Caribbean Trade Law and Development

Tag: agriculture

  • Building Climate Resilient Agriculture

    Building Climate Resilient Agriculture

    Sandiford Edwards, MA, MBA, ACCA

    Sandiford Edwards, MA, MBA, ACCA – Guest Contributor

    Agri-Sector Vulnerability

    There can be no denying that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a deleterious effect on livelihoods and economies around the world, with a precipitous decline in global travel, upending many traditional brick and mortar businesses and reorganising of many hospitality services. The Caribbean Region has not been exempted from the scourge of COVID-19 and the consequent economic fallout.

    Whilst international supply chains and connectivity (air and sea) remained relatively stable for agri-food products, local and regional producers were faced with the double burden of market interruptions, on the occasion of the imposition of ‘stay-at-home’ orders and excess supply for agri-food products primarily targeted for the hotel, restaurants and fast-food markets. This tested the resiliency of their enterprises and by extension the agri-food sector.  

    Overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, primary agri-food producers in many parts of the Region struggled with long term drought. The 12-month review (April 2019 to March 2020) according to the Caribbean Regional Climate Centre, indicated that conditions were severely to exceptionally dry[i]. In the absence of well-developed and implemented integrated water management plans and corresponding irrigation system, primary agri-food producers many of whom are small family farmers, reliant on rain fed agriculture were front and center, experiencing the excruciating pain of limited availability of water for their crops and livestock.

    The acute water stress finds genesis in the fact that Caribbean agriculture is highly seasonal being dependent on weather. Natural climate variability but more so climate change has altered the status quo making traditional agricultural methods less efficient.

    June 1st ushered in the 6-months long annual Atlantic hurricane season which according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – Climate Prediction Center is expected to be an extremely busy season, “forecasting a likely range of 13 to 19 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which 6 to 10 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 3 to 6 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher)”[ii].

    The unnerving prediction can potentially exacerbate the lingering effects of both the drought and the COVID-19 pandemic on the agri-food sector, exposing its fragile structure and huge vulnerability. Interestedly, the majority of the countries in the region have been ranked as medium – high on the classification of vulnerability to external shocks – inclusive of exposure to natural hazards and climate change[iii].

    Exposure to this exogenous threat is evident in the recurrent incidences of tropical cyclones of varying magnitude to befall the region over the last two decades, averaging once in less than every two years (Table 1).

    Table 1 – Weather Systems Impacting the Region from 2000 – 2019

    YearNameYear Name Year Name
    2000Keith2005Emily2015Joaquin
    2001Iris2005Wilma2016Matthew
    2002Lili2005Katrina2017Irma
    2003Isabel2007Dean2017Maria
    2004Ivan2014Gonzalo2019Dorian

    Additionally, over the last two decades, the Region has suffered approximately US $32 billion in damage and loss for which infrastructure, housing and agriculture were most pronounced[iv].

    Notably, examples of impact of tropical weather systems in the Region are: Hurricane Ivan in 2004, was estimated to have stripped over 91 percent of the forest land and watershed vegetation in Grenada and wiped out an entire years’ crop, destroying approximately 85 percent of nutmeg trees, Grenada’s main export crop[v]. In the case of Dominica, damage and loss to the agriculture was estimated at US$170 million from hurricane Maria[vi]. Thirdly, the Bahamas reportedly lost approximately 60,000 livestock with damage and loss to agriculture assessed to be upwards of us$ 80 million as a result of hurricane Dorian[vii].

    The question therefore, is whether the Region has learnt the lessons from previous catastrophic climatic events and has truthfully embarked on the journey to strengthen its agriculture resilience with a level of urgency. 

    Achieving Resilience

    Resilience personifies the concept of having an adequate policy-induced ability for an economy to withstand or recover from the effect of exogenous shocks[viii]. More broadly put, the level of resilience will be determined by how well the actions and interplay of the various systems (political, economic & societal) can safeguard the performance of the economy[ix]. Resilience is therefore, underpinned by robust institutional frameworks to dampen or render shocks negligible or the speed to which an economy can return and surpass normal productivity following shock events.

