica

Socialevent

Dinnerat

UWI

WorkshopProgramAnnex1


18/20


JAMAICA JUNE2009

AppendixII:Participantdetails

LastName FirstName Country Addressdetails Email

1 Anderson Bryan JamaicaKnightsvilleDistrict,

YallahsP.O,[email protected]

2 Braun Markus JamaicaLambsRiverP.O,

[email protected]

3 Connor Raslyn St.Kitts Saddlers,Basseterre [email protected]

4 Dolly David TrinidadUniversityofWestIndies,

[email protected]

4 Hamilton Audrey Jamaica [email protected]

5 HamiltonTaylor Ashley Jamaica

Dept.ofMathematics&

ComputerScience,UWI,

MonaCampus,Kingston7

[email protected],

[email protected]

6 McLean Eistein Jamaica Cumberland,Portmore [email protected]

7 McNish Oronder JamaicaPortMorant,MorantBay,

[email protected]

8 Noble Donna JamaicaWoodlands,Woodford,

[email protected]

9 Porchetta Mario BarbadosUNHouseMarine

Garden,[email protected]

10Protz Maria Jamaica POBox291,[email protected]

11

Rahaman

Noronha

Erle

Trinidad

15

La

Seiva

Road,

[email protected]

12RowanCampbell Dorienne Jamaica75HopeBoulevard,

[email protected]

13Scott Keitha Jamaica133PalmettoMeadows,

Clarendon

14Spencer Shernette Jamaica35BougainvillaAve,

MONAHeights,[email protected]

15Stewart Barbara JamaicaRobinsRiverDist.

Beeston,Westmoreland

16Tandon Nidhi Canada

461RoncesvallesAvenue,

SuiteD,Toronto,ON,

CanadaM6R2N4

[email protected]

17ThomasHope Elizabeth JamaicaEnvironmental

Management,[email protected]

18Williams Fleurette St.KittsLowerMonkeyHill,St.

[email protected]

19Whyte Cammelia Jamaica AnnottoBayP.OSt.Mary [email protected]


19/20


JAMAICA JUNE2009

AppendixIII: NID&JOAMProfiles

NetworkedIntelligenceforDevelopment(NID)(www.networkedintelligence.com)isaToronto

based

network

of

independent

consultants

and

trainers

specializing

in

new

media,

information

andcommunicationtechnologies,ruralcommunicationsanddevelopment. Ourconsultantshave

heldseniorpositionsinmultilateralorganizations,governmentalandintergovernmental

organizations,broadcastingandmediainstitutions,researchinstitutesandnongovernmental

organizations.

Weareabletoprovideadviceandknowhowonawiderangeofeconomicdevelopmentconcerns

offeringafirsthandunderstandingofgrassroots,smallbusinessandgovernmentlevelpolicy

planning.Establishedin1997withacommitmenttopromotingeconomicandsocialequity,we

workwithawidespectrumofcommunitiesatdifferentlevelsindevelopingandtransition

countries.

Ourcommon

mission

and

objective

is

to

harness

the

benefits

of

evolving

information

and

communicationtechnologiesandnewmedia,toenablepeopletotelltheirownstories,tobring

outtheircreativityandtoexpresstheirinformedchoicesaboutthedecisionsthataffecttheirlives

andidentitiesintheinformationera.

TheJamaicaOrganicAgricultureMovementLimited(JOAM)www.joam.org.jmisanonprofit,

nongovernmentalorganizationcreatedtofosteranorganicagricultureindustryinJamaica. The

missionofJOAMistofacilitatethedevelopmentofasustainableandeconomicallyviableorganic

agriculturesectorinJamaicawhilemaintainingorganicintegrity,promotinghealth,

environmentalconsciousness,andsocialresponsibility.

JOAMwas

established

in

May

2001.

