Yardley Chase Female Farmers building resilience one shade house at a time
For the female farmers of the Yardley Chase Farmer’s Group in St. Elizabeth, the impacts of climate change are a daily reality. Crop irrigation is a constant struggle for the farmers who live in a drought stricken area, many of whom cannot afford the costs of setting up irrigation systems. Whilst the farmers have been practicing hand wetting for years, the labour intensive method is pricey for the farmers who must often purchase overpriced water from vendors.
In 2017, FAO in collaboration with the Government of Jamaica undertook a project focused on reducing the agricultural risk and vulnerability to climate change including mainstreaming gender for agriculture sustainability and resilience planning. One component of the project uses a community based approach where farmers support each other in setting up shade houses and irrigation systems to test specific good agricultural practices that are outlined in a new methodology developed by FAO.
Over 20 farmers are involved in the project which uses the methodology that applies a gendered approach in demonstrating the benefits of good agricultural practices. The methodology will allow for the growing of similar crops in a controlled environment- the shade houses- versus in the open field and examine the extent to which the practices being promoted are appropriate for male and female farmers. It is expected that the knowledge gained from the project will demonstrate that there are gender considerations that need to be taken into account when implementing good practices.
Despite the project's objectives, for the ladies of the Farmers Group, the project is the answer to a call for much needed help. The female farmers jointly expressed that they were excited about the project and all the knowledge and tools they were receiving and were very eager to learn how to increase their access to markets and reduce the incidences of glut and spoilage of their crops.
Ms Shanette Burton, one of the farmers, highlighted that she was “very happy to receive the tank and the shade house which will greatly help the farming and lessen carrying water and the constant bending to water crops”. She added that even after the project has ended she will employ the new practices learnt and further expand on what the project has provided.
As the project continues, these are some of the areas to be tacked with the help of FAO as well as encouraging farmers to adopt simpler, lower-cost and appropriate technologies and good practices that will help them to be more resilient to the impacts of climate change.