Agriculture in the Caribbean region is in serious crisis and food security is compromised. The sector is largely comprised of small farmers who are realising minimal returns for their labour; are unable to compete for the local market with food grown globally on large farms, and are unable to compete in the evolving specialised markets, such as organic production for export and the hotel / tourist trade. Many have become part-time farmers while seeking other means of supplementing their livelihood.
As in many other regions in the world, women in the Caribbean play a vital but under-recognised and unsupported role in food production. They have less access to land, extension training, affordable credit and loans than do men. Studies however, indicate that they make up to 65% of on-farm and 80% of marketing decisions. There is also a growing level of expressed interest and commitment to organic farming methods among women. Organic agriculture is the fastest growing of all sectors in agriculture, worldwide. ITC suggests that rate of growth in sales could increase by as much as 40% in the international markets in the next year. It is very much demand led. The organic sector is, on average, under half a percent of the total agricultural sector in most of the countries, the exceptions being Germany and Austria which have between two and three percent of their agricultural area under organic production. The major organic products sold in global markets include in order of importance are dried fruits and nuts, processed fruits and vegetables, cocoa, spices, herbs, oil crops and derived products, sweeteners, dried leguminous products, meat, dairy products, alcoholic beverages, processed food and fruit preparations. Non-food items include cotton, horticulture and livestock.
Opportunities exist to tap into export and local and regional tourism markets, but women farmers tend to be isolated from regional and global market information, are not producing to organic export standards, do not recognise themselves as entrepreneurs or farming as a business and thus can not translate their interest and farming practice into real economic return. A number of women farmers would like to make this leap but lack the opportunity. The market for Organic products from the Caribbean is potentially a large one. There are regional opportunities, which could be explored by targeting the Green Globe certified hotels and the growing eco-tourism market. The National Marketing Institute and the Organic Trade Association (US and Canada) project that by 2005 retail sales of organic produce will reach $20 billion. In 1990 sales were $1 billion and by 2000 had reached $7.76 billion.
In the Caribbean, women own and control less land than that possessed by men. The majority of female farmers are small farmers. Despite policies intended to assure equitable development women they still receive less extension training and can access less of the loans for farm development, product development and marketing. Although there are few figures on hectares in organic agriculture in the Caribbean it is indicated that in every territory a high percentage of women farmers show an interest in farming in traditional and holistic fashions but do not have access to the standards and production processes required for certification.
Women farmers find it challenging to compete effectively in regular markets. For example: regulations for import of tubers into the USA require investment of funds for pre-clearance of goods and for washing and packaging at the airports. USA recently put on the back burner a suggestion that soils be tested for certain pests and, if found, tubers from that farm be allowed unrestricted entry to the US. Unable to fund clearance fees etc, women are anxious to match their slender resources to the more attractive markets. Many would like to access the value added for organic produce that is often as high as 150-300 per cent.
ICTs supporting organic farming
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) can be one of the tools that assist organic farmers to optimise their production, distribution and marketing plans and to make effective use of scarce land by planting for market demand rather than continuing to be tradition led. Because organic production is extremely knowledge based, ICTs also provide access to a range of information on likely markets, planning, management, techniques, standards and certification, which are critical to effective organic farming.
In recent years, ICTs have emerged as powerful tools in production and marketing systems. It affords relatively inexpensive access to vast amounts of information and networks, access to market information and the ability to directly access lucrative markets. In addition business management software affords easier record keeping on the part of small entrepreneurs. Increasing availability of computer and Internet access at public facilities and telecentres makes the technology even more attractive to a range of users.
To help women take advantage of both the technologies and existing and emerging organic and natural products markets, there is an urgent need to build on current initiatives. Existing nodes of activity need to be developed into a strong interactive marketing network. This requires training in aspects of organic farming, basic ICT skills, e-marketing skills, website management, vision building, and exposure to ICT service providers, marketing organisations and regulations and standards bodies. One of the main concerns of new entrants into the organic market is the small consumer base and the lack of market premium. The best way of creating and maintaining these markets would be to put buyers in direct contact with growers, and this is where information technology and connectivity are a key medium exchange.
The interface between organic farming, ICTs and business management training
Organic farming is a highly knowledge-intensive method of farming relative to other methods. Everything from farm management, pest control, the use of indigenous herbicides, crop monitoring, and soil culture promotion to organic standards and certification, and marketing requires constant monitoring and information. At the same time, organic farmers often do farming in isolation and do not benefit from the larger community-based networks that support non-organic farmers.
In this context, the uses of ICTs are tremendous arguably even more so in the Caribbean context where travel between the countries is extremely costly. If organic farmers in the Caribbean are to be an active player in the global trend towards organic farming, then it is almost an essential requisite that they are connected in some way to the World Wide Web.
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ICT tools for organic women farmers, provides a confluence of interest between women entrepreneurs who need capacity building both in their farming businesses and in their computer skills. ICT training has more immediate outcomes when the training is offered within a context that lends itself to the benefits offered by ICTs particularly in networking and communications between and amongst interest/user groups. There is additional value in bringing dispersed groups together for technical training because participants often find common solutions to common problems, explore technical skills together and learn from each other, and the learning process and communication channels offered by ICTs bring them closer together long after the training workshop ends.
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Training needs in the region are very high in recognition of this, a number of training institutions do offer courses in agriculture that bring new perspectives to farmers to meet the challenges and opportunities presented by globalisation and the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME). Mainstream training courses comprise of business management training, such as that provided through the EU Cariforum funds, combined business management with an introduction to computer skills through IICA and the IICAs distance learning courses which include one course dedicated to organic farming. As well, IICA, in support of their rural womens network, acknowledged women farmers needs for computer skills and offered some training in this area.
The Jamaica Organic Agriculture Movement (JOAM) also runs a number of introductory workshops on organic farming at the parish level and holds several fieldwork days. JOAM has also organised basic level courses for certification of organic farm inspectors in partnership with the Independent Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA). In Trinidad the Bioorganic Organisation and the Trinidad and Tobago Organic Agriculture Movement (TTOAM) have held other local level organic training workshops.
About the author: Nidhi Tandon is the founder and principal of Networked Intelligence for Development (NID) based in Canada. She focuses on extending the opportunities of the Internet and other ICTs to women, to community organisations and to governments and businesses in developing economies, through providing capacity building, including training and raising resources.
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