Back to the Future: Organic Coffee farming for Climate Change Mitigation and Sustainable Livelihoods

By Dr. Rose-Ann Smith

I recently attended and participated in a workshop on organic farming where I did not only listen in awe to the trainer and farmers, but my mind wandered to where we are now, where we were, and the in-between. The Trainer, Tom Benevento, Partners of the Americas- Farmer to Farmer Program, superbly delivered a well-received training on organic coffee farming. As I listened to him, two things came to my mind. The first was the stone the builder refused shall become the head cornerstone and the second was Back to the Future – the 1985 hit classic science fiction film. I chose the latter as a fitting title for this article.

In recent times, and within the context of sustainable development, sustainable livelihoods, and climate change, there has been a shift that takes us back to techniques of the past in order to secure a sustainable future. Today, we have seen more emphasis placed on ecosystem services rather than hard structures because not only are they cost-effective, but they are also more sustainable in the long run. For example, a sea wall constructed a decade ago, might now prove to be ineffective because of rising sea levels. In order to catch up, we are now placing more emphasis on ecosystem services and promoting softer techniques including afforestation and reafforestation to achieve the benefits of the things we once had, but would have destroyed in the name of development.

It was these thoughts that came to mind as I listened attentively to our erudite trainer as he imparted valuable knowledge to our Jamaican women coffee farmers. The Jamaican Women in Coffee (JAWiC), of which I am a board member, organized several capacity-building training sessions for our marginalized women in coffee, which were funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiative. Our overarching goal is to strengthen the farming techniques and knowledge of our women so that they can improve both the quantity and quality of their coffee while practicing efficient cost-effective environmentally friendly techniques.  What is valuable about the training we offer is that the women are learning methods that are simple, efficient, and most importantly cost-effective as they utilized existing or easily accessible materials.

This current training was the first of several held with women coffee farmers living in Mavis Bank, St. Andrew. It focused on organic coffee farming. These methods are not only safe in terms of their impacts on the physical and human environment, but they are also important in climate change mitigation as they aid in carbon sequestration. The following were identified by the ladies as they brainstormed the benefits of organic coffee farming, guided by the trainer:

• No chemicals in people’s bodies

• Safe food

• Healthy food

• Safer underground water

• Helps the soil to capture the nutrients, and also helps with water transfer

• Cheaper and more sustainable

• Mulch gives better soil

• More carbon in soil

Tom Benevento from the Farmer to Farmer Program demonstrating organic practices to farmers.

Indeed, organic coffee farming promotes healthier soil which over time will lead to an increase in the quantity and quality of coffee and ultimately greater income for these women.

Interestingly, while there were some knowledge gaps among the women which were addressed by the trainer who demonstrated excellent knowledge of best practices and lessons learned in other parts of the world, the women themselves demonstrated a wide knowledge of techniques that they have utilized locally. This local knowledge that was passed down from great-grandparents to grandparents and then to them was still utilized by many of these women. However, with the promotion of various chemicals and fertilizers to eradicate pests and diseases and improve coffee quality, our women began using much more pesticides and chemical fertilizers on their farms, and over time, many of the indigenous methods that were once utilized slowly dissipated. However, the risks posed by these chemicals appear to have outweighed the benefits in the long run, as our farmers face poor soil quality and the domino effect of poor coffee quality and reduced production. Today, organic coffee is in high demand and is able to capture a premium price.

Make it stand out

JAWIC President and JACRA Advisory Officer Assisting with filling of the compost material used in the Johnson Su bioreactor.

Another noteworthy moment in the workshop was that learning was a 2-way process. The trainer introduced several trees that were great as natural fertilizers such as Meringue, Tamarind, Caribbean (Oil nut), and Sunflower. However, it was his mention of the Calliandra, also described as a shade tree, that sparked quite a discussion as farmers were unwilling to utilize this particular tree because, according to them, it spreads too rapidly and will eventually take over the farm. With limited manpower, this method was not useful for the women as it would require a significant amount of labour to control the spread of the shade tree. This was enlightening for all of us and also emphasized the importance of understanding the social context and resources of farmers in promoting useful techniques.

 Apart from natural fertilizers, farmers were also introduced to natural ways of controlling pests, which were of great importance to the farmers. Two methods were introduced:

• The Bomb - A process that involves chopping one head of garlic finely and adding it to 5 gallons of water in a container (eg. bucket) along with 2 scotch bonnet peppers, a tablespoon salt, and soap (Ivory or Palmolive is recommended). A piece of plastic should then be placed over the container which will sit for 4 days. After 4 days, additional water can be added based on the concentration of the solution.

• Garlic Spray - Blend 5 heads of garlic and add it to 20 gallons of water. Add some organic soap or coconut oil to the solution and let it sit for a day, strain it.

Tools and Inputs used to make “the bomb”

In both cases, the solution can be placed in a spray container for use.

Once again, the farmers were introduced to safe, inexpensive methods of improving their farms. Farmers were also encouraged to establish their farm as an ecosystem comprising 40- 50% shade cover, 20% Nitrogen fixing trees, and cover crops. The ideal farm ecosystem will be comprised of 7 to 8 layers or strata. In this way, they can benefit from many of the techniques they were introduced to.

Still, the farmers were somewhat concerned about this ‘new’ approach. How do they switch their farm from its current state to an organic and would their production decrease if they should transition their farm? Going ‘back to the future’ will come with some challenges. After years of feeding harmful chemicals into the soil, it will take time to transition that farm to its original state, and more so, a better state, and within this time frame, the farmers can suffer some loss. Can they afford to? Coffee is a livelihood that these women are heavily reliant on, and they cannot accommodate any great reduction in production. Their current struggle is to increase the quantity and quality of coffee they are presently producing and a switch to organic farming may compound these challenges. Nevertheless, a solution is to stagger the process. Our women were encouraged to gradually introduce environmentally friendly methods while slowly reducing and withdrawing pesticides from their farms. They can begin by focusing on one section of their farm or a plot before moving into other areas. This process may take some time depending on the extent of the impacts of the chemicals on the soil.

At the end of the training, there was no great certainty of the number of farmers who will fully embrace and adopt organic coffee farming, but they were enthusiastic and willing to try. It is our goal as an organisation to offer continuous support to our women in coffee for a more sustainable livelihood. While we work locally with our women, there are greater institutional issues that we must navigate and the approach must involve larger players both internal and external, including our fertilizer suppliers, if we are to achieve a more sustainable future for coffee farming. It is paramount that farmers are able to economically obtain or establish environmentally friendly fertilizers on a large enough scale to run an efficient and productive coffee farm.

Farmers from the Flamstead, Guava Ridge and Mavis Bank Region along with Board Members of JAWIC.