THEME: The disinterest of youth in farming poses a threat to agriculture and aggravates urban unemployment and social problems.

An IFAD mission to Grenada in 2000 found that one of difficult issues the country faces, is that of attracting male and female youth to farming. Grenada is unusual in that around 87% of farming is an individual rather than a household activity. Unlike in many other island economies, there are few squatters; farmers tend to own their own land. Both men and women are involved in agriculture, but most do so on a part-time basis. The typical farmer in Grenada tends to be an older female cultivating a small plot of land for subsistence purposes.

Grenada has a high percentage (45%) of female-headed households. Between 1981 and 1995, farming was progressively feminized, reportedly, and may have continued to be so.

• According to the 1995 Agricultural Census, the ratio of male to female farmers is roughly two to one.
• The proportion of female farmers is highest among those with 0,5 ha or less.
• Female farmers tend to be more involved than male farmers in subsistence farming (about six to one) rather than cash crops.

Where men and women farm together, they carry out most activities (62%) jointly. Many tasks that are considered women farmers' responsibility in other countries, such as growing vegetables and raising poultry, are often shared activities in Grenada.

The size and age of the farming population poses a long-term threat to productivity:

• Farmers are decreasing in number. In 1961 a total of 67,100 people were considered farmers. In 1995, this number had decreased to 43,400. It is likely that this trend has continued.
• Farmers in Grenada tend to be older than those in many other countries. The 1995 Agricultural Census showed that the average age of female farmers was 54 years and that of male farmers was 48 years. The age of farmers is particularly notable in terms of the young population as a whole: according to the 1991 census, 48% of the population was below the age of 20.

Clearly the young labour force is not entering agriculture. This in spite of the high unemployment rate (15%) in Grenada and the lack of alternative entry-level opportunities for youth with minimal education. Many young Grenadians are simply not interested in taking over the family farm. This is the result in part of the problems agriculture faces and its lack of profitability. There is a rural-urban drift and out-migration, as both male and female youth are attracted by other values and life styles, especially American ones.

• In urban areas, youth unemployment and disillusionment contribute to crime and the use of drugs (higher among males), as it does in many parts of the world.
• In rural areas, unemployment and urban migration of youth are resulting in a large percentage of uncultivated land, low productivity and the loss of traditional farming knowledge and techniques. It has been found that fully 36% of male-run and 33% of female-run farms are left uncultivated. Those youth who do remain are largely uninterested in joining community organizations or taking part in community activities.

This situation is not unique to Grenada. To some degree, it exists in many countries. But in Grenada it has serious implications for agriculture and for the nation. One result is poverty, especially poverty among the young. Statistics reveal that a total of 51% of Grenadians who live below the poverty line are under age 20. Another consequence, at the national level, is inadequate food production. While Grenada is still supplying some of its food requirements, food imports now account for more than one quarter of the total import bill. Donors, including IFAD, are assisting the Government in addressing this serious demographic issue.

Adapted from:

IFAD. 2000. Grenada: Rural Enterprises Project: Formulation Mission Report. Working Paper I, "Socio-economic and Gender Equity Aspects of the Target Group." Rome

 

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