Supporting Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Langley Park
This initiative aims to encourage the adoption of sustainable farming practices among small farmers in the Langley Park farming community on St. Vincent. By promoting and supporting the use of mechanical weed control methods and composting, we seek to improve soil health and farm productivity.
Objective:
To support the adoption of circular strategies in vegetable production by the use of mechanical weed control methods and the use of farm waste for composting as part of an overall strategy for soil amelioration and to improve productivity on 30 small farms.
Project Data:
NbS Data:
Country:
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
5397-00
IICA Code:
US$16,791.00
Amount:
In progress
State:
2024
Start year:
2024
End year:
Yes
NbS application:
How has IICA integrated SbN into its projects?
1. Always consulting beneficiaries on the incorporation of sustainable practices in the design of new projects that IICA develops for them.
2. Constantly promoting soil health and encouraging the recycling of agricultural waste through practices such as composting and training beneficiaries in composting techniques.
3. Promoting water management on farms and establishing model rainwater harvesting systems on farms to encourage their adoption.
4. Providing education and training on climate change and adaptation and mitigation strategies through various forums such as the Virtual Forum on Climate-Resilient Agriculture organized by IICA's Climate and Sustainability Program, with the participation of local stakeholders.
5. Provide support for capacity building for the creation of institutions at a more macro level, such as the recently completed CARICOM AGReady Project, the multinational capacity building program funded by the GCF under the readiness mechanism.
What lessons learned can you share about collaborating with farmers to implement NbS?
1. Farmers are very receptive to new ideas about NbS based on their own experiences of the impacts of climate and other natural phenomena on their farm operations and the need to adapt to survive.
2. Farmers largely trust technical institutions to provide solutions to the challenges they are encountering.
3. There is growing awareness among small/family farmers that some of the conventional practices from the time of the green revolution, with high dependence on inorganic inputs, are not sustainable.
What examples of innovation in NbS can you share from your experience at IICA?
1. Our establishment of rainwater systems for irrigation of farms and school gardens for vegetable production under a UNDP project funded through the Japan Caribbean Climate Change Partnership (JCCP) that UNDP was implementing with funding from the Government of Japan. Five model systems were established with farmers belonging to a women's organization, a young farmer, and a preschool.
2. Promotion of composting to contribute to improved soil health through several grassroots projects funded by organizations such as the Australian Government's Direct Aid Program (2024), in which we would have trained farmers in composting, established model composting sheds, and/or provided small machinery to facilitate composting operations. Other projects that would have included part of this work include collaboration with FAO (AMEXCID Project - 2022) and a collaboration with a farmers' organization for composting funded by the Government of New Zealand - 2022- (the latter project drafted and implemented by IICA with funds received by the beneficiary farmers' organization).
How are you promoting education and training in SbN among farmers?
1. Through institutional-level commitments with agricultural development partners.
2. Through commitments with farmer organizations and their members in general.
3. Through general outreach to the media on climate and sustainability issues.