Incremental Diversification: The Results of a Crop Diversification for Low Resource Hillside Farmer’s in the Dominican Republic
Carlton Pomeroy
PhD Candidate Interdisciplinary Ecology, College of Natural Resources,
University of Florida,
INTRODUCTION
Agriculture in the Dominican Republic has changed dramatically during the later part of the last century. Agriculture employed some 60% of the population in 1960 and was reduced to 18% in the year 2000 (Banco Central, 2000). Further, structural underemployment affects a quarter of the labor force, especially those in the agricultural and tourism sectors of the economy (Aleman and Santana, 1996). Communities that depend on agriculture are subject to volatility associated with market fluctuations. In the case of the Dominican Republic the change in agricultural has been associated with the widespread problems of poverty, unemployment and income inequality (Aleman and Santana, 1996) resulting in food insecurity, poverty, and environmental degradation (Ferguson, 1993). The country’s rapid population growth, massive migration to urban areas, and increasing numbers of people living in poverty have resulted in serious deficiencies in the coverage and quality of water and sanitation services (Aleman and Santana, 1996). The question that must be asked, is agricultural development a viable conservation and development strategy for rural communities in the Dominican Republic?
Crop Diversification Project in Los Cacaos
The failure of the traditional research and development models has inspired the development of new political, educational and research models in the developing world (Chambers, 1997). One example of a NGO is the Center for Planning and Ecumenical Action (CEPAE) founded on October 27, 1970 in the Dominican Republic. The agro-ecology team from CEPAE has drawn from the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and Farming Systems Research and Extension (FSRE) models. The team believes that many development projects fail because they perceive agriculture as a technical activity. The team also believes that agriculture is part of a rural system of knowledge and part of a social system of communal food (CEPAE, 1996). An example of the methodology in action was a crop diversification project in "Los Cacaos" in the Province of San Cristobal.
Some 5,145 males and 4,595 females inhabit Los Cacaos. (National Office of Statistics, 1993). The climate is categorized as subtropical with an annual rainfall of 1,738 mm per year. There is a dry season from December to April and the wet season from May to November. The highest precipitation is in May and June and the lowest in January and February (Ledesma, 1996).
With coffee constituting the primary crop of Los Cacaos, the farming season is composed of the coffee production season from November through March and the non-coffee season from April through October. Coffee season has depended on family labor as well as an influx of Haitian and Dominican laborers. Non-coffee season has utilized labor from the household to produce maize, rice, plantains, bananas, cassava, yams, and beans in the tierra blanca (land not in coffee production used for all other production needs). Major constraints in the farming system include generating year-end cash for discretionary spending during the off-season, deteriorating soil quality (Ledesma, 1996), and unstable coffee prices in the international market (Carrasco, 1991).
One important institution in the area is ASOCAES (Association of Coffee Producers of Los Cacaos). ASOCAES has processed, transported, and sold coffee to its members. They also provide a variety of services such as food credit (for the non-coffee season) and a reduced cost pharmacy. In 1991 an accord signed between the CEPAE and ASOCAES initiated a demonstration plot showcasing hillside sustainable agriculture. The objective was to generate a valid reference for the diversification of small and medium coffee producers.
The diversification responded to the identified needs:
1. Generating money during the large "dead" time for coffee;
2. Improving food security for the family of the coffee producer;
3. Introducing low cost techniques for soil erosion and fertility (CEPAE, 1996).
In order to achieve these goals plantains (Musa paradisiaca), bananas (Musa acuninata), passion fruit (Passiflora spp.), mapuey (Dioscorea cayenensis), and ñame (Dioscorea rotundata) were introduced to create food and money in the short term. The fruit and nut crops Macademia (Macadamia tetryphylla.), zapote (Ponteria sapota), carambola (Averhoa carambola), mandarins (Citrus reticalata), and avocados (Persea americana) were introduced to serve as the source of money in the long term. Some fast growing tree species such as pine (Pinus caribaea), Acacia (Acacia magnium), and Caliandra (Calliandra calothyrsus) along with the hardwood species of oak (caoba; Cataalpa longisiligua), and corazon de paloma (Columbrina ferrunginosa) were presented for the production of firewood or to be sold for lumber. Additionally, an alternative soil management program was introduced. A minimum till system using planting with the contour, composting, and maintenance of maximum ground cover was introduced to address problems of erosion and diminishing agricultural production. The project was designed to work within the existing farming system allowing farmers to continue growing coffee and provide viable economic and ecological alternatives during the off-season.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The goal of the study was to determine the farmer’s perceptions of the impact of the program in achieving its goals of a) food security, b) stability in family income, and c) preservation and improvement of the soils and forest cover.
