Social Impact with Emma » agriculture : A Jamaica Gleaner Blog

COVID-19 and Water

April 30th, 2020

As I have noted in previous posts, COVID-19 has brought us face to face with the stark inequalities in our society. Of course, this is not only true of Jamaica. In the United States and the United Kingdom, it has quickly become clear that racial minorities are suffering disproportionately as a result of their lower […]

Finding Their Voices for Climate Change

April 15th, 2019

It’s quite challenging. When we are talking about climate change, we need to “break it down.” We must find ways (not one way, several ways) to explain it. We need to demonstrate what is happening here and now, and what may happen in the near future. And we need to point to solutions. Gloom and doom […]

Hunger, Obesity and Rural Poverty: All Part of the Same Picture

February 28th, 2018

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is holding the 35th Session of its Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean in Montego Bay next week from March 5 – 8. Among its three top priorities for the meeting are hunger – and, paradoxically, obesity. Both are on the rise in the region. The other […]

The Grass is Greener…

May 14th, 2017

I am starting to learn more about grass – specifically, Jamaican grass. I am not talking about the kind you smoke, of course! But the kind that dairy cattle eat. This matter is related to a particularly delicious kind of grass, I understand. It’s called Mombasa grass, and it’s gourmet dining for cattle. On CVM […]

Tackling Climate Change on Several Fronts

March 1st, 2017

Despite what the new President of the United States says, climate change is real. It is with us, here and now. I believe developing countries such as ours have fully acknowledged this fact (as well as ninety-something per cent of scientists). After all, we are already feeling the effects. Jamaicans may not look at regular […]

Trees R Us: Our Sustenance and Water Supply

October 31st, 2016

I am looking forward to joining a group of enthusiastic workers from the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) this week. We will be traveling up into the Blue Mountains, to a place called Content Gap in St. Andrew, where NEPA and its partners will engage in a pretty major tree-planting exercise at the Primary […]

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