Recent discussions with an experienced engineer reinforced my belief that land management on a national level requires multi-disciplinary teams. It was agreed that engineers will often “see” engineering solutions to land management issues. Civil Engineers, for example, concerned with infrastructure protection (by dint of their training, exposure and areas of interest) would most likely decide on retaining walls or gabion baskets. Several professions view land as “something to be stabilized, graded or drained”. Those in professions where land is seen as soil often have different views; in that it is viewed in terms of its fertility, possible protection and improvement as a precursor to irreversibly covering it with concrete.
The so-called soft engineering solutions for “soil stabilization” such as grassing with Vetiver spp. are often not considered when land is seen as a “base for building.” Soil is an entity with inherent capacity to provide solutions and products, or regulate natural cycles including the water cycle. In our discussions on land use policies we must constantly interject that soil use is equally important. Land use policies require multi-disciplinary teams to add to the range of tools brought to the task.
Saturday, 1 October 2011
Saturday, 14 May 2011
Agro-tourism; The best thing since cassava bread
Agro-Tourism: the best thing since cassava bread
Every adult in the Caribbean can define tourism and recite real and imagined benefits of that industry. Interestingly, when asked about agro-tourism, the stock response is about people visiting farms and helping to harvest produce. This narrow concept of what agro-tourism entails is not limited to people outside of the agricultural sector. Whilst most will agree that Agribusiness involves any link between agriculture and business there is less of a sense that all the links between agriculture and tourism are covered by the agro-tourism rubric. Additionally, it is not clear that everyone in the Caribbean makes the connection between agriculture and food; food can be had in many countries in the absence of a strong agricultural sector. Many Caribbean consumers look to their respective Minister of Trade for pronouncements on food prices and availability.
It is the expanded interpretation of agro-tourism that can be seen as the best thing since cassava bread. Agro-tourism incorporates the strengthening of culinary tourism where the guest consumes food and beverages made from locally grown produce. The guest’s activities may also include a visit to a farm, market, processing facility, distillery or other agro-industrial complex. Recognition of green spaces, hotel gardens, aquaria, in-house plant décor, rural landscapes, “farmscapes”, heritage parks, outdoor museums, seine-pulling, lake and marine sport-fishing, and beachfront parks as fillips to tourism highlight agriculture’s influence.
Caribbean leaders are openly admitting that the traditional vision of tourism as involving sun, sea and sand has to be reoriented. Visitors are seeking authentic experiences that can be easily incorporated into the realms of the flora and fauna of the region. Agriculture is about the husbanding of plants and animals within natural or manipulated environments. There are no limits to the kinds of authentic experiences one can amass by interfacing with these natural or manipulated environments. Touring a plantation, eating food grown and prepared using traditional techniques, enjoying handicraft made with indigenous plants, and purchasing leather craft are all agriculture-based experiences that appease tourist appetites for memorable experiences.
Lest the reader concludes that all of this is pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking, award-winning tours, parks and culinary experiences dot the Caribbean landscape from Guyana in the south to Jamaica in the north. From well-established train tours in St Kitts to heritage parks of more recent vintage in Mainstay, Guyana: agro-tourism is opening up opportunities for education and commerce. These links are not new, in the 1980s one of the most successful and comprehensive Sugar Factory tours was conducted by the late Melford O’Flaharty in Nevis. That was as effective an outdoor museum as can be found anywhere in the world. Mamiku Gardens in St Lucia incorporates pristine landscaping and rich history to provide a renowned tourist destination. The gardens contain a wide range of tropical plants, orchids, herbs, and several secluded secret gardens. The rest of the estate is a plantation comprising banana, passion fruit and mangoes.
In this era of acknowledged Climate Change there are already indications that the sun, sea and sand experience can be acquired at higher latitudes, thereby reducing the number of reasons to travel into traditional, more equatorial regions. Agro-tourism improves the likelihood of a unique experience through links to the natural ecosystem, the agricultural ecosystem, the social environment and the cultural inheritance. Additionally, European tourists in particular are concerned about their carbon footprint and increasingly do not want to contribute to additional “food-miles”. Food-miles is a term which refers to the distance food is transported from the time of its production until it reaches the consumer. It is one dimension used in assessing the environmental impact of food. Locally produced food, sustainable production techniques, environmental protection and significant biodiversity are agriculture-influenced drawing cards for eco-sensitive tourists.
Agro-tourism runs the entire gamut. It includes farm-based accommodation as can be attained at Rainbow Nature Resort, Tobago, where the hotel is part of a producing fifty-acre farmstead. Conformably it also includes outdoor agro-historical museums as the agro-processing history trail under construction at Montaque in St Vincent and the Cassava processing facility in Tapakuma, Guyana, which is part of the Tri-Lakes community suite of Amerindian tourism products. Agro-tourism is poised to be the next best thing since authentic Tapakuma cassava bread. Will the powers-that-be harness it or await an influx of traditional tourists if and when oil prices and airfares ever come down?
Every adult in the Caribbean can define tourism and recite real and imagined benefits of that industry. Interestingly, when asked about agro-tourism, the stock response is about people visiting farms and helping to harvest produce. This narrow concept of what agro-tourism entails is not limited to people outside of the agricultural sector. Whilst most will agree that Agribusiness involves any link between agriculture and business there is less of a sense that all the links between agriculture and tourism are covered by the agro-tourism rubric. Additionally, it is not clear that everyone in the Caribbean makes the connection between agriculture and food; food can be had in many countries in the absence of a strong agricultural sector. Many Caribbean consumers look to their respective Minister of Trade for pronouncements on food prices and availability.
