"Forward Ever, Backward Never": Documenting and (Re)Vitalising Revolutionary Agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems in Grenada

历史、文化和政治决定了格林纳达农业生产的兴衰。格林纳达革命(1979-1983年)期间，格林纳达在推动农业发展方面取得了进展，妇女和青年发挥了中心作用。这些问题包括：政策和体制框架不足，没有承认和纳入性别平等和农业创业等关键原则；当地市场结构基本，失去了优惠的区域和国际市场；农业部门的技术人员人数不足，部门内完全缺乏促进性别平等的培训；几乎所有来源--政府、私营部门和贷款--缺乏对农业活动的财政支持；支持农业的社会网络崩溃(如农民团体)；农产品加工业严重不发达；最后，过去几十年来飓风对该岛的破坏性影响。目前，格林纳达的发展前景，包括其粮食安全和提供充分就业的能力，正受到威胁。2017年世界银行的一份报告指出，格林纳达当时的贫困率和失业率分别为37.7%和28.9%，贫困和失业对青年和妇女户主家庭的影响最大，特别是在农村地区。报告还指出，改善格林纳达目前的社会经济状况在很大程度上取决于振兴和促进农业部门，这反过来将有利于当地生计和国民经济以及改善粮食和营养安全。此外，预计振兴农业部门，特别是种植具有文化和传统重要性的作物(如肉豆蔻和木薯)，将有助于增强民族自豪感，并建立更大的民族凝聚力和幸福感。该项目的基础是越来越多的人认识到，解决格林纳达系统性农业挑战的研究基础(知识)和能力不足；解决问题的核心取决于对该国历史、文化和环境暴露的跨学科和多方面的看法--特别强调性别公正和青年赋权。该项目旨在利用一套互补的方法、工具和方法(PhotoVoice、视觉故事讲述、基于艺术的设想会议)--来自艺术和人文学科以及科学(自然和社会科学)--来开展其研究，培养利益攸关方的意识和能力，并弥合研究与政策之间的分歧。从根本上说，该行动还力求在格林纳达内部以及格林纳达与英国和其他加勒比国家的研究人员之间建立可持续的伙伴关系，以确保它将建立的基础能够在今后的倡议中得到加强。该行动的主要受益者是格林纳达的农业利益攸关方，即1)小农，特别是妇女和青年；2)与农业有关的民间社会组织；3)格林纳达农业和土地部以及其他相关部委和公共机构的政策制定者和技术人员；预计该项目的学习和成果将有益于其他小岛屿“发展中国家”，主要是其他讲英语的加勒比国家，这些国家所采用的独特方法和工具组合可以帮助应对类似的农业挑战。

History, culture and politics have shaped the rise and fall of agricultural production in Grenada. During the Grenada Revolution (1979-1983), there was progress in advancing agricultural development in Grenada, with women and youth playing a central role.Despite the progress made during the Revolution, however, agricultural activity has declined, attributable to a combination of several factors. These include inadequate policy and institutional frameworks that have not recognized and incorporated critical tenets such as gender and agricultural entrepreneurship; a rudimentary market structure locally, as well as the loss of preferential regional and international markets; inadequate numbers of skilled persons in the agricultural sector taken together with the complete absence of gender-responsive training within the sector; the lack of financial support for agricultural activities from almost all sources - government, private and lending; a breakdown in the social networks that support agriculture (e.g. farmers' groups); a grossly under-developed agro-processing industry; and finally, the devastating effects of hurricanes on the island over the last few decades.Currently, Grenada's development outlook, including its food security and ability provide adequate employment are under threat. A 2017 World Bank Report indicated that Grenada's poverty and unemployment rates at that time were 37.7% and 28.9% respectively, with poverty and unemployment having the greatest impact on youth and women-headed households, especially in rural areas. The report also stated that improving the current socio-economic conditions in Grenada could rest heavily on revitalizing and boosting its agricultural sector, which in turn will have benefits for local livelihoods and the national economy, as well as for improving food and nutrition security. Moreover, it is expected that reenergizing the agriculture sector, especially with crops that are of cultural and traditional importance (e.g. Nutmeg and Cassava), will help to boost national pride and create a greater sense of national cohesion and well-being.This project is constructed around a growing recognition that both the research basis (knowledge) and capacity to address the systemic agricultural challenges in Grenada are inadequate; and that getting to the heart of the problem rests on an interdisciplinary and multifaceted view into the country's history, culture and environmental exposure-with special emphasis on gender justice and youth empowerment. The project is designed to utilize a suite of complementary methods, tools, and approaches (Photovoice; visual story-telling, arts-based envisioning sessions)--from the Arts and Humanities and the Sciences (Natural and Social)--to undertake its research, build stakeholders' awareness and capacity, and bridge the research-policy divide. Fundamentally, the Action also seeks to establish sustainable partnerships both within Grenada itself and between Grenada and researchers in the UK and other Caribbean countries so as to ensure that the foundation that it will establish can be built upon in future initiatives.The primary beneficiaries of this Action are agricultural stakeholders in Grenada, namely 1) small-scale farmers, especially women and youths; 2) civil society organisations that have an interest/stake in agriculture; 3) Policy-makers and technical staff in Grenada's Ministry of Agriculture and Land, as well as other associated Ministries and public agencies; and (4 Research institutions in Grenada, across the English-speaking Caribbean, and the UK.It is also expected that the learning and results of this project could be of benefit to other small island "developing" states, principally other English-speaking Caribbean countries, where the unique combination of approaches and tools utilized could assist in addressing similar agricultural challenges.