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Eco-man’s Glossary of Terms Adaptation: involves adjusting natural and human systems to a new and changing environment. Climate change: Climate change refers to any significant change in the measures of climate lasting for an extended period of time. In other words, climate change includes major changes in temperature, precipitation, or wind patterns, among others, that occur over several decades or longer. Climate smart agriculture: is defined as an approach to developing the technical, policy and investment conditions to achieve sustainable agricultural development for food security under climate change. It aims to bring about a sustainable increase in agricultural productivity and income, adapt and build resistance to climate change, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Deforestation: the act of cutting down or clearing tress from a forested area. This can be done to facilitate farming, housing developments or to extract lumber. Disaster risk reduction: the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyse and manage the causal factors of disasters, including through reduced exposure to hazards, lessened vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and the environment and improved preparedness for adverse events. Erosion: the process of removal and transport of soil and rock by weathering, mass wasting, and the action of streams, glaciers, waves, winds and underground water. Food security: this exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Mitigation: activities which seek to reduce the human effects on global warming by reducing the quantity of greenhouse gases released to the atmosphere. Reforestation: planting of trees on lands that have previously contained forests but that have been converted to some other use. Resilience: the ability of a system and its component parts to anticipate, absorb, accommodate, or recover from the effects of a hazardous event in a timely and efficient manner. Sustainable development: development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development tries to reconcile the needs of social and economic development with ecological
conservation and environmental protection.
Agriculture Puzzle Eco-man, who is charged with the mandate of ensuring farmers practice climate-smart agriculture, is seeking your assistance to help him find the hidden terms.
Preface Climate change is a major challenge to agriculture development in Jamaica due to the country’s small land mass, fragile ecosystems and increasing impacts of frequent natural disasters. Over the years, extreme climatic events have had negative influence on the agriculture sector in the country. The major events affecting the agriculture sector are: hurricanes, floods, landslides, droughts and heavy winds. The good news is that there are a number of strategies and measures that farmers can implement to meet this challenge. One of these approaches is climate-smart agriculture, which aims to increase farm productivity and incomes in a sustainable manner and enable farmers to adapt and build resilience to climate change. This publication documents sustainable farming practices a farmers group in rural St. Mary, the Jeffery Town Farmers’ Association has been employing. Diverse approaches are utilized to inform and educate the farming community on alternative energy options, sustainable agriculture techniques and disaster risk reduction, all of which can be replicated by the reader. While the strategies presented in this booklet are undoubtedly just a mere drop in the ocean of measures that farmers can implement to practice climate-smart agriculture, it is my hope that farmers will replicate the measures and reap the benefits which will include the efficient use of natural resources to bring sustainability to farm production and stability to their incomes.
Enjoy the read and do not hesitate to replicate the presented strategies.
Profile of the farming district of Jeffery Town
The
community of Jeffery Town is located in western St. Mary and is nestled between the neighboring towns of Gayle, Guy’s Hill and the resort town of Ocho Rios.The farming district comprises of nine districts as specified by the Social Development Commission (SDC): Barker, Coffee Walk, Decoy, Jeffrey Town Proper, Maiden Hall, Salisbury, Spring Garden, Top Road and Wallingford. At an elevation of 1,700 feet, the community environmental geography varies from gentle to rapid sloped terrains. The high altitude creates a climate that makes it possible to grow a variety of crops and fruit trees.
The community is also situated at the watershed of two main rivers: the Rio Nuevo and White River. Springs and tributaries characterize the landscape and the soil type is primarily clay. With a population of over 3000 residents, farmers in the community cultivate a wide variety of crops, including breadfruit, lettuce, bananas, peppers, Irish and sweet potatoes, cabbage and tomato. Families are close-knit, with most living on family- owned lands that have been passed down through generations of farmers.