In

its

years

of

existence,

JOAM

has

made

significant

strides

in

thedevelopmentofthelocalorganicindustryandisconsideredtheleadingorganicagriculture

organizationintheCaribbeanregion. ThemainobjectivesofJOAMareto:

Lobbyforandassistinthedevelopmentofaneffectivelocalorganicagriculture

industry

Assistlocalproducerswhoareinterestedintheconversiontoandcertificationin

organicagriculture

Promoteandfacilitatetheproduction,distributionandconsumptionofalltypesof

organicagricultureproducts

Advanceandpromotebetterenvironmentalandhumanhealththroughthe

acceptanceandpracticeoforganicfarmingtechniques

ThefocusofJOAMoverthelasttwoyearshasbeeninstrengtheningtheorganization,increasing

organicproductionandcertification,andlayingaframeworktobuildandstrengthenthelocal

industry. JOAMcontinuestobethesourceofknowledgeonorganicagricultureandhasbeen

involvedinthetrainingoffarmers,extensionofficersandtechnocratsintheprinciplesand

techniquesoforganicagriculture.


20/20


JAMAICA JUNE2009

Thesuccessofthisworkshopwasassuredduetotheparticipationandenthusiasmofallthe

participantsandresourcepersonsandtheextrasupportofafewpeople.

Ourspecialthanksandacknowledgementsgoto:

DiegoAriasCarballo,LACteam,TheWorldBank

AshleyHamiltonTaylor,DeptofMathematicsandComputerScience,UWI,Jamaica

ElizabethHopeThomas,ProfessorandDirector,EnvironmentalManagementUnit,UWI,Jamaica

RaymondMartin,Chairman,JamaicaOrganicAgricultureMovement

BetsyMcCann,RodaleInstitute,USA

DonnaNoble,FarmManager,WoodfordMarketGarden,Jamaica

ShannonPritchard,NetworkedIntelligenceforDevelopment,Canada

MarioPorchetta,CARUTAUNDP,Barbados

DorienneRowanCampbell,JOAMandNID,Jamaica

JacquelineSmith,LogisticsCoordinator,Jamaica

VivienneVassall,

Programme

Managerm,

Environmental

Management

Unit,

UWI,

Jamaica

ENDNOTES

iWhatmakesourfoodsystemreallyunsustainableisthepredominanceoftheglobalisedcommoditytrade

thathasresultedintheintegrationofthefoodsupplychainanditsconcentrationinthehandsofafew

transnationalcorporations.Thisinturnhasgreatlyincreasedthecarbonfootprintandenergyintensityof

foodproductionandconsumption.iiClimateChange2007:impacts,AdaptationandVulnerability.ContributionofWorkingGroupIItothe

FourthAssessment

Report

of

the

Intergovernmental

Panel

on

Climate

Change,

Cambridge

University

Press,

Cambridge,UK,pp.173210iiiAscodifiedintheFAO/WHOCodexAlimentarius,OrganicAgricultureisaholisticproductionmanagement

systemwhichpromotesandenhancesagroecosystemhealth,includingbiodiversity,biologicalcyclesand

soilbiologicalactivity. Itemphasizestheuseofmanagementpracticesinpreferencetotheuseofofffarm

inputs,takingintoaccountthatregionalconditionsrequirelocallyadaptedsystems. Anorganic production

systemisdesignedtoa)enhancebiologicaldiversitywithinthewholesystem;b)increasesoilbiological

activity;c)maintainlongtermsoilfertility;d)recyclewastesofplantandanimalorigininordertoreturn

nutrientstotheland,thusminimizingtheuseofnonrenewableresources;e)relyonrenewableresources

inlocallyorganizedagriculturalsystems;f)promotethehealthyuseofsoil,waterandairaswellas

minimizeallformsofpollutiontheretothatmanyresultfromagriculturalpractices;(CodexAlimentarius

1999)TheFAOdefinitionofOrganiciscertifiedorganicproductsarethosewhichhavebeenproduced,

stored,processed,handledandmarketedinaccordancewithprecisetechnicalspecifications(standards)

andcertified

as

organic

by

acertification

body.

ivInternationalTradeCentreUNCTAD/WTOandFiBL OrganicFarmingandClimateChange2007.Intwo

longtermcomparisonexperimentsinSwitzerland,theglobalwarmingpotentialofallcropswasreducedby

18%intheorganicplots.

organic farming and climate change

Documents