Decreasing the Use of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP`s) in the

Best Practices and Lessons Learnt
Decreasing the Use of Persistent Organic
Pollutants (POP’s) in the Caura Valley
Project Data
Name: Caura Valley Community Based
Integrated Management Initiative
Grantee: Caura Valley Farmers
Association
Location: Caura Valley, Trinidad
SGP contribution: US $45,000.00
Local NGO (BEAT) and recipient
community co-financing: US $32,679.74
Other co-financing: US $63,872.55
Start date: March 2005
End date: April 2008
Technology: Integrated Pest
Management, Ecological Crop
Management
Type of project: Demonstration, Capacity
Building, Applied Research and Policy
Analysis, Information Dissemination,
Networking and Policy Dialogue
Background
The Caura Valley (CV) is located in the
Northern Range of Trinidad (Figure 1 and 2)
and is traditionally associated with
agriculture and recreational areas of the
Caura River. It is one of the catchment
areas south of the Northern Range and
supplies settlements downstream of farming
areas with a water supply. The population
comprises approximately 700 persons, 40%
of which are female. Residents rarely have
an education above the primary school level
and most are farmers, self employed
vendors near recreational sites or unskilled
workers.
Figure 1. Map of Trinidad
Historically, short, medium and long term
vegetable and tree crops were grown
according to farmers’ expertise on the fertile
river estate loam. However, after the Green
Revolution* the widespread use of chemical
pesticides,
insecticides
and
mineral
fertilizers became common to enhance the
growth of new short-term hybrids.
This resulted in a newly formed tradition of
producing a single variety of agricultural
crops with the liberal use of toxic
agrochemicals such as Caprid, Fastac and
Gramoxone. This has brought with it a wide
range of problems. Biodiversity loss has
occurred as farmers frequently favour high
yield hybrids over traditional varieties of
fruits and vegetables. Such a loss of genetic
diversity is disadvantageous to crops as it
not only limits variety, but decreases their
2
resistance to disease . Ecosystems have
also suffered biodiversity loss as pesticides
kill beneficial insects and arthropods in the
soil, and agricultural run off in rivers poisons
fish, crustaceans and other aquatic life.
Figure 2. Caura Valley
The Caura Valley Farmers Association
(CVFA), the community-based organisation
Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, Trinidad and Tobago, July 2010
(CBO) established by resident farmers, has
recognized that such a form of agriculture is
no longer acceptable or economical.
Moreover, agricultural run off with traces of
harmful chemicals has potential to create
negative downstream effects in the densely
populated Tunapuna and Tacarigua areas.
Integrated
Pest
Management
(IPM),
provided the Caura farmers with an
alternative to conventional methods of
agriculture. IPM has proved to be both
economically competitive and eco-friendly
by substantially decreasing input costs and
3
environmental impacts .
In the past, the CVFA has participated in
projects funded by organizations such as the
European Union (EU) and the former
Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine
Resources (MALMR). One of the most
successful projects was the Farmer Field
School (FFS) which promoted good crop
management
and
Integrated
Pest
Management (IPM), both of
which
discourage
the
use
of
harmful
agrochemicals. Further to this, farmers were
educated on principles of Ecological Crop
Management (ECM) which incorporates the
practice of using low inputs to improve yield.
Despite these projects, it was deemed
necessary to implement further strategies to
convince
the
community
to
adopt
sustainable agricultural practices.
Project Overview
The main objective of the Caura Valley
Community Based Integrated Management
Initiative (Caura Management Initiative) was
to promote environmentally friendly methods
for crop protection and production while
empowering local farmers through literacy
enhancement.
Research
focused
on
eliminating the use of persistent organic
pollutants (POPs) and highly hazardous
pesticides (WHO class 1b) such as oxamil
and pirimiphos-ethyl. This also extended for
moderately hazardous pesticides (WHO
class II) used in the valley such as
cypermetrin, carbamate, and 2,4-D, a
possible carcinogen, suspected reprotoxin
3
and potential ground water contaminant .
