Bio-diversity

Jamaican agriculture and the environment are inextricably linked; often one is addressed without addressing the other. Jamaican agriculture has been plagued by marketing problems, chemical based agricultural practices, poor extension services and low levels of technology all to the detriment of the environment. Santoy Cooperative has identified numerous issues in agriculture and the environment that can be addressed by introducing new agricultural practices while simultaneously benefiting the environment and improving the livelihoods of those involved. This is a groundbreaking project that seeks to utilize new land management practices as well as production and marketing systems. Historically Jamaica has been teaching a reactive approach to agriculture. This is a chemical based system that is more reactive to pests and diseases than preventative. It relies heavily on pesticides, herbicides and insecticides to maintain healthy plants and increase yields. Not only is this a detriment to the environment but potentially the health of farmers and consumers. Agricultural chemicals seep into ground water, rivers and eventually the sea damaging those ecosystems. The use of chemicals also increases the cost of production. Unfortunately this has been the teachings of the local extension service that has suffered severe budget cuts over the years and lacks the capacity to introduce new agricultural technologies. In theory the year-round growing season of Jamaica should provide a comparative advantage to North American countries that experience shorter growing seasons. While year-round sunlight is a favoured environment for agriculture, it also creates a year-round pest problem that relies on the heavy use of pesticides. The USDA has recently turned back calaloo due to high pesticide residue levels. The USDA and the EU are becoming much stricter about pesticide residue levels. The other consideration regarding year-round growing in Jamaica is heavy periods of rain and hurricanes. Heavy rains and hurricanes create a major risk for small farmers. They can ruin a crop just prior to harvest and create a major loss. The agro processing and tourism industries have both been plagued by inconsistent supply and poor quality produce. While the majority of these businesses would prefer to buy Jamaican , they are forced to import from abroad. The large-scale hotels have reported that some import up to 90% of their produce from aboard. The agro-processing sector is in a similar position with some Jamaican products consisting of very few Jamaican inputs. Better quality raw material can be produced and processed in Jamaica given the correct business and environmental conditions. Additionally, Negril s coral reefs have degraded due various inputs including high chemical usage. Santoy s communal farm is next to Campbell River that flows into the sea near to Negril s cost. Santoy currently utilizes a significant amount of chemicals to control pests, weeds and as fertilizer. Their 40 acre farm borders the river and is a point source of pollutants into that ecosystem. Goals: 1. Establish the utilization of High Tunnel Houses in agriculture to for Sustainable Land Management, the upliftment of rural people. Increase the productivity and competitiveness of Jamaican agriculture in the global market place. High Tunnel Houses (HTHs) are proven technology with a company called Rock Mtn Herbs in St. Andrew. Rock Mtn Herbs has produced superior quality lettuce and cabbage with less chemical inputs utilizing the high tunnel houses. The University of Maryland Eastern Shore has approached Santoy Coop about building HTHs and using them to promote a network of growers. Santoy has also seen this technology utilized with the Christiania Potato Growers Association in the production of disease free sweet potato planting material. 2. Provide Training in the development of High Tunnel House production technology. 3. Establish controlled growing environments to protect the environment, and establish growing means to mitigate against natural disasters. 4. A Network of growers will be farmers and non-farmers. Santoy cooperative will provide all of the technical know-how to produce in the HTHs and rural people who are identified as potential growers can decide to invest in HTHs based on Santoy s arrangement. Santoy has excellent markets with the supermarkets, Walkerswood Caribbean Foods Ltd, and to a lesser extent the hotels in Negril. Santoy will support growers with technical know-how as long as they market their produce through the cooperative. Non-farmers will be able to participate due to the fact that Santoy brings the growing expertise to them. 5. The Green Island High School will receive 2,000+ sq ft of High Tunnel Houses for demonstration, profit and hands-on learning with the students. 100 students will be introduced to cutting edge technology and a new approach to agriculture in a vocational setting. Preservation of the environment will be at the focal point of the instruction instilling good environmental values with the students. The school is located on the main highway and the High Tunnel Houses will draw the attention of passer-by s. Santoy will work directly with the school in the administering the production technology and marketing of the High Tunnel House Production. Technical assistance is provided by the United States Agency For Internatinal Development (USAID) through the JA FARMs project.

Jamaica