    Interestingly, vulnerability does not equate to inability to achieve resilience as seen in the “Singapore Paradox” which confirmed the paradigm that small countries with high economic vulnerability ratings can still be economically resilient and attain consistently high Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rates with a consummate elevated level of Gross National Income (GNI) per capita and high standard of living as measured by the Human Development Index (HDI).

    As governments seek to reopen borders aimed at boosting economic activities, they cannot afford to be blindsided by COVID-19, losing sight of the imperative of building the resilience of the agri-food sector to the potential wreckage that can arise on the occasion of climatic weather events.  

    Hope that the next few months will bring respite from any other exogenous shock might be misplaced as this year’s Atlantic hurricane season has already recorded two named storms. Evidence of COVID-19 and the impact of tropical weather systems on the region elucidates the rationale behind the need for governments to have a long term commitment to agri-food resilience building.

    Proactive steps are therefore needed to confront this looming challenge of the predictive above-average Atlantic hurricane season.

    Recommendations

    Having regard to the foregoing, the prevailing conditions around regional food and nutrition security and cognisant of the inexhaustible compendium of policy recommendations already available and intensely debated, I wish to highlight a few areas of consideration that I consider germane and an absolute imperative for building resilient agriculture.

    1. Hurricane Resistant Agriculture Technology – it will be foolhardy if the region continues to promote the use of greenhouse and other protective agriculture technology (livestock, crops & aquaculture) that are not technically designed to withstand hurricanes. The urgency to sustain livelihoods or even to build back after the impact of a climatic event should not be traded for inappropriate technology ill-suited for the regions challenges. According to the United States based National Institute or Building Sciences, every $1 spent on mitigation saves at least $6[x]. Transposing this conclusion without accounting for variables would imply that investment of $175 million in disaster mitigation and appropriate climate smart technology can yield over $1 billion in savings.
    • Policymakers should institute a well-coordinated and systematic integration of climate adaptation principles into agriculture and food and nutrition security development policies, plans, programmes, projects, budgets and processes. For example, the Caribbean Climate Risk and Adaptation Tool (CCORAL) should be a standard feature in the evaluation of the agriculture projects. The use of CCORAL should also be augmented with sub-sector and geographic considerations to ensure local relevance.  
    • Updating of national integrated water resources management strategies, enhancement of agriculture catchment storage capacities and aggression transition from a predominantly rain-fed agriculture approach to irrigated agriculture. Technical skills in the region should be enhanced for drip irrigation technologies with a mass proliferation of same among farming systems.

    Farmers should receive training in water conservation measures, especially in drought -impacted areas. Additionally, where countries have not yet introduce funding mechanisms for water resources management, they should commence budgetary allocations for implementation, monitoring and enforcement (especially within the upper watershed, i.e. sustainable use of forest resources and disposal of agricultural waste).

    • Mainstreaming of climate smart and regenerative agricultural techniques – this should no longer be a buzz phrase but ought to be diligently implemented noting its potential to achieve resilient agriculture impact, especially within vulnerable communities. Simple practices such as organic mulching, agro-forestry, housing animals in raised pens or high ground to combat flooding, proper storage practices for agriculture inputs, provision of shade and ample water for livestock to safeguard animal health and protect from heat-stroke should be common practice.

    Sandiford Ruel Edwards, MA, MBA, ACCA is a Development Finance Specialist with experience in many countries in the Region.

    The views and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the guest author and are not necessarily representative of those of the Caribbean Trade Law & Development Blog.

    [i] CariSAM Bulletin Vol 3 Issue 12 May, 2020, Caribbean Regional Climate Centre

    [ii] https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/busy-atlantic-hurricane-season-predicted-for-2020

    [iii] Ram, Justin; Cotton. J, Jason; Frederick, Raquel; and Elliot, Wayne (2019) Measuring Vulnerability: A multidimensional vulnerability Index for the Caribbean, Caribbean Development Bank Working Paper No. 2019 /01 https://www.caribank.org/sites/default/files/publication-resources/Measuring%20Vulnerability-A%20Multidimensional%20Vulnerability%20Index%20for%20the%20Caribbean.pdf.