Backyard Farming CONDIMENTS AND STARCH FOODS Sowing date
Growth time
Cassava
Requires alternating dry and rainy seasons
9-12 months
Coco
All year round
7-9 months
Corn
2-3 months
Dasheen
March-May; plant at the start of the rainy season All year round
Escallion
Year-round
60-90 days
Garlic
Year-round
5 months
Hot pepper
Year-round
4-5 months
Onion
March-April
4-5 months
7-9 months
Potato April-May (Irish/Sweet) Sweet (Bell) Pepper September-January; prefers high elevation
90-150 days
Thyme
Year-round
60-90 days
Yam
Year-round
7-10 months
60 days
Planting Calendar for VEGETABLES Sowing date
Growth time
Asparagus
Year round
Second year
Beetroot
September-January
40-70 days
Broccoli
April-May
4-5 months
Cabbage
September- January; grown year round with irrigation
4-5 months
Calaloo
Year-round
30-60 days
Carrot
September-January; grown all year round
90 days
Cauliflower
Year-round
4-5 months
Cucumbers
Year-round
2-3 months
Lettuce
Year-round with good water supply
70-90 days
Okra
Year round at low lands; hot months in high area
60-90 days
Pak Choi
Year-round with good water supply
60 days
Pumpkin
Year round
4-5 months
Jeffery Town Farmers’ Association Jeffrey Town Farmers’ Association has
evolved over the years to address a major problem, a lack of opportunity for local farmers to earn a decent living from conventional crops. At the same time, many farmers had become dependent on approaches that were degrading the environment. Slash-and-burn farming was common in the community that led to deforestation and exhausted land. Land degradation led to soil erosion, which contributed to greater susceptibility to landslides. With no community platform to discuss preventative measures and effective responses to increased vulnerability, local farmers were often devastated by natural disasters, leaving them in states of social and economic disrepair. As with many community-based groups, Jeffrey Town Farmers’ started small. The organization was founded in 1991 by three community members who shared a desire to address the plight of the farming community. The triumvirate decided to undertake a public relations campaign that would mobilize local farmers into a movement for greater empowerment and more dependable, sustainable livelihoods. Weekly meetings that had once attracted only a handful of committed farmers started to turn out seventy farmers at a time. For the next several years, the group continued to grow and operate as a cross between technical self-help group and a social club. Today, the association meets once per month to discuss common challenges and opportunities and to carry out the group’s mandates: to (i) harness all available assistance for community development, using agriculture as the platform; and (ii) sustainably develops human and physical resources to create opportunities and achieve social and economic stability for all residents of Jeffrey Town and surrounding farming communities in St. Mary.
Jeffery Town
Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction Project (JTIDRRP)
T
he JTIDRRP was conceptualized by the Jeffrey Town Farmers’ Association as the need for highlighting the impact of climate change in the community and adjacent farming districts. The project’s main aim is to lessen the impacts of climate change in Jeffrey Town and its nine districts by building climate change resilient infrastructure, strengthening food security and livelihoods, disaster risk reduction and sustainable agriculture techniques. The project began in 2015 and was funded by the Caribbean Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (CDRRF) in a total of US$655 million and is currently managed by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). Other partners who offered funding and technical assistance to the progressive group of agriculturalists are the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and UK Aid.
Map showing locations of where various projects were implemented in Jeffery Town.
Support our Local Famers Eat What We Grow, Grow What We Eat Linstead Market Main Street Linstead, St. Catherine
REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Caribbean Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (CDRRF) The Community Disaster Risk Reduction (CDRR) Fund finances projects, which reduce the risks of natural disasters and support climate change adaptation efforts in communities across the Caribbean. Caribbean Development Bank P.O. Box 408 Wildey St. Michael Barbados, W.I. Tel: (246) 431-1600 Fax: (246) 426-7269 Email:info@caribank.org Global Environmental Facility (GEF) GEF funds are available to developing countries and countries with economies in transition to meet the objectives of the international environmental conventions and agreements in areas such as climate change adaptation and mitigation. Ms. Gillian Guthrie Operational Focal Point Senior Director Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change 16A Half Way Tree Road Kingston 5 Tel: + 876 633 7522 Fax: 011 876 920 7267 Email: gillian.guthrie@mwlecc.gov.jm emdmohe@yahoo.com
Projects under DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION
used as vegetative barriers include pineapple, sugar cane, ‘cuscus grass’ and fruit trees.
The organization has undertaken a range of activities toreducelocalvulnerabilitytonaturaldisastersandto • Culverts, terracing and check dams mitigateagainstthenegativeeffectsofclimatechange. Culverts and check dams (constructed across waterways to counteract erosion by reducing water flow velocity) have • Capacity building and disaster been installed to control the movement management plans of water along hillsides and slopes. They The group has developed a disaster help reduce the risk of erosion and management plan that guide mitigation, landslides after rainfall and flooding preparedness, response, and recovery events. The check dam also assists in efforts for residents in the event of filtering out debris carried by floodwater emergencies, including those due to as it moves downhill. Farmers are natural disasters. Plans contain supported to practice terracing on slopes information on risks, vulnerable areas in and in the construction of trenches and the community, standard emergency and waterways. evacuation procedures, shelters, and contact • Rainwater harvesting information for emergency personnel. The Rainwater is collected at the household community also has a first response team level for domestic purposes and through which assists in restoring the open-air tanks for irrigation purposes. community to its usual operations after a Roof water is captured in tanks, with pits hazard event e.g. clearing blocked roads. built to capture excess water if the tanks over flow. Benefits include less water and • Vegetative barriers debris owing downhill and a mechanism Farmers have been trained to plant tress to address limited access to water in the and vegetation on slopes that are prone to community. Jeffrey Town Farmers has landslides. Vegetative barriers are used to also installed springheads that allow water reduce debris flow down the slopes during to be pumped to a central location, heavy rainfall. The barriers reduce thereby making it accessible to all erosion and stabilize the slopes. Crops community members.
Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ) Involves funding projects that deal with environmental sustainability issues. 1B Norwood Avenue, Kingston 5 Tel: (876) 960-6744, 960-7954, 960-3224, 960-7125 Fax: (876) 920-8999 Email: support@efj.org.jm Jamaica Organic Agriculture Movement (JOAM) Lobby and assist in the development of a local organic agriculture industry. P.O. Box 5728 Kingston 6 Jamaica W.I. Phone: 1-876-564-3770 Email: joam@joamltd.org REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Caribbean Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (CDRRF) The Community Disaster Risk Reduction (CDRR) Fund finances projects, which reduce the risks of natural disasters and support climate change adaptation efforts in communities across the Caribbean. Caribbean Development Bank P.O. Box 408 Wildey St. Michael Barbados, W.I. Tel: (246) 431-1600 Fax: (246) 426-7269 Email:info@caribank.org
Organizations that provide assistance and funding with climate change adaptation and mitigation LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS Rural Agricultural Development Agency (RADA) Chief agricultural extension and rural development agency that helps farmers with the distribution farming supplies and offer technical assistance. Hope Gardens Kingston 6 Tele: 977-1158-62 Fax: 970-4660 Email: executive@rada.gov.jm Jamaica Agriculture Society (JAS) Support ventures in agri-business as a means of increasing value added within the agricultural sector. 67 Church Street Kingston Tele: 1876-922-0610-2 Fax: 1876-967-7419 Email: adminjas114@gmail.com
JTIDRRP • Reforestation The group practiced both reforestation and afforestation. Tree cover serves to soften the impact of raindrops on the ground, thereby reducing any soil erosion that results from intense rain periods. The trees roots also bind the soil, which improves land integrity and protects again landslides.
ECO-AGRICULTURE AND LAND RESTORATION • Construction of gabion baskets The group has built six separate gabion walls and several stone check dams. The objective is to improve land stability, soil integrity, and water control. In this same vein, pineapple planting has been strategically undertaken on five key hillsides that have been historically susceptible to soil erosion and landslides. • Planting of fruit trees for food security Fruit trees have been planted on 30 acres of land, more than 50 percent of which is breadfruit (Ma’afala yellow heart variety). These varieties are planted in equal numbers to maintain ecological balance. The Ma’afala breadfruit has qualities that make it attractive to farmers; it bares fruit in
less than three years, gives fruit all year round, lives for as much as 50 years and produces high-quality flour. Local roadsides have also been prioritized for tree planting, with more than 1,000 trees planted to stabilize the soil. • Training and demonstration Extensive training has been provided to the community on organic farming practices, with the majority of activities revolving around a demonstration/ learning plot. Crop selection and diversification has been pursued with climate-related challenges in mind. Hillsides, gullies and drains were cleared to reduce the potential of flooding on farmlands. A community outpost is maintained to make compost for use in the demonstration plot and serve as an organic green house where strawberries are grown.
VALUE-ADDED SECONDARY PROCESSING The group has undertaken a range of value-added processing activities. Value-added processing focuses on coconuts, strawberries, breadfruit, plantain and sweet potato. Due to the effects of climate change, there is an abundance of the produce, which the group has converted into seasonal strawberry preserves, jerk seasoning, breadfruit flour and a sweet potato pudding mix. The series of items have been marketed both locally and overseas. The organization’s gluten-free muffin mix that uses breadfruit flour is available in the United States with the support of the Tress That Feed Foundation. Locally, the shelf life products are available for purchasing at Things Jamaica Store at Devon House, gift shop at Norman Manley International Airport and at the farmer’s group building in Jeffery Town, St. Mary.
JTIDRRP at work
Flagship product in the line of Jet Town Products -Sweet Potato Pudding Mix.
Piles of rich, finished compost used on vegetable beds.
