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

历史、文化和政治影响着格林纳达农业生产的兴衰。在格林纳达革命期间（1979-1983年），妇女和青年发挥了核心作用，在促进格林纳达农业发展方面取得了进展。然而，尽管在革命期间取得了进展，但由于几个因素的综合作用，农业活动有所下降。其中包括政策和体制框架不充分，没有承认和纳入性别和农业企业精神等关键原则；当地市场结构不健全，丧失了优惠的区域和国际市场；农业部门技术人员人数不足，加上该部门完全没有促进性别平等的培训；缺乏几乎所有来源——政府、私人和贷款——对农业活动的财政支持；支持农业的社会网络（如农民团体）的崩溃；农产品加工业严重欠发达；最后，在过去的几十年里，飓风对这个岛屿造成了毁灭性的影响。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受到威胁。2017年世界银行报告显示，当时格林纳达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。该报告还指出，改善格林纳达目前的社会经济条件可能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，以及改善粮食和营养安全。此外，预期重振农业部门，特别是具有文化和传统重要性的作物（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幸福感。这个项目是围绕一个日益增长的认识而建立的，即研究基础（知识）和解决格林纳达系统性农业挑战的能力都不足；要想触及问题的核心，就必须从跨学科和多方面的角度来看待这个国家的历史、文化和环境问题——特别强调性别正义和青年赋权。该项目旨在利用艺术、人文和科学（自然和社会）的一套互补的方法、工具和方法（Photovoice、视觉故事讲述、基于艺术的设想会议）来进行研究，建立利益相关者的意识和能力，并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可以在未来的倡议中建立起来。这项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)与农业有利害关系的民间社会组织；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；以及格林纳达、加勒比海英语国家和英国的4个研究机构。还预计，这个项目的学习和成果可以有益于其他小岛屿“发展中”国家，主要是其他讲英语的加勒比国家，在这些国家，所采用的独特方法和工具组合可以帮助解决类似的农业挑战。

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.