It is the expanded interpretation of agro-tourism that can be seen as the best thing since cassava bread. Agro-tourism incorporates the strengthening of culinary tourism where the guest consumes food and beverages made from locally grown produce. The guest’s activities may also include a visit to a farm, market, processing facility, distillery or other agro-industrial complex. Recognition of green spaces, hotel gardens, aquaria, in-house plant décor, rural landscapes, “farmscapes”, heritage parks, outdoor museums, seine-pulling, lake and marine sport-fishing, and beachfront parks as fillips to tourism highlight agriculture’s influence.
Caribbean leaders are openly admitting that the traditional vision of tourism as involving sun, sea and sand has to be reoriented. Visitors are seeking authentic experiences that can be easily incorporated into the realms of the flora and fauna of the region. Agriculture is about the husbanding of plants and animals within natural or manipulated environments. There are no limits to the kinds of authentic experiences one can amass by interfacing with these natural or manipulated environments. Touring a plantation, eating food grown and prepared using traditional techniques, enjoying handicraft made with indigenous plants, and purchasing leather craft are all agriculture-based experiences that appease tourist appetites for memorable experiences.
Lest the reader concludes that all of this is pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking, award-winning tours, parks and culinary experiences dot the Caribbean landscape from Guyana in the south to Jamaica in the north. From well-established train tours in St Kitts to heritage parks of more recent vintage in Mainstay, Guyana: agro-tourism is opening up opportunities for education and commerce. These links are not new, in the 1980s one of the most successful and comprehensive Sugar Factory tours was conducted by the late Melford O’Flaharty in Nevis. That was as effective an outdoor museum as can be found anywhere in the world. Mamiku Gardens in St Lucia incorporates pristine landscaping and rich history to provide a renowned tourist destination. The gardens contain a wide range of tropical plants, orchids, herbs, and several secluded secret gardens. The rest of the estate is a plantation comprising banana, passion fruit and mangoes.
In this era of acknowledged Climate Change there are already indications that the sun, sea and sand experience can be acquired at higher latitudes, thereby reducing the number of reasons to travel into traditional, more equatorial regions. Agro-tourism improves the likelihood of a unique experience through links to the natural ecosystem, the agricultural ecosystem, the social environment and the cultural inheritance. Additionally, European tourists in particular are concerned about their carbon footprint and increasingly do not want to contribute to additional “food-miles”. Food-miles is a term which refers to the distance food is transported from the time of its production until it reaches the consumer. It is one dimension used in assessing the environmental impact of food. Locally produced food, sustainable production techniques, environmental protection and significant biodiversity are agriculture-influenced drawing cards for eco-sensitive tourists.
Agro-tourism runs the entire gamut. It includes farm-based accommodation as can be attained at Rainbow Nature Resort, Tobago, where the hotel is part of a producing fifty-acre farmstead. Conformably it also includes outdoor agro-historical museums as the agro-processing history trail under construction at Montaque in St Vincent and the Cassava processing facility in Tapakuma, Guyana, which is part of the Tri-Lakes community suite of Amerindian tourism products. Agro-tourism is poised to be the next best thing since authentic Tapakuma cassava bread. Will the powers-that-be harness it or await an influx of traditional tourists if and when oil prices and airfares ever come down?
Food Safety Issues
Food
Safety issues affecting Accessibility, Utilization and Stability of supplies
Critical
Food safety issues affecting Food Accessibility
There have been concerns that food
accessed through food-aid and emergency programmes has not always been
certified as safe. The latest direct threat to food safety revolves around
Genetically Modified foods. The United States as a major benefactor is under no
obligation to state whether the food has been genetically modified. Regional
recipients do not have the wherewithal to conduct the appropriate tests. The
safety assessment of GM foods generally investigates: (a) direct health effects
(toxicity), (b) tendencies to provoke allergic reaction (allergenicity); (c)
specific components thought to have nutritional or toxic properties; (d) the
stability of the inserted gene; (e) nutritional effects associated with genetic
modification; and (f) any unintended effects which could result from the gene
insertion. In
the Caribbean context accessibility is often equated with the purchase or grant
of imported food for the more vulnerable citizens. There
is the perception that food recipients ought not to “look a gift horse in the
mouth”. The authenticity and safety of food accessed via emergency aid or special
arrangement transfers is very rarely challenged.
The imported food is made more competitive
oftentimes due to the removal of tariffs.
Whilst none of the regional leaders who subscribe to that mechanism have
publicly acknowledged that it is flawed, former U.S. President Bill Clinton has
done so. President Clinton,
now a United Nations special envoy to Haiti, publicly apologized in March 2010
for championing policies that destroyed Haiti's rice production. In the mid-1990s he encouraged the
impoverished country to dramatically cut tariffs on imported U.S. rice. "It may have been good for some of
my farmers in Arkansas, but it has not worked. It was a mistake," Clinton
told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on March 10. "I had to live
everyday with the consequences of the loss of capacity to produce a rice crop
in Haiti to feed those people because of what I did; nobody else."
Critical
Food safety issues affecting Food Utilization.