    [iv] Source Caribbean Development Bank Estimates cited in Ram, Justin (2020) Resilience Impact Securities with Equity (RISE) — How to Finance and Democratize Resilience Building during and after the POST COVID-19 Era. https://medium.com/@justinram/resilience-impact-securities-with-equity-rise-how-to-finance-and-democratize-resilience-b8bd0290557a

    [v] Grenada:  A Nation Rebuilding an assessment of reconstruction and economic recovery one year after Hurricane Ivan, (2005) The World Bank

    [vi] Antoine, Patrick (2018) Dominica, A Glo9bal Centre for Agriculture Resilience Among SIDS

    [vii] http://www.tribune242.com/news/2020/may/26/bahamas-lost-60000-livestock-to-dorian

    [viii] Lino et al, (2008). Economic Vulnerability & Resilience. United Nations University

    [ix] Brinkmann, Henrick, (2017). Economic Resilience. A new Concept for Policy Making?

    [x] https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2018/01/11/every-$1-invested-in-disaster-mitigation-saves-$6

  • Agriculture Labour: Repositioning Regional Agriculture

    Agriculture Labour: Repositioning Regional Agriculture

    Sandiford Edwards, MA, MBA, ACCA

    Sandiford Edwards, MA, MBA, ACCA – Guest Contributor

    Introduction

    In the context of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) such as Caribbean countries, historically, the agriculture sector provided the single most important platform for employment, income generation and food security, and is presently still capable of driving poverty reduction especially in rural areas; through increased productivity, value addition and links to other sectors inclusive of tourism.[1]

    ‘Agriculture Employment’ or ‘Agriculture Labour’ in its traditional view has been defined as the ‘involvement of any person in connection with cultivating the soil, or with raising, harvesting any agricultural or horticultural commodity, management of livestock, bees, poultry’[2] etc. In today’s world, cognisant of advancement in cultivation and harvesting technologies, processing innovations and the proliferation of the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and Big Data and the consequent impact on the agriculture sector, it is prudent to recognise that a modern and more accurate definition of agriculture labour should include professional careers along the entire agri-food value chain, covering disciplines ranging from scientist, greenhouse growing specialist, agronomist, inter alia.

    Current Agriculture Challenges

    CARICOM’s agriculture is at a critical juncture to meet the food demands and nutritional requirements of the Region, influenced by the countless incidences of agricultural output shocks emanating from climate change impacts, natural disasters, prevalence of pest and diseases, increasing food loss and food waste and increased competition for arable lands by other sectors including housing. Food systems reorientation including the supply of agriculture labour is therefore mandatory in repositioning CARICOMs agriculture in its quest to achieve improved food security.

     ‘In 2000, the CARICOM Region had an agri-food trade surplus of US $20 million or 2%. Over the last eighteen years, the regional agri-food landscape has undergone significant transformation having agri-food imports of US $3.7 billion (2018) and an annual agri-food trade deficit of just above US $2.2 billion[3].

    Between the periods 2016 to 2018, CARICOM’s total agriculture export growth in value was significantly immaterial when compared to its imports of over US$200 million for the same period (figure 1). CARICOM’s protracted trade deficit places pressure on fiscal positions of Member States and other macro-economic indicators including the ability of the Region to address its high level of unemployment especially among the youthful population and the growing health and economic cost visited to the region by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).

    Figure 1 – Total Agriculture Trade

    Source: Author’s compilation

    In this regard, the improved recognition of agriculture labour within the Caribbean Community, can directly strengthen the Region’s food security and nutritional adequacy while it is also aptly positioned to: catalyse greater intra-regional travel; reduce community wide unemployment; and improve the cultural and overall regional integration process. Early harvest evidence of the regional agriculture integration process is noticeable with the agreement struck between Suriname and Barbados for the Black Belly Sheep project[4].

    International Market for Caribbean Agricultural Workers

    Globally, there appears to be a snowballing call for agriculture workers with heightened demand in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and other parts of Europe. Evidence of the demand for agriculture workers was confirmed through an article where the suggestion was made for British nationals who have been furloughed to get involved in harvesting crops[5].

    The integration of the Caribbean into the world economy was noted to have commenced during the colonial era when the production of agricultural commodities required the exportation of labour from the metropole (mainly English working class) to the colony, to work on plantations to produce predominantly cash crops and other raw materials for export. The sugar revolution which ensued, resulted in the mass importation of African slaves to work on plantations. Following the abolition of slavery and prevailing foreign domination of the ownership of capital and other factors of production except labour, created an excess supply of semi and unskilled labour, which, if left un-utilised could have created instability and major upheavals in the colonies.

