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Agricultural Innovation in Jamaica: The Yallahs Valley Land Authority
... Land reforms in the agricultural sector generate more economic benefit when partnered with larger agricultural programs and services. As will be discussed later, the experience in the Yallahs Valley of Jamaica where land distribution was partnered with larger agricultural programs to support the development of the sector (Floyd, 1970). Weis (2004a) reiterates this by saying that land reform in terms of redistribution is necessary, but "not an end in itself" (p. ...
... SOSC717 ASSIGNMENT 3 -LAND REFORM AND PROPERTY RIGHTS 11 Agricultural lands are distributed in Jamaica like many similar former colonies; large plantationstyle farms on the prime land on one hand, with smallholder peasant plots on the hillsides on the other (Floyd, 1970;Weis, 2004a;Rao, 1990). The uneven distribution has been maintained post Emancipation, with plantations limiting peasant access to lands, credit, and government supports (Weis, 2004a, p. 38). ...
... At the time of Floyd's (1970) study, the average small farm was 1.8 acres in size, where "71% of the farming population controls a mere 12% of the land" (p. 63). ...
Land reform as dictated by intergovernmental agencies under the guise of development assistance has seen mixed success. One suggestion is that these reforms may have focused on reinforcing neoliberal economic structures which are not intended to advance property rights at the individual level. The question to be answered is: Are land reforms being designed to enable individual property rights which would facilitate economic and political advancement? Using an examination of Jamaica, this paper will review and compare the attempts at land reform initiated from within and imposed from without. This will endeavor to identify the linkages between land reform, individual property rights, and economic and political advancement. The findings of the study are that the internally led land reforms were designed to advance individual property rights, whereas the externally-imposed land reforms were not.
... King & Burton (1982) used the terms 'poorly organised agricultural land', 'undersized' units, too small for 'rational exploitation'. Floyd (1970) concluded that "half [the population engaged in agricultural activity] are eking out an existence on scattered, diminutive hill plots [in the Yallahs Valley, Jamaica] ... the result of fractioning of individually-owned holdings over many years... hardly a basis for creating a viable and prosperous agricultural community." It was also noted that "the most readily apparent constraint to the development of agriculture in the project area is the small size and fragmentation of the farms" (Interim Agricultural Development Plan, 1983, p. 23). ...
... One of these was an attempt by Igbozurike (1974) which, although ignoring the number of plots and having one or two methodology fl aws (concerning units and distance measurement), it did use mean plot size and aggregate round trip distance to quantify the dispersal problem, and the ineffi ciency that this produced in operational terms, a common theme in the criticism of fragmentation. Floyd (1970) pointed out that journeys of between two and eight miles between home and main plot area were not uncommon for around 20 % of farmers. However, as King & Burton (1982) pointed out, farmers made adjustments to their operations to maximise their time, in terms of intensity of cultivation, with more extensive, less labour-intensive crops grown on the provision ground or remote plot that is more than 2-4 km away. ...
research introduces a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) model that predicts the location and relative susceptibility of humid subtropical hillslopes to sheetwash erosion. The extent of the ero-sion was based on the conservation potential of the existing vegetation cover. This is an original de-ductive and deterministic model (Potential Erosion Detection, PED) incorporating regionally applica-ble physical and land use factors thought to be infl uential. These were climate (agroclimatic zones), topography (aspect and slope angle), soil (texture, drainage, depth, aggregation), vegetation cover and land use (tillage activity). The study looked at surface erosion as a perceived problem in a post-colonial economy. The processes, cause and effect of erosion were considered, and socio-economic factors discussed. Data collection and the design of the model recognised potential errors and uncertainties. This research was initiated in the upper basin of the Buff Bay River (Portland) in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. The results revealed a steep terrain, erodible soils and half of the watershed had little un-derstorey and low litter levels. The dominance of coffee ensured that just under half of the research area had soils that were regularly disturbed. The model estimated that 30 % of the upper watershed had the potential for moderate to extreme erosion, contrasting with much higher previous estimates. The statistical dominance of each factor was analysed, showing that soil erodibility dominated the top erosion classes, followed by slope angle, then land use. Alternative soil and vegetative cover parame-ters for application of the model to other watersheds were also compared. The reliability of the model was analysed using a number of local empirical relationships between ero-sion and infl uential factors. The erosion stake Cumulative Erosion Potential values were not signifi -cantly related to the PED model scores, but limited results differentiation weakened this approach. The research met two of the three objectives and provided an important preliminary conservation model for the local agencies involved in watershed management.