A critical underpinning of food and
nutrition security is that the food accessed will be utilized in a fashion that
produces the greatest utility. This is not always the case especially for the
groups at risk. The prevailing view is that the donor’s or State’s role is
completed once the material transfer has been effected. In the absence of targeted
programmes, the eventual utilization can be compromised. A common example is in
the preparation of parboiled rice, there are households that still “boil” rice
in copious amounts of water and then “strain” the grains sending the
nutrient-enriched water down the drain.
Food safety concerns abound in the
utilization phase, where improper handling or preparation at the household
level can compromise all of the due diligence that went in to its production
and acquisition. Foods may be undercooked or prepared and stored under less
than hygienic conditions. The
latter scenario exposes the food to physical, chemical and biological
contamination.
Critical
Food safety issues affecting Stability of supplies
The major household level activity geared to
stabilize supplies usually encompasses storage. There are food safety implications if the storage regimen is
compromised by chemical deterioration, biological decomposition or physical
contamination. The weather variations that can lead to disruptions in the
supply of food are often contributory to the stored-food safety issues. Heavy rains and flooding not only
interrupt production, and distribution activities but can also trigger
significant losses of stored food.
The growth of moulds of health significance such as Aspergillus spp.
(aflatoxins) and contamination with E. coli from floodwater contamination are
common examples.
Emergency operations, as are common after a
weather-triggered event, often rely less on established procedures for the
storage, packaging and distribution of food. Given the accompanying shortage of potable water, the
sanitizing of equipment, vehicles and utensils is often seen as a lower order
priority.
Saturday, 16 April 2011
Disaster Mitigation protocol for the New Agriculture
A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON NATURAL HAZARD MITIGATION FOR THE AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL SECTORS IN THE CARIBBEAN
Mitigation in Agriculture
Given the concerted efforts being made to reposition agriculture and the articulation of policies that fit within the contextual framework of the MDG, Agro 2003-2015 and the Jagdeo Initiative; hazard mitigation should also fit harmoniously within other sector-wide efforts. “Environmental Sustainability” and “Food Safety” are both threatened by significant hazards. Safety and competitiveness issues have ensured that the food sector embraced the concept of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) as being absolutely necessary for survival. A detailed review of natural hazard mitigation attempts in the agricultural and rural sectors highlights the need for an approach based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Mitigation Point (HACMP). This approach will marry the CHAMP and HACCP principles and further institutionalize the critical point concept within the agricultural sector. It will also provide a structured mechanism to inculcate gender-sensitive procedural elements into the hazard analysis, vulnerability assessment and mitigation measures. The well-documented roles of women in the agricultural and rural sectors will be recognized in the determination of critical points.
Like HACCP, HACMP will be based on seven principles:
Analyze hazards. Potential natural hazards and measures to control those hazards are identified. The hazard could be of hydrologic origin, such as a hurricane; seismic, such as an earthquake; or biological, such as an invasive plant or animal.
Identify critical mitigation points. These are points at which the impact of the potential hazard can be limited or eliminated. Examples are site selection/preparation, pen construction, planting, and cultivar selection.
Establish preventive measures with critical limits for each mitigation point. For a riparian area, this might include setting the minimum cambered bed height required to ensure the protection of the collar region (often disease-prone junction of stem and root) of crop plants.
Establish procedures to monitor the critical mitigation points. Such procedures might include determining how, and by whom, site preparation should be monitored.
Establish corrective actions to be taken when monitoring shows that a critical limit has not been met --for example, ensuring prized animals are tagged and identifiable.
Establish procedures to verify that the system is working properly --for example, testing gradient on box drains.
Establish effective recordkeeping to document the HACMP system. This would include records of hazards and their control methods, the monitoring of safety requirements and action taken to correct potential problems. Each of these principles must be backed by sound scientific knowledge.
Advantages of HACMP
HACMP offers a number of advantages. Most importantly, HACMP:
- focuses on identifying and limiting or preventing hazards
- utilizes a systems approach
- will be based on sound science and provides a framework for the use of hazard maps etc.
- permits more efficient and effective management oversight, primarily because the recordkeeping allows investigators/financiers to see how well a firm is complying with agreed mitigation measures over a period rather than how well it is doing on any given day
- places responsibility for anticipating and preparing for hazards on the Agribusiness Manager
- Potentially reduces the cost of post-hazard resumption.
Disadvantages of HACMP
▫ Does not yet have a “driver” either a legislative, donor-determined or trade related impetus to spur implementation
▫ There is a perception that mitigation is impossible or the costs are prohibitive, thereby legitimizing the need for disaster relief
▫ Necessitates the utilization of procedures that have not been effectively communicated to stakeholders
▫ Stakeholders have been presented with guidelines over the years but no firmly rooted systematic, auditable procedures. HACMP will be viewed as being too rigorous.
The preceding sections of this paper have echoed the views of opinion leaders in the Caribbean with regard to the need for a comprehensive mechanism to address Disaster mitigation in the region. HACMP can be the basis upon which a Natural Hazard Mitigation Policy is crafted for the Agricultural Sector.
Why is a Policy level intervention necessary?
The overall objective behind the Agro 2003-2015 Plan, the Jagdeo Initiative, and the renewed interest in agricultural policy harmonization, is the Repositioning of Agriculture. Decision-makers at the highest levels in CARICOM have already proclaimed that the sector can no longer survive in a “business as usual” mode. Having identified the ten key binding constraints, policies are being formulated to address them, as determined by feedback from national consultations amongst all stakeholders.
