The document summarizes evidence from organic farms in Jamaica about their experiences with climate change adaptation. It profiles several farms and the practices they use, such as check dams, terracing, water harvesting, and permaculture. These practices help mitigate issues like flooding and drought. The farms report benefits like more continuous harvests and higher yields compared to neighboring conventional farms. The document also cites a FAO finding that organically managed soils are more resilient to water stress, supporting the experiences of the Jamaican farms.
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Evidence from the Field: Lessons from Jamaica's Organic Farms
1. EVIDENCE FROM THE FIELD
LESSONS FROM JAMAICAโS
ORGANIC FARMS
Dorienne Rowan-Campbell
2. THE FAO CITES ORGANIC
PRODUCTION AS BEING
EFFECTIVE
โข Prevention
โข Mitigation
โข and Assisting with adaptation to Climate
Change
WHAT HAS BEEN JAMAICAโS
EXPERIENCE?
3. CONTRIBUTING FARMS
FARM PARISH PRACTICES
DURGA ST ANN Water conservation,
natural bldgs,
permaculture, solar toilets,
ponds
JEFFERY TOWN
FARMERS
GROUP
ST MARY Check dams, terracing,
greenhouse, communal
water sourcing
6. BACKGROUND
โข 4 farmers cultivating 12 acres ( two have lost their
leases and are re-organizing)
โข Mostly hillside farmers 1 greenhouse
โข Soil type bonny gate clay
โข Products
strawberries in the greenhouse
fruit trees, bananas, pineapples breadfruit
dasheen
mixed fruit various vegetables, carrots
8. Actions Taken - Flooding
โข Built check dams with head trench to force
water to soak through rather than rush over
fields.
โข Terracing
9. Water Access
โข 1 spring. Use catchments at spring head and
solar pumps to lift water. Priority
community use but some use for farming
โข 1 pond. Negotiated with pond owner for use
of pond to entrap water to irrigate green
house.
โข Water harvesting on farms
10. ADAPTATIONS
โข Changing patterns of production
โ Focus on strawberries in greenhouse
โ More emphasis on fruit trees
โ Seasonal emphasis on root crops rather than
green vegetables
11. Observations
โข More continuously sustainable and
profitable harvests
โข Report a marked difference with
neighboring farmers who have are still
losing crops to flooding and drought
14. Background Rowanโs Royale
โข 6 acre farm 4000 feet Blue Mountains
โข Geologically, part of the band identified as
Newcastle volcanic, full of fissures and
fault lines and the Wag Water enrichment
formation The soil itself varies but much of
it is shale; non calcareous and conglomerate
shales.
โข pH acidic.
15. Background cont
Some Products
Coffee
Asparagus
Bananas, plantains
Mulberries, lemons
Mixed greens, peas,
beans
Turmeric, ginger, coco,
sweet potato
Issues
โข Entirely rain-fed
โข Are in increasing rain
shadow in summer
โข Increased wind
โข Shortening period of
mist/fog โless
moisture
โข Increased heat and sun
16. Actions
โข Employing Permaculture techniques
โข Building berms and swales to trap moisture
โข Water harvesting
โข Planting trees for shade
โข Planting under shade
โข Canopy use
โข Changing production patterns
โข Soil improvements ( top soil inc. organic
inspectors reports)
17. MOISTURE IS CRITICAL FOR
QUALITY COFFEE
โข Lining out the berms
and swales for the
capture of more
moisture for the coffee
18.
19.
20. Our own brand of water
harvesting
โข Trap water from farm
buildings
โข many 60 gal drums
spread out so plants
can be easily watered.
โข .permaculture
mulching on terraces
โข Mosquito prevention
21. Some adaptations
โข 2013-14 planted 150
shade trees
โข Moving back to shade
coffee (trees lost after
hurricanes)
โข Planting vegetables
under shade
โข Experimenting with
drought resistance
crops
โข Assists with water and
moisture retention
โข Use canopy for chocho
and black pepper and
beans
22. RR and CIB data
โข Float consistently av.
<3% (since 2002)
โข 2015 after drought
Higher than normal
float percentage, start
of the crop was about
35 to 40 percent.
Average losses in
yield 15 to 20 percent
23. Observations
corroborated by UTECH study on Coffee and
Climate Change - Expresso
โข Neighbouring farmers
report
โข Smaller beans
โข Lesser yield overall
โข RR heavier yield,
large beans beans
โข Loss of seedlings. RR
lost 6
24. FAO Environment and Natural
Resources Series # 4 2008
Organically Managed soils have a
higher potential to counter soil
degradation as they are more
resilient to water stress and
nutrient loss than conventionally
managed soils
25. CORROBORATION FROM
FARMS
FAO finding is reflected in other organic systems but
is so far under-reported and researched in
Jamaica.
As soil management is at the core of organic
processes, maintaining soil health ensures a
protection against crop loss in times of flooding
and drought.
Organic soils use less water..
26. Organic is an holistic system thus all
aspects relate to water management:
โข Soil management e.g.Composting adds
nutrient and organic matter ( imp. To keep
water in and soil structure intact)
โข Provision of shade trees
โข Terracing
โข Permaculture
โข Mulching
โข Cover crops