CHALLENGES FOR SMALL FARMERS

As we become more aware of the impact climate change is having on our food supply, it’s important to consider the plight of small farmers who produce 29% of the world’s crops. With over 570 million small farms worldwide, many are under one hectare and are considered performing subsistence or marginal farming to meet the needs of their families. Small-scale farmers are hit hard by droughts, floods, and storms while suffering from the gradual effects of climate change, such as restricted water, stress in crops, and unpredictable pest infestations caused by rising temperatures. 

Jamaican Farmers

Jamaican farmers are no exception. With an average farm size of 2.7 hectares, most small farms are under 1.5 hectares and face challenges such as climate change, limited funding, lack of productivity, and low income from farming. But there is hope.

Eco-agriculture is a game-changer that merges the science of Agriculture and Nature. ECO Parks is adding the additional science of climate change. It’s the answer to the environmental damage caused by synthetic farming chemicals and the intensification of agriculture to meet our global food supply. The newly emerged Argo-ecology is gaining traction in scientific discourse.

Jamaica has a total land area of 10,800 square kilometres, with almost half being agricultural. Agriculture accounts for 8.34% of the national GDP, with over 250,000 registered farmers and farms. Despite this, small Jamaican farmers face major hurdles in transitioning to organic and sustainable farming practices.

They need access to credit, education, and organic inputs, and higher operating costs are making it hard for them to compete with conventional synthetic farmers and access international markets. Over the past four decades, the collapse of both large and small farms has left over 300,000 acres of Jamaican agricultural land idle or underutilized. But there’s hope

Most of the small Jamaican farmers under 1 hectare are subsistence farmers. These farmers face a daunting challenge to be productive and competitive in global markets. Extreme weather and a lack of education in new agricultural practices for climate change adaptation are causing crop infestations and declining crop yield and quality.

This is also true for many of the farmers using synthetic chemicals. Overuse of chemicals and pesticides is increasing costs and causing high concentrations of nitrous oxide to be released into the atmosphere. Moreover, in addition to these challenges, small farmers need access to packaging, cold storage, and transportation to serve local and international markets.

The ECO Parks Project team is committed to bridging the historical divide between the environment and agriculture.