One of those key binding constraints is the “deficient and uncoordinated risk management measures” in the sector. This policy will provide the mechanisms to coordinate the risk management measures as they relate to natural hazards. It is generally recognized that unmitigated risk from natural hazards is a significant constraint.
The proposed Policy framework addresses these concerns and is in sync with other initiatives in the sector because it:
➢ utilizes a systems approach
➢ acknowledges critical points, affording opportunities to be proactive rather than reactive
➢ provides a structured mechanism for the incorporation of existing guidelines and procedures from the many organisations operating in the sector
➢ can be tailored to factor in the up-front contribution of various stakeholders from the most vulnerable to those able to recoup losses, relocate or refinance their activities post disaster
➢ facilitates oversight and review by an existing regional disaster mitigating agency
➢ reinforces the importance of mitigation at different levels in the sector
If the framework is bundled with other policy initiatives arising out of the Regional Transformation Programme as articulated by President Jagdeo, in his capacity as lead Head for agriculture, it can be endorsed by the highest decision-making body in CARICOM. It would still require a legislative, donor-dictated or trade-related impetus to promote its adoption. Elsewhere in this paper it has been documented why mitigation measures are not the “responses of first choice” by many stakeholders. However, the escalating costs in economic, environmental and social terms make it mandatory that a concerted, systemic and systematic approach is developed
Steps to adoption of the HACMP Framework (as the basis of a natural hazard mitigation policy for the agricultural sector):
1. Commitment by key stakeholders especially the Heads of Government, Ministers of Agriculture and Executives in regional/national agencies and preliminary indication of the “drivers” to encourage and justify the proactive, critical point approach.
2. Inter-agency gap assessment and planning with regard to the range of hazards and implementable mitigation methodologies, with specific reference to
▫ Full-fledged Hazard analysis,
▫ Agreement on critical mitigation points,
▫ Establishment of critical limits,
▫ Establishment of monitoring systems,
▫ Categorizing the roles for assorted stakeholders (including those traditionally only seen as potential beneficiaries)
▫ Agreement on corrective action,
▫ Establishment of verification procedures,
▫ Establishment of documentation and record keeping formats.
3. Pilot Implementation with regard to particular hazards and selected agricultural activities
4. Review of Internal audit and improvement mechanisms along with cost-benefit analyses
5. Launch of expanded framework
The proposed framework provides a missing link in the natural hazard mitigation milieu, by establishing a structured, auditable system to consolidate the disparate efforts of several regional and national agencies. One of the most important aspects of a successful hazard mitigation strategy is the participation of the public during the planning process. In addition to the Steering or Management Committee Meetings, a series of public meetings should be held throughout the process. These meetings will allow the public (traditional and non-traditional stakeholders) to comment on the development of the plan and to contribute to rather than simply ratify the information tabled.
Mitigation in Agriculture
Given the concerted efforts being made to reposition agriculture and the articulation of policies that fit within the contextual framework of the MDG, Agro 2003-2015 and the Jagdeo Initiative; hazard mitigation should also fit harmoniously within other sector-wide efforts. “Environmental Sustainability” and “Food Safety” are both threatened by significant hazards. Safety and competitiveness issues have ensured that the food sector embraced the concept of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) as being absolutely necessary for survival. A detailed review of natural hazard mitigation attempts in the agricultural and rural sectors highlights the need for an approach based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Mitigation Point (HACMP). This approach will marry the CHAMP and HACCP principles and further institutionalize the critical point concept within the agricultural sector. It will also provide a structured mechanism to inculcate gender-sensitive procedural elements into the hazard analysis, vulnerability assessment and mitigation measures. The well-documented roles of women in the agricultural and rural sectors will be recognized in the determination of critical points.
Like HACCP, HACMP will be based on seven principles:
Analyze hazards. Potential natural hazards and measures to control those hazards are identified. The hazard could be of hydrologic origin, such as a hurricane; seismic, such as an earthquake; or biological, such as an invasive plant or animal.
Identify critical mitigation points. These are points at which the impact of the potential hazard can be limited or eliminated. Examples are site selection/preparation, pen construction, planting, and cultivar selection.
Establish preventive measures with critical limits for each mitigation point. For a riparian area, this might include setting the minimum cambered bed height required to ensure the protection of the collar region (often disease-prone junction of stem and root) of crop plants.
Establish procedures to monitor the critical mitigation points. Such procedures might include determining how, and by whom, site preparation should be monitored.
Establish corrective actions to be taken when monitoring shows that a critical limit has not been met --for example, ensuring prized animals are tagged and identifiable.
Establish procedures to verify that the system is working properly --for example, testing gradient on box drains.
Establish effective recordkeeping to document the HACMP system. This would include records of hazards and their control methods, the monitoring of safety requirements and action taken to correct potential problems. Each of these principles must be backed by sound scientific knowledge.
Advantages of HACMP
HACMP offers a number of advantages. Most importantly, HACMP:
- focuses on identifying and limiting or preventing hazards
- utilizes a systems approach
- will be based on sound science and provides a framework for the use of hazard maps etc.