Improved crop protection and production
practices were implemented through;
polyculture field trials (Figure 3), research
into soil amelioration techniques and
decreased pesticide use together with
sensitization workshops to farmers and
consumers alike. Farmers also networked
locally, regionally and internationally with
various organizations which facilitated the
exchange of information on ECM initiatives.
Figure 3. Field trials
Capacity building entailed basic, numeric
and computer literacy courses, as well as
discussions and lectures on polyculture and
farming practices (Figure 4). This was
enhanced with the integration of indigenous
cultural practices. The end result has been
the development of an alternative ecofriendly crop management strategy with
increased
profitability
and
reduced
dependency on imported resources.
Figure 4. Discussions held by Caura famers
Implementation
The research project was located in the
Caura Valley Food Gardens which was
easily accessible to practitioners in the
Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, Trinidad and Tobago, July 2010
valley. Sixty persons participated or were
beneficiaries; 19 males, 21 females and 20
children.
Comparative polyculture field trials involved
modifying
production
and
protection
practices based on ECM methods for crops
such as tomato, peppers and papaya. This
involved companion planting, strip cropping,
trap crops and border crops. Pollinator
attracting plants, organic mulches and pest
repelling plants were used as pest
management
strategies.
Traditional
pesticides were replaced with less harmful
ones such as Newmectin, Neem-X, Phyton27
and
a
non-pathogenic
bacteria
combination called Biolife. Trends seen in
pesticides favoured were high selectivity,
low persistence and minimal environmental
impacts. Farmers in the Caura Valley also
utilised
the
biopesticide
Bacillus
thuringiensis (Bt), a species of bacteria
which was found to be highly successful in
controlling pests in European apple
3
orchards .
Soil amelioration techniques involved soil
preparation and drainage techniques,
mulching and the addition of organic manure
and compost. Composts consisted of wood
chips, soil, manure and grass trimmings
from CEPEP which would have otherwise
been disposed of. Fertility was improved by
adding organic manure at a rate of 30
tonnes/ha and soil reaction limestone at 6
tonnes/ha. With the aid of MALMR, soil
testing was done and it was found that from
March 2005 to May 2006 there was a
considerable improvement in soil quality.
Regarding water quality, hillside terracing
was a valuable process which controlled
drainage and created barriers to decrease
run off from pesticides, fertilizers and
manure into rivulets. Improved low volume
irrigation systems such as drip irrigation,
together with self imposed buffers improved
water quality and decreased siltation of the
river downstream.
For
community
development
and
sensitization,
workshops,
lectures,
discussions as well as music, social and
sporting activities were used (Figure 5).
Training in basic, numeric and computer
literacy were key programmes which
contributed towards capacity building.
Knowledge gained from this enabled
residents to set up a platform for efficient
networking with local and international
organizations such as Centre for Agricultural
Bioscience
International
(CABI)
and
University of the West Indies (UWI).
Figure 5. Community musical activities
Results and Impacts
Local:
Environmental: At the end of the project,
30% (18/60) of participant farmers adopted
some ECM approaches and the polyculture
field trial was prolonged into a second
season of production. There was a marked
improvement in the fertility, texture, pH,
crumb structure and water retention
properties of the valley’s river estate loam.
Additionally, abstaining from applying toxic
pesticides to the farming area allowed for
biodiversity maintenance and enhancement.
Without the need for these chemicals, not
only was money saved, but soil organisms
such as earthworms, nematodes, arthropods
and protozoa were allowed to thrive. In turn,
soil aeration, organic matter decomposition
4
and nutrient retention increased through
their activity (Figure 6). Benefits to
biodiversity also extended to the Caura
River where run off from the farms redrained. The absence of pesticides allowed
for fish and other aquatic life to thrive,
contributing to the overall health of the
ecosystem. Holistically, such a decreased
input of agrochemicals contributes to good
watershed management which can resolve
5
and prevent water quality problems .
Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, Trinidad and Tobago, July 2010
The marketing of safe, organically-grown
produce began in January 2006 and by May
2006 the volume of produce traded was
2300kg. In June 2007 this figure rose to
5,000 kg indicating the economic viability of
organically grown crops in Trinidad.
Figure 6. Soil organism in mulch
Health: Decreased pesticide exposure has
resulted in long term health benefits to both
farmers and their families. Disease
conditions induced by such harmful
chemicals include (but are not limited to)
disruption of the immune system, allergies,
hypersensitivity and damage to the nervous
6
and reproductive system . Likewise, for
nearby settlements which use the Caura
River as their primary water source, the risk
of suffering from these diseases has been
substantially reduced. Risks to consumers
also decrease as they are not consuming
produce which has come into contact with
toxic chemicals. This comes in line with the
mandate of the Trinidad and Tobago
Pesticides
and
Toxic
Chemicals
Inspectorate and Pesticides and Toxic
Chemicals Act (1979); which ensures that
premises which use and store these
chemicals
must
meet
established
7
regulations .
Livelihood Benefits: Despite the higher
prices of organically grown produce, farmers
reported that demand always tends to
exceed supply (Figure 7).
Figure 7. Organically grown produce
The demand for these safer products has
been reported to be steadily increasing at
two nearby markets despite higher prices. In
some instances, consumers have been
known to travel considerable distances to
the Caura Valley to purchase organically
grown produce at the farm gate.
Training and Networking: The Farmer Field
School (FFS) was a past achievement which
boasted of training 19 full time farmers (16
male, 3 female) in 2003. It has since been
operational, and with the development of
ECM the FFS has resulted in a cadre of
trained personnel in organic farming
techniques inside and out of the valley. In
the capacity building and training workshops
held by the Caura Management Initiative, 30
persons took part, 17 of which were female
and 13 male.
A training facility was also constructed,
however due to lack of funds, only 60% was
completed. Despite this, the literacy
programme formally trained 10 residents, 8
women and 2 men. Such training had the
benefit of improving self-sufficiency and
increasing the employability of residents with
a skill set essential in the modern day work
force.
Additionally,
the
training
programme
afforded residents the opportunity to
become involved in networking in a more
efficient manner. GEF-SGP funds were
utilised to purchase computers and
audiovisual material which were essential for
communication with experts in the field and
farmers across the globe. The equipment
facilitated and continues to facilitate active
participation in the exchange of information
on improved farming methods, ECM
initiatives, and sustainable farming practices
with partner organisations. The association
has been closely linked to, and continues
relations with UWI and CABI for ECM
Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, Trinidad and Tobago, July 2010
initiatives. Additionally networking is ongoing
with women farmers in various Caribbean
countries following the attendance of one
female member of the CFVA at a Training
Workshop for Women Farmers in Jamaica in
2004 (Figure 8).
non-existent, and residents felt abandoned.
However, the CVFA’s initiative and
motivation proved to be the most vital driving
force. Commitment of farmers to follow
through with proposed plans during low
periods and sacrifice lucrative opportunities
was deemed necessary for the project’s
success.
Figure 8. The involvement of women
farmers in CVFA
Figure 9. A consistent stakeholder
Nationally, networking with the National
Agricultural Marketing and Development
Corporation (NAMDEVCO) has resulted in a
steadily increasing demand and clientele
who are more concerned on wholesome
commodity than price. The CVFA is also
working on 2 projects; one with Trinidad
Agri-Business Association (TABA) on an ecommerce production-marketing project,
and on another for the acquisition of “Green
†
Funds ” for expansion purposes.
