Environmental policy and administrative management

Historically speaking Jamaica has moved from a paradigm of organic farming to a chemical based agricultural system including the use of insecticides, herbicides and fertilizers. While this has increased production in most instances, it has contributed to Land Degradation, has been a detriment to Coastal, Marine and Freshwater ecosystems and has undermined Conservation and the Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity. As with most countries around the world, agriculture in Jamaica was organic in the early 1900 s and shifted to chemical use by the mid 1900 s. Today the majority of developing countries have built their agricultural practices based on chemical usage. This culture of over-utilizing chemicals, commercial fertilizers, and pesticides is now firmly established in Jamaican agriculture and is a major contributing factor to drastic Land Degradation. The use of fertilizers is fundamentally not sustainable. Chemical-based farming is a short term, narrow sighted solution to yielding substantial harvests. Whereas a chemically produced crop may yield a high volume one season, continued chemical use on the soil will eventually render the soil completely devoid of nutrients, and the soil will prove to not bear at all in the future. Not to mention the serious harm chemical-based farming has on each ecosystem of the island, biodiversity, and most importantly human health. An unprecedented number of chemical-based farmers across the Island suffer health problems due to over-exposure to commercial chemical sprays, their farms are rapidly becoming depleted of the nutrients necessary to bear crops, and the prospect of a steady, reliable income for the future dwindles as the cycle continues. More specifically, chemical-based farming does not encourage sustainable, organic agricultural methods such as green manure, composting organic waste, crop rotation and cover crops. Rather, the use of chemical fertilizers leads to mono-cropping, soil nutrient depletion, and ground water contamination. To establish ground breaking Sustainable Land Management Practices through the introduction of organic fertilizer and public/private partnerships a. Establish Sustainable Land Management with the Walkerswood Pepper Farmers Group (WWPFG)and improve the livelihoods of small farmers. b. Disseminate Sustainable Land Management Practices to all of WWCF suppliers of raw material c. Introduce new High Tunnel House Technology d. Utilize the Jamaica Agro-Processors Association to disseminate lessons learned and best practices of the project as an incentive for improved waste management of ackee pods and other organic material as well as improving purchaser/supplier relations and improving the livelihoods of small farmers across Jamaica. e. Mechanize land preparation with a rototiller for small land holders f. Host 30 Farmers Associations in marketing training, high tunnel house production, composting and integrated pest management Technical assistance is provided by the United States Agency For Internatinal Development (USAID) through the JA FARMs project.

Jamaica