    The Region therefore began exporting labour en masse, with the exodus of migrant workers heading to the Panama Canal, the gold fields of Venezuela, banana plantations in Central America and the H-2 Programme of the United States.  

    More recently, the Commonwealth Caribbean Agricultural Workers Program (CCAWP) in Canada, that hires approximately 25,000 foreign agriculture labourer spread over 200 farms as part of a US$100 billion industry[6], has become the temporary worker programme of choice for Caribbean Agriculture Workers. The CCAWP has been placed centre stage in the Region, receiving greater prominence as global supply chains faced disruption, and the stability of food supplies threatened by ‘stay at home’ orders imposed by countries to address the threat posed by COVID-19 became acute.

    Whilst Mexico and Central America dominate the US H-2A Program[7], a number of CARICOM Member States from Jamaica (the first country to engage in the migration programme in 1966) in the north to Trinidad and Tobago in the south are participants in the CCAWP. These economies benefit from salaries repatriated by the emigrant workers.

    Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and Free Movement of Labour

    Article 45 – Movement of Community Nationals provides the basis in Treaty where ‘Member States commit themselves to the goal of free movement of their nationals within the Community’.

    Furthermore, in Article 46, Member States have agreed, and undertake as a first step towards achieving the goal set out in Article 45, to accord to the following categories of Community nationals the right to seek employment in their jurisdictions: university graduates, media workers, sportspersons, artistes and musicians.

    Having regard to the above, and the huge vulnerability to Regional food security and nutritional adequacy, high levels of unemployment, inter alia, on the occasion of the 18th Special Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government (HOG) of CARICOM[8], HOG have agreed to include ‘Agricultural Workers among the categories of skilled nationals who are entitled to move freely and seek employment within the Community’.

    This declaration by Heads of Government provided the legal basis for the creation of the necessary infrastructure, administrative and enabling environment for the Region to benefit from the vast pool of skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled labour available for the competitive development of its agri-food sector.

    At present, it is not yet clear whether or not the free movement regime for Agriculture Labour has become operational and if in the affirmative, the number of people who have already taken advantage of the Treaty’s provision.

    The discussion on creating a regional bread basket and having persons who are in the industry travel to provide the majority of the farm workers holds promise. The CARICOM Private Sector Organisation (CPSO), in a presentation to HOG in February 2020, articulated the benefits of the Region in focussing on the development of regional ‘agri-food corridors’ (RAC) within the CSME, and the ability of RACs to assist in reducing transactions, transport and logistics costs. The presentation further suggested that the RACs can support overriding non-tariff barriers (NTB), and can also be used to develop ‘clusters’ or investment poles that create the business to business and business to customer linkages, which is the oxygen for sustained growth and development of agri-food ventures in the CSME, ultimately yielding greater employment.

    A key feature of the RAC is premised on high volume production of selective agri-food products (corn, soy, cassava, livestock) to benefit from economies of scale. Such a philosophy will naturally lend itself to countries with larger land masses such as Belize, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica and Suriname. CARICOM nationals from other Member States can then ultimately travel to these countries as an initial pilot to operationalise the Free Movement Regime for Agricultural workers. 

    Conclusion

    There is no denying that the current image of regional agriculture is one that is cloaked with the stigma of being pro-poor and dominated by the uneducated or citizens who are generally on the margins of society. Drawing from the parallels of the CCWAP, repositioning regional agriculture can provide the citizens of the region with improved consistency of income that can be similarly repatriated to their home states to meet the needs of their families.

    Simultaneously, other direct benefits that can be accrued can range from the increase in intra-regional travel, greater consumption of regionally produced food, increased cultural exchanges and deepening of the CARICOM spirit of ‘oneness’.

    To this end, regional leaders, the private sector, development partners, and the wider NGO community should collectively agree on a roadmap to aggressively rebrand the image of agriculture to include the modern availability of high-tech jobs to encourage greater youth involvement. Only with additional sector involvement and investment will the region be able to adopt and adapt the plethora of innovative agriculture technology that supports increased productively and profitability, necessary elements for the creation of a virtuous cycle.