Specific research objectives were to:
- Determine the level of change in household food security due to the crop diversification project.
- Determine the level of change in the stability of participants’ family income of due to the crop diversification project.
- Determine the participants’ capacity to use and utilization of soil conservation techniques due to participation in the crop diversification project.
The research design utilized in this study was a descriptive survey. The population of this study was composed of the members of the Association of Coffee Producers of Los Cacaos (ASOCAES), staff from CEPAE, INDRHI, and the UASD. The sample was composed of: three members of the agro-ecological team from CEPAE implementing the program; 105 members from ASOCAES (90 members of the association, 12 multipliers and three members of the board of directives); two members from the state institution of INDRHI (the State Water Management Institution) that implemented the program; and two members from the UASD (Autonomous University of Santo Domingo) that implemented the program.
Initially, the three members of CEPAE, two members of INDRHI, and the two members of the UASD were interviewed. The researcher then traveled to Cacaos and interviewed the 15 members of ASOCAES. ASOCAES had 650 active members and was divided into 21 committees that were spread over a large mountainous area. These committees were economically, environmentally, and socially diverse because of their location. A cluster sample of nine committees was purposively selected because they were believed to be representative of the socio-economic and environmental conditions found with in the zone. The quantitative portion was carried out through the development of a 29-item questionnaire. A panel of experts (five from the University of Florida and three from the Dominican Republic) examined the questionnaire for face and content validity. Instrument reliability was assessed by using the Crobach’s alpha estimate of internal consistency for the three three Likert-type scales. Post hoc reliability coefficients were .83 for the self-perceptions of the impact of the program on the HH economic stability, .90 for the self-perceived ability of the crops to prevent soil erosion, and .94 for the self-perception of participants’ capacity to produce the crops.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Objective one was to determine the self-perceived level of change in household food security due to the crop diversification project. Forty-seven % of the respondents reported that they had increased food because of the crop diversification project. Nearly 30% of the participants felt that plantains, passion fruit, and ñame, increased the amount of food available (see Table 1), while 24.4% felt that mapuey increased their food supply.
Table 1.
Percentage of Participants that Perceived an Increase in the Amount of Food Available Due to the Crop Diversification Project
Crop n %
Plantains / 29 / 33.7Passion Fruit / 28 / 31.4
Ñame / 25 / 29.1
Mapuey / 21 / 24.4
Citrus / 15 / 17.4
Avocado / 10 / 11.6
Macademia / 1 / 1.2
Carambola / 1 / 1.2
Zapote / 1 / 1.2
Objective two was to determine the self-perceived level of change in the stability of the family income of the participants due to the crop diversification project. All participants felt that the crop diversification project sustained their income and 43% stated that they had increased economic stability (See Table 2). Nearly one-third expressed that the economic benefits from the program allowed for the coverage of food costs (see Table 3). Forty-nine percent of the participants felt that plantains, passion fruit, and ñame gave them increased income or decreased costs (see Table 4). The tree species without fruit were found to have almost no impact by increasing income or decreasing cost.
Objective three was to determine the knowledge and utilization of soil conservation techniques due to the crop diversification project. Almost three-fourths of the participants knew what erosion was and felt that it was a problem (see Figure 1). When asked how to control erosion, 74.4% could tell how to use barriers and one-fourth minimum till (see Figure 2). There was a dramatic change in ASOCAES and the farmers in their utilization of soil conservation. Only 1.2% of the farmers reported that they used slash and burn agriculture after the project (see Table 5). All of those that were interviewed stated that slash and burn agriculture was the most common means of soil production of the initial demonstration plot ASOCAES officially reversed its policy and encouraged its members to use soil conservation techniques. One-half cut while one-third cut and used barriers. ASOCAES often defended its members versus FORESTA because of their use of slash and burn agriculture.
