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

“永远前进，永不后退”：记录和（重新）激活格林纳达的革命性农业和可持续粮食系统

• 批准号: AH/V00056X/1
• 负责人: Levi Gahman
• 金额: $ 21.82万
• 依托单位: University of Liverpool
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2021 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=AH%2FV00056X%2F1
• 关键词: Forward; Ever; Backward; Never; Documenting

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.

历史、文化和政治决定了格林纳达农业生产的兴衰。在格林纳达革命期间（1979-1983年），格林纳达在促进农业发展方面取得了进展，妇女和青年发挥了核心作用，但尽管革命期间取得了进展，农业活动却因若干因素而减少。这些问题包括：政策和体制框架不健全，没有承认和纳入性别平等和农业创业精神等重要原则;当地市场结构不健全，失去了优惠的区域和国际市场;农业部门技术人员人数不足，该部门完全没有促进性别平等的培训;几乎所有来源-政府、私人和贷款-都没有对农业活动提供财政支助;支助农业的社交网络崩溃（如农民团体）;农产品加工业严重欠发达;最后，过去几十年飓风对格林纳达造成的破坏性影响，目前格林纳达的发展前景，包括粮食安全和提供充分就业的能力都受到威胁。世界银行2017年的一份报告指出，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女性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其农业部门，这反过来将有利于当地生计和国民经济，并有利于改善粮食和营养安全。此外，预计振兴农业部门，特别是具有文化和传统重要性的作物，（例如肉豆蔻和木薯），将有助于提高民族自豪感，创造更大的民族凝聚力和福祉感。格林纳达应对系统性农业挑战的知识和能力不足;而要想抓住问题的核心，就必须从跨学科和多方面的角度来看待这个国家的历史，文化和环境保护-特别强调性别公正和赋予青年权力。该项目旨在利用艺术和人文学科以及科学（自然和社会）领域的一套互补方法、工具和办法（Photovoice;视觉故事讲述、艺术设想会议）开展研究，提高利益攸关方的认识和能力，弥合研究与政策之间的鸿沟。从根本上说，该行动还寻求在格林纳达国内以及格林纳达与联合王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，以确保今后的举措能够在其建立的基础上更上一层楼，该行动的主要受益者是格林纳达的农业利益攸关方，即：1）小规模农民，特别是妇女和青年; 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;和（格林纳达的4个研究机构，遍布讲英语的加勒比地区，预计该项目的经验教训和成果也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，这些国家采用的独特的方法和工具组合可有助于应对类似的农业挑战。