- permits more efficient and effective management oversight, primarily because the recordkeeping allows investigators/financiers to see how well a firm is complying with agreed mitigation measures over a period rather than how well it is doing on any given day
- places responsibility for anticipating and preparing for hazards on the Agribusiness Manager
- Potentially reduces the cost of post-hazard resumption.
Disadvantages of HACMP
▫ Does not yet have a “driver” either a legislative, donor-determined or trade related impetus to spur implementation
▫ There is a perception that mitigation is impossible or the costs are prohibitive, thereby legitimizing the need for disaster relief
▫ Necessitates the utilization of procedures that have not been effectively communicated to stakeholders
▫ Stakeholders have been presented with guidelines over the years but no firmly rooted systematic, auditable procedures. HACMP will be viewed as being too rigorous.
The preceding sections of this paper have echoed the views of opinion leaders in the Caribbean with regard to the need for a comprehensive mechanism to address Disaster mitigation in the region. HACMP can be the basis upon which a Natural Hazard Mitigation Policy is crafted for the Agricultural Sector.
Why is a Policy level intervention necessary?
The overall objective behind the Agro 2003-2015 Plan, the Jagdeo Initiative, and the renewed interest in agricultural policy harmonization, is the Repositioning of Agriculture. Decision-makers at the highest levels in CARICOM have already proclaimed that the sector can no longer survive in a “business as usual” mode. Having identified the ten key binding constraints, policies are being formulated to address them, as determined by feedback from national consultations amongst all stakeholders.
One of those key binding constraints is the “deficient and uncoordinated risk management measures” in the sector. This policy will provide the mechanisms to coordinate the risk management measures as they relate to natural hazards. It is generally recognized that unmitigated risk from natural hazards is a significant constraint.
The proposed Policy framework addresses these concerns and is in sync with other initiatives in the sector because it:
➢ utilizes a systems approach
➢ acknowledges critical points, affording opportunities to be proactive rather than reactive
➢ provides a structured mechanism for the incorporation of existing guidelines and procedures from the many organisations operating in the sector
➢ can be tailored to factor in the up-front contribution of various stakeholders from the most vulnerable to those able to recoup losses, relocate or refinance their activities post disaster
➢ facilitates oversight and review by an existing regional disaster mitigating agency
➢ reinforces the importance of mitigation at different levels in the sector
If the framework is bundled with other policy initiatives arising out of the Regional Transformation Programme as articulated by President Jagdeo, in his capacity as lead Head for agriculture, it can be endorsed by the highest decision-making body in CARICOM. It would still require a legislative, donor-dictated or trade-related impetus to promote its adoption. Elsewhere in this paper it has been documented why mitigation measures are not the “responses of first choice” by many stakeholders. However, the escalating costs in economic, environmental and social terms make it mandatory that a concerted, systemic and systematic approach is developed
Steps to adoption of the HACMP Framework (as the basis of a natural hazard mitigation policy for the agricultural sector):
1. Commitment by key stakeholders especially the Heads of Government, Ministers of Agriculture and Executives in regional/national agencies and preliminary indication of the “drivers” to encourage and justify the proactive, critical point approach.
2. Inter-agency gap assessment and planning with regard to the range of hazards and implementable mitigation methodologies, with specific reference to
▫ Full-fledged Hazard analysis,
▫ Agreement on critical mitigation points,
▫ Establishment of critical limits,
▫ Establishment of monitoring systems,
▫ Categorizing the roles for assorted stakeholders (including those traditionally only seen as potential beneficiaries)
▫ Agreement on corrective action,
▫ Establishment of verification procedures,
▫ Establishment of documentation and record keeping formats.
3. Pilot Implementation with regard to particular hazards and selected agricultural activities
4. Review of Internal audit and improvement mechanisms along with cost-benefit analyses
5. Launch of expanded framework
The proposed framework provides a missing link in the natural hazard mitigation milieu, by establishing a structured, auditable system to consolidate the disparate efforts of several regional and national agencies. One of the most important aspects of a successful hazard mitigation strategy is the participation of the public during the planning process. In addition to the Steering or Management Committee Meetings, a series of public meetings should be held throughout the process. These meetings will allow the public (traditional and non-traditional stakeholders) to comment on the development of the plan and to contribute to rather than simply ratify the information tabled.
Youth Involvement in the New Agriculture
Possible paths to youth involvement in the New Agriculture
(this was part of a longer document that reviewed successful programs worldwide)
The successful initiatives described in an earlier section highlight the importance of vertically and horizontally integrated programmes. A regional effort led by National Training Institutions such as HEART Trust in Jamaica and the National Training Agency in Trinidad/Tobago should showcase the range of opportunities in the sector. These organisations have developed job-indexed performance criteria for a number of positions in the sector. A key feature would be the possibility of paid apprenticeships (level 1 in the skills hierarchy see Appendix III) to facilitate seamless movement through the various skills levels. As documented elsewhere in this report, youth involvement must be coordinated, sustained and intrinsically linked to other sectoral policies in education, health, social services, environment, youth empowerment and trade.
