ICTs to help women organic farmers in the Caribbean region

08.02.2006 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.

Nidhi Tandon

Digital Opportunity Channel, OneWorld South Asia

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.

more...