    Sandiford Edwards, MA, MBA, ACCA is a Development Finance Specialist with experience in many countries in the Region.

    [1] https://www.cgap.org/blog/youth-agriculture-new-generation-leverages-technology

    [2] Hemant Singh, https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/overview-of-agricultural-labour-1446805160-1

    [3] Patrick et al, 2020, Reducing CARICOM’s Agri-Food Imports: Opportunities for CPSO Participation, Econotech Limited.

    [4] https://www.barbadosadvocate.com/news/b’dos-partner-suriname-black-belly-sheep-operation

    [5] https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/coronavirus-furlough-workers-urged-to-lend-a-hand-with-uk-harvest/ar-BB14jxCB?ocid=spartanntp

    [6] Budworth et al, 2017 Report on the Seasonal Agriculture Worker Program: Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture Delegation in Canada.

    [7] https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-labor/

    [8] https://today.caricom.org/2018/12/04/st-anns-declaration-on-csme/

  • Agriculture key for fostering Sustainable Development in Caribbean Countries

    Agriculture key for fostering Sustainable Development in Caribbean Countries

    Alicia Nicholls

    Development in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) can never be sustainable without building a sustainable agriculture sector. But don’t take my word for it. The need for improving the region’s food security and food sovereignty has been a recurrent theme in regional development discourse for decades. As a young girl growing up in Barbados, I remember the cookbook of traditional Barbadian recipes in our kitchen with the smiling face of its author, the late and legendary Barbadian  Mrs.  Carmeta Fraser, on the cover with the words to the effect of “Eat what we grow , and grow what we eat”. Years later, these words which former Senator Fraser echoed  tirelessly cross the length and breadth of Barbados are still in the realm of aspirations and not reality.

    It is universally accepted that the best way to reduce Caribbean countries’ unsustainably high food import bills is by expanding agricultural production in an environmentally sustainable manner. However, as recognised by Sustainable Development Goal-2 which seeks to end hunger and achieve food security, plus improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agricultural practices, promoting a sustainable agriculture sector can help Caribbean countries address a number of cross-cutting developmental challenges besides food security.

    The State of Caribbean Agriculture

    Since the 1990s Caribbean economies have progressively shifted from mono-crop economies to services-based economies, mainly tourism and financial services. The main exceptions are the commodity-exporting countries of Guyana, Belize and Suriname which have more diversified economies and Trinidad & Tobago whose economy is based primarily on the oil/gas sector. A major reason for this shift was the loss of preferences in traditional export markets, particularly the European Union, and but also the recognition of the need to diversify their export-bases.

    Agriculture is declining in its contribution to the GDP of most Caribbean countries, while the food import bills saddling our countries’ current accounts continue to rise. An FAO report entitled State of Food Insecurity in the CARICOM Caribbean revealed that CARICOM countries’ food import bill was in excess of USD $4.5 billion in 2011. Food imports are used not just for local consumption but also by the tourism sector. CaribbeanStats shows that Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica have relatively low import bills per occupant, while they are high in countries like Barbados, the Bahamas and Montserrat  Coupled with high food import bills is the growing scourge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Caribbean countries’ incidence of, and mortality rates from, NCDs such as diabetes and hypertension, are among the highest in the world. This is due not just to increasingly sedentary and high-stress lifestyles but also poor eating habits, which prioritise processed foods over more organic foods.

    Although the agriculture sector is no longer the main foreign exchange earner or employer, family-based small-scale farming remains an important source of employment and earnings in rural communities. Indeed, a 2012 FAO report shows that the majority of farming in the Caribbean is done on smallholdings. Income from farming helps to maintain households, buy needed supplies and educate children.

    Challenges facing Caribbean Agriculture

    Most Caribbean people would agree that promoting local agriculture is beneficial for Caribbean development, by saving much needed foreign exchange and supporting the livelihoods of local farmers. Moreover Caribbean farmers do not use the level of chemicals employed by farmers in more developed countries.  Even with high tariffs on imported agricultural products, the lack of economies of scale and high costs of production often make local produce less price competitive than imported produce. This is coupled with the fact that Caribbean governments lack the financial means to subsidise their farmers to the extent that large developed countries like the United States and European countries do.