Career possibilities can be demonstrated in
1. Environmental Stabilization – career paths in landscaping are popular in several countries. Traditional landscaping for aesthetic appeal in and around private homes, office complexes and hotels will be augmented by “soft engineering” solutions. Increasingly, appropriate vegetation is being used to stabilize slopes contiguous with roadways and other infrastructural works. The Fondes Amandes based youths in Trinidad have been able to promote reforestation in the Northern Range. The increased interest in Agro-Tourism necessitates a more functional and aesthetically appealing farm layout. Accessibility and the reduction of possible intra and inter-farm cross contamination will become more important. Skilled professionals will be needed to redesign and maintain dual-purpose farms. The incorporation of outdoor museums and the use of historically significant plants e.g. Breadfruit in St Vincent and the Grenadines, nutmeg in Grenada and pineapple in Antigua and Barbuda will augment the tourism appeal..
2. State-supported Cooperative Contract Farms based on Fairtrade type protocols. Primary production efforts would require substantial holdings of twenty acres or more; farms of that size are traditionally beyond the individual means of youth. Apart from expected economies of scale there are additional reasons for the cooperative approach
a) Stability, shareholder involvement and business focus occasioned by the incorporation of companies limited by shares
b) Focused intervention by service providers and mentors
c) Social impact provisos contingent on conforming with environmental and production standards
d) Integration of disaster mitigation measures in light of the significant climate variability predicted to ensue for several decades
e) Flexibility in terms of the product and production mix given the ongoing advances in the use of modified (genetically and otherwise) biomaterial.
f) Production based on contracts geared at satisfying State demand eg. School Nutrition Programmes, Health Institutions, Social Assistance Programmes (cf. Farmstands)
3. Specialty Production units catering to rising demand for non-traditional products such as nutraceuticals , pharmaceuticals, exotic spices, herb trays for restaurants/hotels and cruise ships. Organic “Smallholder Group Certification” products for specific high-end markets within the Caribbean. Fully integrated farms with agro-tourism capabilities including eco-resorts based on complete nutrient recycling. Integrated farms to include aquaculture ponds and wildlife farming in closed nutrient cycles with minimal external inputs in aesthetically appealing layout. Young people must be apprised of opportunities in bioremediation at the more qualified end of the skills spectrum.
4. Agro Services Units specializing in marketing inclusive of branding, product-specific transportation (land, sea and air), quality-enhancing packaging, agro-processing services for client production units, quality control testing, dehydration, Commercialization of Biotechnological products, innovation and Intellectual Property monitoring, product licensing, communication and convenience
5. The widest scope for individual career paths is in the provision of professional services inclusive of advisory, certification, traceability, diagnosis and pest management, insurance and inventory management.
A review of some of the existing Youth Policy documents lays bare the fact that agriculture is not considered a priority item. The Youth Policies of Trinidad/Tobago and Antigua/Barbuda are silent on Agriculture, Nutrition and Food. The TT policy document while silent on agriculture, mentions crime 15 times, violence 13 times, development 171 times, education 32 times and health 21 times. Official agriculture policy documents list general concerns about youth involvement and in many cases identify stand-alone initiatives such as land distribution, 4H support and State-sponsored training courses. Youth involvement requires policy initiatives that are, at the barest minimum, national in scope. Any policy commitment would have to be economy-wide given the range of issues that impact on, and are affected by, agriculture
The reportedly successful initiatives with respect to youth involvement in agriculture, as reviewed for this report, and borne out by personal experience, indicate common essential components. The TEMPLATE involves
T Training
E Employment
M Mentoring
P Promotion
L Linkages
A Affordability
T Tenacity
E Evaluation
The four programmes reviewed for this report clearly show the importance of training. Youth by definition underscores low levels of actual experience, even when appropriately educated. Job specific instruction is necessary for youths to be able to meet the performance criteria associated with particular tasks. Employment provides the young adults with a means of support and the wherewithal to anticipate self-sufficiency. At the UN Millennium Summit, priority was given to the employability of youth through entrepreneurship as a way to generate employment opportunities. 189 UN Member States agreed to submit National Youth Plans to the UN by July 2005, stating how they will develop youth employment. Mentoring has been described as the major determinant of success for a number of programmes including the Barbados Youth Business Trust and the Youth Window programme in Trinidad.
The lack of interest in agriculture-related careers is fuelled by a genuine ignorance of the range of opportunities in the sector, as opposed to the stereotype of drudgery and low returns on investment. The sector and the attendant career opportunities have to be tied to core values of today’s youth. Successful extra-regional programmes have latched on to role models, celebrities and others manifesting lifestyles that are in sync with youthful expectations. These promotions have been realistic and truthful as they were able to show the interconnectedness with other more high-profile sectors like Trade, Manufacturing, Tourism, Sport and Finance. Linkages are key, whether in terms of a supportive environment, source of inputs or sink for the consumption of goods and services. Farmstand, 4H and the GARD Centre all rely on inter-sectoral links to provide a nurturing environment for successful youth projects
Young adults are usually starting their careers without the benefit of accumulated resources, as such, the financial instruments should be affordable. Credit and other funding mechanisms must be in sync with the revenue generating potential of the enterprise. Mentors and technical/financial advisors are indispensable in the establishment phase of most enterprises.
Youth involvement in agriculture cannot be sustained by a State, or Donor-funded, project approach. There must be well-publicized, stakeholder-generated policies from which programmes are crafted. The successful initiatives are characterized by a level of tenacity that comes from a commitment to achieve the vision as set out in the programme rationale. The type of intervention being recommended must be structured in such a way that there are clear, definable qualitative and quantitative mileposts. During the conceptualization phase parallel evaluation mechanisms must be incorporated. A well thought out, executable programme for youth involvement in agriculture must be managed amidst sensitivity to the progress of the beneficiaries. Several of the initiatives in the Caribbean have determinable financial auditing systems but no prominent mechanism to measure overall progress.
