This project will attempt to transform the way in which farmers use the land by introducing them to sustainable agricultural practices. The grantee will undertake a series of studies and schedule meetings and a workshop which will help determine the willingness of the farmers to move to a more organic mode of farming, identify the challenges for transitioning, clearly articulate the opportunities in moving towards organic production, and determine the extent of the market for organic produce. A comprehensive report will document the findings and a Full Grant Project Proposal will be the means for working with selected farmers who wish to make the transition to a more organic type of agriculture.

This Planning Grant was approved to determine the willingness of farmers in the upper watershed of the Qualibou Caldera in Soufriere to transition to organic farming as a means of reducing soil erosion and other forms of mass movement. The Planning Grant also facilitated a survey of restauranteurs, hoteliers and supermarket owners to determine the effective demand for organic produce.

Using both secondary and primary research methods, and census data, the grantee was able to select a sample of 50 farmers. From this total, 88% agreed to participate in the project of which 30% were women farmers and 70% men farmers. Of these farmers, 88% worked on family land, 10% owned their land and 2% leased their land. The majority of farmers (69%) attained a primary school level of education while 23% attended Secondary School and 8% attained a tertiary level of education. The study found that approximately 8% of the farmers earned between XCD$5001 (US$1852) and XCD$10,000 (US$3704) per month, with most farmers (over 80%) earning less than XCD$3000 (US$1111) per month.

The survey revealed the following needs by farmers if they were to make a transition to organic farming:

(i) Access to information when needed: Farmers noted that they were unable to source information on organic practises through the current sources available to them. This has hampered their ability to implement organic systems of production.
(ii) Training – Farmers requested training specific to organic production systems.
(iii) Organic inputs from production to harvesting – Farmers identified sourcing and guaranteeing of inputs such as organic seeds, pesticides and fertilizers as major deterrent to transitioning to organic farming. They also noted that even when inputs were available they were very expensive.
(iv) “Facilities for organic systems or packaging of Organic Produce – Organic farming is a system and requires that the entire process facilitate the organic practices from the farm to the table. Hence it is necessary that organics are transported and stored separately from non-organic produce. If these resources are not available, the produce should be packaged at one establishment that practices the organic farming system. If the farmers choose the latter then they would require funding to construct such a facility.”
(v) Market Information on consumer demand for organic products: Information can be collected in the form of surveys that will indicate the readiness of local consumers for purchasing organic goods. To this end, a preliminary consumer survey was undertaken to get an indication of the consumers’ awareness and their interest in purchasing organic food. Though a more detailed survey is recommended, the survey demonstrated that there was a market for organics.
(vi) Financial support: Farmers are usually not able to source agricultural loans as most financial institutions are not keen in providing loans to farmers because they are considered high risk. However, a micro financing system such as a Credit Union could facilitate their members with small loans to assist in this regard. Initial discussions with the Credit Union in the study indicated a willingness to assist in this.
(vii) “National standards and establishment of a certification system for organic products: Most international organic farm systems are linked to other private standards that lead to certification. Farmers have recognised that to maintain the organic brand they need to meet certain standards and have different levels of certification. These systems need to be continuously monitored to maintain compliance. The St. Lucia Bureau of Standards has reviewed some CARICOM organic standards with the intention to adapt into workable as national standards”.
(vii) Policies to support organic issues such as incentives and proper zoning of farming practices: Purchasing equipment, implements and inputs have always been a challenge to farmer’s hence providing them with incentives will help in facilitating the development of their organic farms. In so doing, production can be carefully scheduled to create a smooth transition from conventional farming to organic systems. Other persons farming or maybe residing in the area of an organic zone need to be educated about what they can practice near these zones. Government may need to highlight certain areas as organic areas. However a consortium of farmers in an area may cooperate, if they belong to a farmer’s cooperative, and as such maximum benefits from land use practices that facilitate organic farming.

Economic Impact: A total of 6 persons were employed (5 women and 1 man) earning a total of XCD$7900 (US$2926.00). They were employed in areas such as project administration, research, facilitation, catering and public communications.

Capacity Building: Forty-eight persons were selected for training with 40 completing the entire course. Areas of training included organic farming principles and practises, stakeholder analysis and problem tree development.

Lessons Learned:

(i) Participatory planning increase interest in the project, but generally, there is some doubt about the benefits and the value of assistance to the participants as past projects did not materialize as anticipated;
(ii) Surveys and questionnaires cannot be done using telephones nor by sending emails, even to businesses. Transport and physical presence is required to obtain a high response rate.
(iii) Persons in St. Lucia change their telephone numbers rather frequently and it is often difficult to contact someone even on a number that they gave you last month.
(iv) The use of the town crier seem to be one of the most effective methods of informing farmers about meetings, even though they indicated that they prefer to get information by radio and TV.
At the end of the PG phase, a Full Grant Project Proposal was prepared for review by the NSC.