    Local farmers therefore could never compete with the subsidised produce from farmers abroad whose inputs are much cheaper. Farmers in Barbados, for example, have complained about the import of some products like onions which are produced in sufficient quantities locally. There is also the perception, in many cases justified, about the dubious quality of imported produce. It is long suspected that produce which have been rejected by developed countries because they do not meet their standards are relegated to third world countries.

    In some rural parishes in Barbados, particularly those which have good soils and receive the highest levels of rainfall, prime agricultural land has been granted permission for change of use to residential use and subdivision.

    Praedial larceny costs farmers thousands of dollars in lost earnings each year. In Barbados, for example, farmers have taken to the newspapers to complain about crop theft or the heinous slaughtering of livestock for the meat. Another major problem for many Barbadian farmers is crop theft and destruction by the native Green Monkey which has been forced to forage outside of its natural environs because of habitat loss. Farmers also typically experience difficulty in accessing financing through traditional methods to replace lost crops or to invest in technologies and other activities.

    One of the impacts of climate change is the  crop loss from natural disasters and extreme weather and crop pests and diseases like Black Sigatoka and Moko which destroy bananas and plantains. For an example of how severe weather could wreck havoc on local agriculture, just remember that in 2004 Hurricane Ivan wiped out Grenada’s entire nutmeg crop. Another facet of climate change is the drought-like conditions which have  plagued Caribbean countries for the past almost two years. The drought has caused reduced crop yields, caused malnourished or lost livestock, and forced some farmers to seek alternative sources of income.

    In addition to these issues, there is also the reality that farming is generally not glamorous or financially attractive for many younger Caribbean people. On the flip side though, I know of a few young people who have chosen to get into farming due to their inability to find employment.

    If one looks at the demand side, Caribbean people, through exposure to cable television, have become wedded to North American products and foods, to the detriment of reducing demand for some locally produced fruits and vegetables. After all, why limit oneself to local fruits like ackees, golden apples, dunks and fat porks, when one can have imported grapes, strawberries and pears? Part of the recourse for improving demand for local produce is extolling the benefits of these local products through research, innovation and incorporating their usage once more into traditional cuisine, in much the way Carmeta Fraser tried to encourage.

    Going forward

    A framework for the development of a sustainable agriculture sector through the sustainable improvement of food production must be aligned with wider national and regional policy goals aimed at promoting food security and poverty reduction, improving public health and fostering economic development. If we are speaking of improving agriculture, then permission for change of use should never be given for prime arable lands where crop yields would be higher than poorer quality lands.

    Crop loss through praedial larceny can be reduced by strengthening praedial larceny laws through harsher penalties. Jamaica established a Praedial Larceny Unit  May 2015 which was reported in February 2016 to have resulted in a 14 percent reduction in praedial larceny over  10 months. This could be a model other Caribbean countries might want to consider.

    There needs to be greater public-sector engagement and support for farmers including training in  business strategies, marketing and packaging, greater use of technology, as well as more sustainable farming practices, such as more efficient land and water use. Would it not be great to be able to have a mobile app where a customer could find out what crops are available for sale at any given time and place an order via his or her phone? I know personally of at least one farm which has used social media to market products. More farmers should make use of the virtual market place.

    Improving farmers’ access to finance would also facilitate investment in more environmentally sustainable farming technologies. Getting younger people involved in farming can be achieved by improving the teaching of agricultural science in schools, while some of the arable lands which are currently idle and over-run could be leased to farmers similar to the Land for the Landless Programme in Barbados.

    Turning to the theft of crops by green monkeys in Barbados, the loss of habitat from the debushing of natural woodlands and gullies for residential use has forced many green monkeys to raid the crops in farming and residential communities, particularly in the more rural parishes. Although there have been calls by some for a monkey cull, I think a better option may be to consider designating certain gullies and woodlands, particularly on Crown Lands, as special monkey protection areas. These would have the benefit of not just protecting the green monkey’s habitat and being natural greenspace (in keeping with our goal of reducing our carbon footprint), but could be low impact eco-tourism attractions where the native green monkey could be observed in its natural habitat.

    Alicia Nicholls, B.Sc., M.Sc., LL.B. is an international trade and development consultant. You can read more of her commentaries here or follow her on Twitter @Licylaw.