Community-wise, the Caura Valley URP
Women’s Empowerment Project, together
with CEPEP was involved with the Caura
Management Initiative and became an
integral part of the project. Their
participation, together with communitybased sport and recreational activities,
helped
to
wean
out
conventional
approaches to farming and promote
concepts in IPM and ECM. Additionally,
support is continuously present from a local
network of scientists, universities and
practitioners who would like to take ECM to
the next level.
Lessons Learnt and Challenges
Inconsistent
Stakeholder
Involvement:
Despite the consistent commitment of a few
stakeholders (Figure 9), at many times the
support and presence of others seemed
Collaboration with agricultural corporations
and government divisions saw many delays
and laboratory tests to compare ECM and
non-ECM produce eventually did not
transpire. Soil testing at MALMR also saw
many delays and this led to the CVFA
purchasing their own soil testing kit. MALMR
was therefore only used for verification of
their results from time to time. Considering
these situations, CVFA thought that in the
future, it may be best to purchase their own
equipment to carry out tests with occasional
external
verification.
Such
cases
demonstrate that even though there may be
initial commitment from stakeholders,
overtime circumstances may change and
their subsequent involvement or contribution
may be less than expected. In this project
working with external partners has proved to
be challenging at times, however simple
contracts or memoranda of understanding
(MOU’s) can be employed to ensure a
greater accountability from all.
Organic Production: During the course of the
project, there was a shortage of organic
mulch, which was primarily used for weed
control. Local readily available materials
such as cardboard and newspapers, which
would have otherwise gone to dumps, were
improvised as an alternative (Figure 10).
The only complaint made by farmers with
Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, Trinidad and Tobago, July 2010
this solution was problems experienced with
their bulk collection and accessibility at
dump sites.
Additionally, many farmers who became
directly involved in the project started to
utilise and adapt the approach in their own
individual operations.
Regarding the feasibility of organic
production, it was realized that there is a
real possibility of such an enterprise in
Trinidad, even in areas where the use of
toxic chemicals is widespread. It was
discovered that in pristine areas, the primary
difficulty of organic production may be more
pronounced, however, the practice of
polyculture can help to negate this.
Figure 11. A workshop
Figure 10. Improvised mulch
Sensitization: Sensitization was possible
through workshops and the media. The
Caura Management Initiative was featured
on CNC Channel 3 and an early morning
programme on Gayelle Channel 7. Of the
two workshops, the second had an excellent
attendance of approximately 200 persons
representing a broad cross section of
interests (Figure 11). Concurrently, the
opportunity was utilized to market and
promote eco-friendly produce to farmers and
various organizations, many of whom
journeyed from remote areas in Trinidad and
Tobago. The workshop was successful in
informing farmers of ongoing research,
however, many from outside the valley still
remained skeptical.
An extremely important lesson learnt was
that initial skepticism and lack of active
participation may not be indicative of a lack
of interest. At the beginning of the Caura
Management Initiative there was an initial
reluctance from farmers to participate and
adopt ECM techniques, however through
observation of field trials, more people
became
convinced
of
their
value.
It was also evident that wholesalers and
fresh produce retailers were not as willing to
pay higher prices for the goods as maximum
profit was their main priority. To discourage
such outlooks on organic produce,
sensitisation
with
more
significant
demonstrations focusing on the benefits of
ECM and their economic viability may be
required. There is also a need for
widespread application and propagation of
research findings, together with the
development of incentives, to help farmers
and stakeholders embrace ECM strategies.
In turn, this can promote and aid attempts to
incorporate ECM policies in legislation and
regulations; which were, in this project, were
met with no success.
Training: The biggest challenge facing
literacy training programmes was the
availability of trained personnel to conduct
classes. Conversely, one of the difficulties in
the FFS training sessions was the poor
attendance of farmers due to their personal
and livelihood commitments. Time availed
by participants has proven to be one of the
major problems which affects GEF-SGP
funded projects. In such cases flexibility is
required as a solution to ensure attendance
and promising results.