Rain water harvesting and storage
Year round production, increased yields, improved crop quality
Aquifer recharge
Drought mitigation, flood mitigation, mitigation of saline intrusion, water quality maintenance, sustain water supplies, prevention of well collapse
Timing of crop establishment
Drought mitigation, reduced loss from droughts and bushfires, storage and effective utilization of soil moisture resource
Planting of drop tolerant crops
Reduction of crop loss, maximization of soil moisture use
Contour planting and King grass
Slope stabilization, soil loss reduction, sustainable crop production on steep slopes, increased water infiltration, sustainable water supplies
Contour planting of pineapples
Slope stabilization, soil loss reduction, sustainable crop production on steep slopes, increased water infiltration, sustainable water supply
Hedgerow alley cropping
Slope stabilization, soil loss reduction, sustainable crop production on steep slopes, increased water infiltration; sustainable water supply, reduced demand for yam- sticks as sections of hedge can be allowed to ‘grow out’ and harvested as yamsticks, reduced chemical fertilizer demand if leguminous plants used for hedgerow
Sustainable Agriculture Techniques The presented techniques below are measures farmers in Jeffery Town have been practicing since the implementation of JIDRRP. Farmers who are facing the challenge of agriculture’s climate impacts can model the techniques. Sustainable Technique
Benefits
Pineapple barriers
Minimize soil erosion on sloping land
Reforestation (planting of trees)
Promote carbon sequestration including sustainable land use management
Guinea grass mulching
Moisture conservation, weed control, reduce wind erosion, reduce runoff, reduce soil temperature, improve soil structure, retention of volatile fertilizer material, reduce aberration to trailing fruits and vegetables, facilitate organic farming practices.
Minimum tillage
Reduced fossil fuel use, reduced soil erosion, increase in soil biodiversity, reduced pesticide and nitrogen leaching, soil moisture conservation.
Gabion basket
Stabilize soil, reduce soil erosion,
Animal manure
Completes the nutrient cycle, allows for a return of energy and fertilizer nutrient to the soil
Check dams
Slope stabilization, soil loss reduction, sustainable crop production on steep slopes, increased water infiltration, sustainable water supply, flood control in lower part of stream
Drip irrigation
Year round production, improved yields, better crop quality, more efficient use of water resources, lower irrigation cost (compared with sprinkler system)
Fire-breaks
Reduced crop-loss from bush-fires, added protection against wind damage in storms, reduced soil moisture loss through shading and wind reduction
Gabion walls are constructed to improve land stability.
Escallion field with guinea grass mulch used to conserve soil moisture.
Installation of check dam used to control the movement of water along hillsides and slopes.
Terracing- keeps forests intact and safe from slippage in case of flooding.
Help with Replication The community of Jeffrey Town has become a model for other communities and government agencies in Jamaica, both in the areas of disaster risk reduction and sustainable agriculture. Representatives from the organization regularly present at workshops, outlining the challenges and achievements of the group, and how their lessons can be transferred to other communities. Several executive members of the organization serve on the boards of national development organizations, providing an outlet for their best practices to reach all corners of Jamaica. Members also travel internationally to present at various climate change seminars including the 2015 Climate Change Conference in Paris, France and the IUCN World Conservation Conference, Hawaii 2016. With that being said, the group is undoubtedly willing to assist individual farmers and farming groups across Jamaica and the Caribbean in the area of replication. Contacts details for the group are below: Jeffery Town Farmers Association Headquarters Jeffery Town St. Mary Phone: 876-997-2188/ 876-823-3057 Email: jefferytownfarmers@gmail.com Website: www.jeffreytown.org.jm
‘Supergreeners’ Testimonies Name: Donovan Walters Age: 55 yrs. Years of practicing farming: 25
Name: Michael Brown Age: 43 yrs. Years of practicing farming: 10
“I joined the group two years ago and I have no regret. Every time there is a meeting, I learn something new to take back to my farm. Most of all, where I farm, washing away of the soil was a major issue but since I was taught about planting pineapples as a barrier, less soil is washing away. All I can say is the project is the best thing that have happened here [Jeffery Town] I would recommend this project to all farmers, not only in Jeffery Town, but also across
“The various workshops carried out by the group taught me about the value and importance of protecting the environment for my livelihood, farming. I learned so much about water conservation and rainwater harvesting. We [farmers] learned about the importance of crop rotation, not planting an entire area in one crop but rotating the area … and using natural materials in the environment to conserve the moisture and increase the fertility of the soil. Now I am also using natural barriers like lemongrass to eradicate the crop pests.”
“These new ways of farming are way better than when I just started”.
“I consider myself a new kind of farmer, a farmer who is open new ideas.”