In summary, about one-half of the respondents reported that they had increased food, with plantains, passion fruit, ñame, mapuey, and citrus having the most impact. Nearly one-third expressed that the economic benefits from the program allowed for the coverage of food. Around 30% felt that plantains, passion fruit, and ñame gave them increased income or decreased costs. The tree species without fruit were found to have almost no impact on income or production costs because of their limited adoption. Some 74.4% demonstrated knowledge of how to use soil conservation techniques. Only 1.1% used slash and burn agriculture, a much better percentage than before the crop diversifications project.
Table 2.
Frequency and Percentage of Participants that Perceived an Economic Impact from the Crop
Diversification Program
Reaction n %
Much Better 12 14
Little Better 25 29
Same 49 57
A Little Worse 0 0
Much Worse 0 0
Total 86 100
Table 3.
Frequency and Percentage of Respondents that Perceived Their Expenses Were Covered with the Benefits from the Project
Expense n %
Food 30 33.3
Education 16 17.8
Transportation 15 16.7
Clothing 14 15.6
House 10 11.1
Recreation 10 11.1
Table 4.
Frequency and Percentage of the Participants that Perceived Increased Income or Decreased Cost
Increase Income Only Decreased Cost Only Increase Income/ Decrease Cost
Crop n % n % n %
Plantains 8 9.3 2 2.3 15 17.4
Passion Fruit 10 11.6 0 0.0 14 16.3
Ñame 5 5.8 0 0.0 13 15.1
Citrus 11 12.8 1 1.2 5 5.8
Mapuey 6 7 2 2.3 7 8.1
Avocado 5 5.8 2 2.2 1 1.1
Corazon 4 4.7 0 0.0 3 3.5
de Paloma
Acacia 0 0.0 2 2.3 3 3.5
Zapote 1 1.1 1 1.1 2 2.3
Pine 0 0.0 2 2.2 0 0.0
Caoba 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0
Caliandra 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0
Roble 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0
Macademia 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0
Carambola 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0
Figure 1. Farmers Perceptions of Knowledge of Erosion and Perception as a Problem.
Figure 2. Knowledge of Methods to Control Soil Erosion.
Table 5
Frequency and Percentage of Participants by Soil Preparation
Method n %
Slash and burn 1 1.2
Cut and barriers 27 31.8
Cut 38 44.2
Minimum till 5 5.8
Hoe and Barriers 2 2.3
Plow 2 2.3
Plow and Barriers 10 11.11
In the Dominican Republic the rural poor have worked on land with the highest erosion potential (soil type and extreme slope) (Ferguson, 1993; Library of Congress, 1989, World Bank, 1996). The country has lost 24% of its forest cover from 1984- 1990 (World Bank, 1996). The systems approach used in the project recognized that low resource farms are complex and diverse. The systems (both sustainable livelihood and farming systems) recognized the importance of the connection between, crops, the environment, local economics, culture, and politics. The crop diversification project in the Dominican Republic was conducted with small producers that often live as far as two hours away. They produce on mountainsides with severe slopes with varying pHs and soil quality.
The project showed the importance of participation, on farm trials, and an analysis of the social and economic systems. The crop diversification project brought together people that have almost had an adversarial relationship. The project design was very innovative utilizing multiple methods to teach the program participants. The production techniques are taught utilizing a hands-on approach.
The teaching/ extension methodology was appropriate because of high illiteracy rates. The best way to make sure that the majority had an opportunity to learn was through practice. The tree species were not nearly as successful and need more follow up than the short-term crops. The trees did not appear to be culturally acceptable because they were perceived as growing too slow, not well liked, lack of a market place, and inability to cut.
One of the most important accomplishments was the change in the attitudes and behavior towards natural resource management. The farmers were given the fredom to choose their own experiments, select what methods they liked, and to inturn share the information. The most significant attitudinal change was that of ASOCAES. Before the project the association fought with the government to allow its members to use slash and burn agriculture to maintain their livelihood. The project allowed the association to explore different production methods that conserve the environment. Traditionally the government has used coercion or authoritarian policies to enact change. These efforts are resisted and often unsuccessful. The association has become an advocate of conservation and has broadened their support and become an active partner in the conservation of the natural resources. The project provides an alternative model in which conservation may be enacted.