This document seeks to analyze relevant data in the Census of Agriculture of eight of the
countries and recent studies in the sub-region, to generate a discussion on the situation of
small scale farmers. It provides support for an objective approach to manage the
heterogeneous nature of the small scale farming and to identify imperatives for prescriptions
that embrace all the unique characteristics of small farmers. In this manner the document seeks
to provide information to identify and upscale opportunities to intensify the contribution of onfarm
activities to the well being of farm house holds. It also examines potential for small scale
farming to impact national food and nutrition security, the expansion of farm related
employment beyond the rural sector and with full consideration for the demands for
sustainability.
According to the data and the studies reviewed improved productivity of small scale farmers
will require more in-depth work in traditional and new areas in order to upscale methodologies,
strengthen relevant national institutions, encourage cooperation, and promote a greater
awareness of successful experiences among the countries in order to realize the potential for
self sufficiency in food and nutrition security in CARICOM.
Productivity, incentives, cooperatives, risks, capacity building, partnerships and international
competitiveness in small economies with high food importation will be central to the
discussions of the Workshop. The methodologies, strategies and results agreed on must be
specific and responsive to the problem and the constraints in a manner that embraces all of the
farm size groups in small farming, an objective which will require better quality data including
the disaggregation of socio-economic data and subsequent organization of data to create
homogenous groups in strategic programming across agro-ecosystems.