A plausible path to youth involvement in agriculture within the Caribbean is the use of the TEMPLATE. Programmes can be developed around single or multiple activities from the five broad categories identified in the section on creating demand for youth involvement. The programme could be focused on environmental stabilization, cooperative contract farming, specialty production, agro-services or professional services.
The participants at the “Leadership Development and Policy Integration for Youth in Agriculture” workshop held in St Kitts on October 3-4, 2005, at which the draft version of this report was presented, were invited to use the preceding points as the platform for youth-focused policy recommendations at the regional and national level. The participants as part of their group reports also submitted recommendations with regard to the “Jagdeo Initiative”. Those recommendations were subsequently formally presented to the Regional Agriculture Ministers and other officials attending the Alliance meeting on October 5, 2005.
(this was part of a longer document that reviewed successful programs worldwide)
The successful initiatives described in an earlier section highlight the importance of vertically and horizontally integrated programmes. A regional effort led by National Training Institutions such as HEART Trust in Jamaica and the National Training Agency in Trinidad/Tobago should showcase the range of opportunities in the sector. These organisations have developed job-indexed performance criteria for a number of positions in the sector. A key feature would be the possibility of paid apprenticeships (level 1 in the skills hierarchy see Appendix III) to facilitate seamless movement through the various skills levels. As documented elsewhere in this report, youth involvement must be coordinated, sustained and intrinsically linked to other sectoral policies in education, health, social services, environment, youth empowerment and trade.
Career possibilities can be demonstrated in
1. Environmental Stabilization – career paths in landscaping are popular in several countries. Traditional landscaping for aesthetic appeal in and around private homes, office complexes and hotels will be augmented by “soft engineering” solutions. Increasingly, appropriate vegetation is being used to stabilize slopes contiguous with roadways and other infrastructural works. The Fondes Amandes based youths in Trinidad have been able to promote reforestation in the Northern Range. The increased interest in Agro-Tourism necessitates a more functional and aesthetically appealing farm layout. Accessibility and the reduction of possible intra and inter-farm cross contamination will become more important. Skilled professionals will be needed to redesign and maintain dual-purpose farms. The incorporation of outdoor museums and the use of historically significant plants e.g. Breadfruit in St Vincent and the Grenadines, nutmeg in Grenada and pineapple in Antigua and Barbuda will augment the tourism appeal..
2. State-supported Cooperative Contract Farms based on Fairtrade type protocols. Primary production efforts would require substantial holdings of twenty acres or more; farms of that size are traditionally beyond the individual means of youth. Apart from expected economies of scale there are additional reasons for the cooperative approach
a) Stability, shareholder involvement and business focus occasioned by the incorporation of companies limited by shares
b) Focused intervention by service providers and mentors
c) Social impact provisos contingent on conforming with environmental and production standards
d) Integration of disaster mitigation measures in light of the significant climate variability predicted to ensue for several decades
e) Flexibility in terms of the product and production mix given the ongoing advances in the use of modified (genetically and otherwise) biomaterial.
f) Production based on contracts geared at satisfying State demand eg. School Nutrition Programmes, Health Institutions, Social Assistance Programmes (cf. Farmstands)
3. Specialty Production units catering to rising demand for non-traditional products such as nutraceuticals , pharmaceuticals, exotic spices, herb trays for restaurants/hotels and cruise ships. Organic “Smallholder Group Certification” products for specific high-end markets within the Caribbean. Fully integrated farms with agro-tourism capabilities including eco-resorts based on complete nutrient recycling. Integrated farms to include aquaculture ponds and wildlife farming in closed nutrient cycles with minimal external inputs in aesthetically appealing layout. Young people must be apprised of opportunities in bioremediation at the more qualified end of the skills spectrum.
4. Agro Services Units specializing in marketing inclusive of branding, product-specific transportation (land, sea and air), quality-enhancing packaging, agro-processing services for client production units, quality control testing, dehydration, Commercialization of Biotechnological products, innovation and Intellectual Property monitoring, product licensing, communication and convenience
5. The widest scope for individual career paths is in the provision of professional services inclusive of advisory, certification, traceability, diagnosis and pest management, insurance and inventory management.
A review of some of the existing Youth Policy documents lays bare the fact that agriculture is not considered a priority item. The Youth Policies of Trinidad/Tobago and Antigua/Barbuda are silent on Agriculture, Nutrition and Food. The TT policy document while silent on agriculture, mentions crime 15 times, violence 13 times, development 171 times, education 32 times and health 21 times. Official agriculture policy documents list general concerns about youth involvement and in many cases identify stand-alone initiatives such as land distribution, 4H support and State-sponsored training courses. Youth involvement requires policy initiatives that are, at the barest minimum, national in scope. Any policy commitment would have to be economy-wide given the range of issues that impact on, and are affected by, agriculture
The reportedly successful initiatives with respect to youth involvement in agriculture, as reviewed for this report, and borne out by personal experience, indicate common essential components. The TEMPLATE involves
T Training
E Employment
M Mentoring
P Promotion
L Linkages
A Affordability
T Tenacity
E Evaluation
The four programmes reviewed for this report clearly show the importance of training. Youth by definition underscores low levels of actual experience, even when appropriately educated. Job specific instruction is necessary for youths to be able to meet the performance criteria associated with particular tasks. Employment provides the young adults with a means of support and the wherewithal to anticipate self-sufficiency. At the UN Millennium Summit, priority was given to the employability of youth through entrepreneurship as a way to generate employment opportunities. 189 UN Member States agreed to submit National Youth Plans to the UN by July 2005, stating how they will develop youth employment. Mentoring has been described as the major determinant of success for a number of programmes including the Barbados Youth Business Trust and the Youth Window programme in Trinidad.
