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SECURE YUH FOOD SUPPLY!
IS AGRICULTURE THE ANSWER?
FRANK PHIPPS
Saturday, March 07, 2009
The state of the world economy gives cause for concern and the alarm has been sounded for the effect this will have on Jamaica. With the threat of widespread poverty in the wake of the world economic crisis, the use of land for agriculture is relevant as the country scrambles for responses to the global problem.
The Farquharson Institute of Public Affairs accepts that the people are the most precious resources in Jamaica and recognises that land comes next. But there are difficulties joining together the land and the people effectively in an agricultural programme in order to lessen the spread of ruinous poverty.
The Farquharson Institute recently invited specially selected people to make presentations on land for agriculture as the way for lifting the burden of poverty throughout Jamaica.
. Jacqueline da Costa, a former permanent secretary at the Ministry of Land and the Environment, gave an overview on land and what is available for housing and agriculture. A land policy which was prepared for government is little used and this is a point that must be dealt with urgently.
. Mark Brooks, a farmer and the lone voice in the wilderness as an activist for soil health, made a PowerPoint presentation on land degradation, showing how soil health matters, but not enough attention is paid to it.
. Dr Percy Miller, a soil chemist and a former research officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, pointed out that land settlements in the past were successful. However, the later Land Lease and Food Farm projects did not enjoy similar success because of insufficient funding.
. Hopeton Fraser, a former principal at the College of Agriculture, Science, and Education, said that the training for agriculture at CASE is a success story and graduates are making valuable contribution to agriculture.
. Lloyd Ellis, retired senior puisne judge, said: "We have the people, we have the land and we must get on with the job of implementing programmes for using available resources in the present economic crisis."
The Farquharson Institute was informed that most of the land suitable for agriculture is in private hands, and in many cases, land that was made available is used for commercial purposes or left unused in ruinate.
There seems to be an oversufficiency of wealth for land, labour, capital, and expertise that can be used in programmes for making agriculture the vehicle for the relief from poverty. Suffice it to say that when so many are at border-line poverty, the painful lessons learnt from projects such as Land Lease and Food Farms, must not be forgotten.
To avoid imminent disaster we must seek out those at all levels and across all divides in the society who can make a contribution to existing resources for agriculture. Government can provide the land and the expertise but the financial support from government is not there.
Here there is a challenge for the private sector, especially for the financial institutions to add more money for agriculture on less restrictive terms and frustrating procedure. Ultimately, it would be in their own best interest to take part in efforts to get the land and the people together as a response to the economic crisis.
While the government is moving to put its act together, the responsibility for "unleashing the economic potential among people" is not for the government alone. We are all involved in some way.
Frank Phipps is chairman of the Farquharson Institute of Public Affairs.
frankphipps2000@yahoo.com
IS AGRICULTURE THE ANSWER?
FRANK PHIPPS
Saturday, March 07, 2009
The state of the world economy gives cause for concern and the alarm has been sounded for the effect this will have on Jamaica. With the threat of widespread poverty in the wake of the world economic crisis, the use of land for agriculture is relevant as the country scrambles for responses to the global problem.
The Farquharson Institute of Public Affairs accepts that the people are the most precious resources in Jamaica and recognises that land comes next. But there are difficulties joining together the land and the people effectively in an agricultural programme in order to lessen the spread of ruinous poverty.
The Farquharson Institute recently invited specially selected people to make presentations on land for agriculture as the way for lifting the burden of poverty throughout Jamaica.
. Jacqueline da Costa, a former permanent secretary at the Ministry of Land and the Environment, gave an overview on land and what is available for housing and agriculture. A land policy which was prepared for government is little used and this is a point that must be dealt with urgently.
. Mark Brooks, a farmer and the lone voice in the wilderness as an activist for soil health, made a PowerPoint presentation on land degradation, showing how soil health matters, but not enough attention is paid to it.
. Dr Percy Miller, a soil chemist and a former research officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, pointed out that land settlements in the past were successful. However, the later Land Lease and Food Farm projects did not enjoy similar success because of insufficient funding.
. Hopeton Fraser, a former principal at the College of Agriculture, Science, and Education, said that the training for agriculture at CASE is a success story and graduates are making valuable contribution to agriculture.
. Lloyd Ellis, retired senior puisne judge, said: "We have the people, we have the land and we must get on with the job of implementing programmes for using available resources in the present economic crisis."
The Farquharson Institute was informed that most of the land suitable for agriculture is in private hands, and in many cases, land that was made available is used for commercial purposes or left unused in ruinate.
There seems to be an oversufficiency of wealth for land, labour, capital, and expertise that can be used in programmes for making agriculture the vehicle for the relief from poverty. Suffice it to say that when so many are at border-line poverty, the painful lessons learnt from projects such as Land Lease and Food Farms, must not be forgotten.
To avoid imminent disaster we must seek out those at all levels and across all divides in the society who can make a contribution to existing resources for agriculture. Government can provide the land and the expertise but the financial support from government is not there.
Here there is a challenge for the private sector, especially for the financial institutions to add more money for agriculture on less restrictive terms and frustrating procedure. Ultimately, it would be in their own best interest to take part in efforts to get the land and the people together as a response to the economic crisis.
While the government is moving to put its act together, the responsibility for "unleashing the economic potential among people" is not for the government alone. We are all involved in some way.
Frank Phipps is chairman of the Farquharson Institute of Public Affairs.
frankphipps2000@yahoo.com
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