... Barry Floyd himself was an economic geographer who specialized in agricultural geography. One of his most famous papers was on the Yallahs Valley Land Authority (Floyd, 1970 (Floyd, 1979) which he dedicated to '...the pioneering geography students at the University of the West Indies, in memory of Mona days and Yallahs nights'. ...
This article documents the history of geography at Mona campus from its inception in 1965 to the merger of the Geography Department with its sister Geology Department in 1996. Particular attention is focused on the early days under the leadership of Dr Barry Floyd, when the foundations of geography as a discipline within a regional multi-campus University of the West Indies were established. The paper briefly looks at the early curriculum, staff and students, the record of international conferences and workshops, associated geographical publications , the origins of the Jamaican Geographical Society and its important relationship with the department.
A brief historiography of Cinchona Botanical Gardens is presented. The Hill Gardens were established in 1868 by the British who, in competition with the Dutch, sought to establish more secure sources of quinine to combat malaria. Analysis of official reports, archival letters and personal correspondence reveal the importance of key individuals and social networks in establishing the Gardens and Cinchona plantations in the Blue Mountains. Despite enthusiasm, fastidious field trials and laboratory assays to establish bark quality of the various species of Cinchona, the commercial venture faltered for a number of reasons, including a fall in international prices through oversupply. Personal contacts were instrumental during involvement of the New York Botanical Garden at Cinchona in the early 20th Century when it became their tropical research station. Chinchona again emerged as a focal point for research in the 1970s, as university scientists from the U.K. used the Gardens as a field station for work on botany, forest ecology and land degradation. The success of the Gardens has been affected by lack of sufficient funding for development and upkeep throughout its history. While the Gardens remain a place of tranquil beauty, there have been several negative environmental impacts associated with the various botanical enterprises undertaken.
Land reform is concerned with changing the institutional structure governing man’s relationship with the land, involving intervention in the prevailing pattern of land ownership, control and usage in order to change the structure of holdings, improve land productivity and broaden the distribution of benefits. Land reform is an aggregate of ideas and courses of action designed to resolve tenure problems. Nigeria is, an agrarian nation with over 56.8% of her working force engaged in farming. Doner and Kanel emphasize the significant contribution of the agricultural sector towards the overall economic development of underdeveloped countries, such as Nigeria where more than. 50% of the working population is engaged in farming. Agricultural reforms has the advantage of provision of more employment, more equitable income distribution, a wider relevant structure for the growing manufacturing sector, a better base for farm financed welfare, and more rational investment policies in both the agricultural and nonagricultural sectors of the economy. Traditional land tenure system defined the opportunity to earn income in farming and provided the security that an individual would always have access to some part of his family’s land. However, investment in land improvement and increases in productivity are hindered by tenure rules. The unknown nature of the ultimate results of tenure changes increases the risks involved in initiating any program of land reform.
The contemporary geomorphological and agricultural status of the Fall River catchment, Jamaica, is examined. The principal constraints which have hampered development are steeply sloping terrain, application of inappropriate soil conservation measures, and the cessation of direct funding associated with the demise of the former Yallahs Valley Land Authority. Furthermore, cropping systems utilized by small, poor and often part-time farmers reflect short-term economic goals which are not necessarily environmentally sound. However, facets of technically appropriate and agronomically sensible solutions are in place and need to be mobilized urgently.
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