Regarding the training facility which was
60% completed, it was realised in retrospect
that ambitions overwhelmingly exceeded
funds available. Additionally, its construction
Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, Trinidad and Tobago, July 2010
was impeded by legal problems (discussed
in Land Aquisition). To alleviate this
situation, funds were redirected and there
were appeals for more to complete this.
Despite these setbacks, the literacy
programme was successfully run in the
partially completed building (Figure 12).
With farmers, some preliminary work and
training was done on terracing using Aframe technology, polyculture and other
hillside production techniques. However,
ECM was given much more attention than
these areas which were an important
component of the project. It is therefore
important for participants to pay equal
attention to all goals and objectives rather
than just one component, which may appear
to be the most relevant. To ensure complete
coverage of all objectives, agreements
between stakeholders and CBO’s, should be
included in the aforementioned MOU’s and
contracts.
determined land use category. This factor
hinders the completion of the
facility up to this day.
Conclusion
ECM, IPM and organic farming has not yet
been fully embraced in Trinidad and
Tobago. The promotion and implementation
of these concepts, together with incentives
from the government, are needed to bolster
widespread
environmentally
friendly
methods of crop production.
Figure 13. Farmer speaking to UNDP staff
*The Green Revolution was a highly
successful agricultural programme in the
1960’s and 70’s which promoted the use of
improved seeds, farm technology and
irrigation systems together with the use of
1
agrochemicals to increase crop yields .
Figure 12. Partially completed training
facility
Land Acquisition: It was necessary to legally
acquire land in the Caura Valley to conduct
agriculture for the project. Land was leased
to a small number of farmers for parcels of
state owned lands that they already
occupied. This amounted to 5 acres; and for
the FFS in the Caura Valley Food Gardens,
2 acres were leased. The location of the
Food Gardens was centrally located and
brought with it the advantage of easy
accessibility for many practitioners in the
valley. Concerning the parcel of land where
the training facility was located, there were
some disputes between the CVFA and
government
authorities
on
its
pre-
† The Green Fund was established to
financially assist registered community
groups and organizations that are primarily
concerned with and engaged in activities
related to the remediation – remedying
environmental damage, reforestation –
replanting with trees and conversation of the
environment – preservation of the natural
8
environment and wildlife .
References
1.
2.
Food and Agriculture Organization. Women
and the Green Revolution. 1999 [cited
http://www.fao.org/FOCUS/E/Women/greene.htm 29 June 2010].
Spielman, D., et al., Does Inbreeding and
Loss of Genetic Diversity Decrease Disease
Resistance? Conservation Genetics, 2004.
5(4): p. 439-448.
Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, Trinidad and Tobago, July 2010
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Treskic, S., Apples - conventional, IPM and
organic. Pesticides News, 2007. 76.
Organic Farming Solutions. Soil Organisms.
2010 [cited
http://www.organicfarmingsolutions.com/soilo
rganisms.php 3 June 2010].
United States Environmental Protection
Agency. Handbook for Developing
Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our
Water. 2008 [cited
http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/watershed_ha
ndbook/pdf/ch01.pdf 29 June 2010].
The World Bank Group. What are Persistent
Organic Pollutants (POPs). 2004 [cited
http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/ESSD/Envext.n
sf/50ByDocName/WhatArePOPs 3 June
2010].
Ministry of Health. CFDD: Pesticides and
Toxic Chemicals Inspectorate. 2010 [cited
http://www.health.gov.tt/sitepages/default.asp
x?id=148 29 June 2010].
Ministry of Planning, H.a.E. The Green Fund.
2009 [cited
http://mphe.gov.tt/home/index.php?option=co
m_content&task=view&id=121&Itemid=130
29 June 2010].
Excerpts taken from the Caura Valley Community
Based Integrated Management Initiative UNDP file and
conversations with Dr. Shango A. Alamu.
Author: Stacey-Marie Syne
Date: July 2010
Intern, Small Grants Programme GEF-SGP.
Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, Trinidad and Tobago, July 2010