The lack of interest in agriculture-related careers is fuelled by a genuine ignorance of the range of opportunities in the sector, as opposed to the stereotype of drudgery and low returns on investment. The sector and the attendant career opportunities have to be tied to core values of today’s youth. Successful extra-regional programmes have latched on to role models, celebrities and others manifesting lifestyles that are in sync with youthful expectations. These promotions have been realistic and truthful as they were able to show the interconnectedness with other more high-profile sectors like Trade, Manufacturing, Tourism, Sport and Finance. Linkages are key, whether in terms of a supportive environment, source of inputs or sink for the consumption of goods and services. Farmstand, 4H and the GARD Centre all rely on inter-sectoral links to provide a nurturing environment for successful youth projects
Young adults are usually starting their careers without the benefit of accumulated resources, as such, the financial instruments should be affordable. Credit and other funding mechanisms must be in sync with the revenue generating potential of the enterprise. Mentors and technical/financial advisors are indispensable in the establishment phase of most enterprises.
Youth involvement in agriculture cannot be sustained by a State, or Donor-funded, project approach. There must be well-publicized, stakeholder-generated policies from which programmes are crafted. The successful initiatives are characterized by a level of tenacity that comes from a commitment to achieve the vision as set out in the programme rationale. The type of intervention being recommended must be structured in such a way that there are clear, definable qualitative and quantitative mileposts. During the conceptualization phase parallel evaluation mechanisms must be incorporated. A well thought out, executable programme for youth involvement in agriculture must be managed amidst sensitivity to the progress of the beneficiaries. Several of the initiatives in the Caribbean have determinable financial auditing systems but no prominent mechanism to measure overall progress.
A plausible path to youth involvement in agriculture within the Caribbean is the use of the TEMPLATE. Programmes can be developed around single or multiple activities from the five broad categories identified in the section on creating demand for youth involvement. The programme could be focused on environmental stabilization, cooperative contract farming, specialty production, agro-services or professional services.
The participants at the “Leadership Development and Policy Integration for Youth in Agriculture” workshop held in St Kitts on October 3-4, 2005, at which the draft version of this report was presented, were invited to use the preceding points as the platform for youth-focused policy recommendations at the regional and national level. The participants as part of their group reports also submitted recommendations with regard to the “Jagdeo Initiative”. Those recommendations were subsequently formally presented to the Regional Agriculture Ministers and other officials attending the Alliance meeting on October 5, 2005.
Looped Value Chain
The “Looped Value Chain” © Approach
Genesis
Quality is not only determined by safety, utility and consumer appeal; the ultimate quality standard involves being attuned to the environment. Green technologies, environmental sensitivity and low carbon footprints are the vanguard determinants of success in the era of Climate Change. All the major United Kingdom Food Distributors tout their reduced carbon footprints as evidenced by the shift from transportation by trucks/lorries to transportation by train. Trains are more energy efficient for haulage than individual trucks. The premium being placed on hotel culinary offerings that do not incur significant “food miles”, and the minimalist packaging of manufactured goods all point to increased carbon sensitivity.
Description
Value chain looping: The traditional value chain is a sequence of steps involved in the process of production to market delivery of the product. It provides a means of understanding relationships between businesses, methods for increasing efficiency, and ways to enable businesses to increase productivity and add value. Value-chains were seen as vehicles for linking producers/manufacturers to markets. Whereas traditional value chains begin with inputs and end at product purchase, the “looped value chain” includes utilization, waste management and nutrient/constituent recycling. In other words a looped value chain is concerned with the steps involved in the manufacture/production of the good, its utilization by the consumer, the utilization or handling of the packaging material and whatever is left by the consumer and its eventual reuse and recycling.
Progressive manufacturers provide disposal protocols for their products, packaging and waste (now seen as byproducts). Value can be added or extricated from any stage in the product cycle as opposed to the traditional open-ended chain. Value addition is but one way to enhance incomes. Adding value is the process of capturing or creating value in a product to garner a greater portion of the revenue from that product at final sale. Looped Value Chains provide revenue-generating opportunities at all stages in a continuous business process
Utility
The “Looped Value Chain” approach has been employed in several sectors across CARICOM. The Agribusiness Cluster, VINCYKLUS, in St Vincent and the Grenadines was conceptualized with a looped value chain in mind. Nutrient and input recycling is factored in to the operations of individual firms in the cluster, as well as part of the overall operations of the Clustered entity. Membership in the Cluster includes input suppliers and companies involved with recycling organic byproducts.
In Guyana, The Tri-Lakes Tourism product incorporates the use of agro-ecological zones, recycled/reused inputs such as lumber, organic nutrients and energy storage devices. Their value chain is decidedly looped and based on a self-sustaining model of product revitalizing, whether the product is an exhibit, a food item, an adventure or a piece of handicraft.
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