The concept of farming with a monoculture planting system has been ingrained in the farming industry. However, this is not a sustainable practice and does not have the ability to withstand the effects of climate change. As the earth becomes warmer in the dry season and wetter in the rainy season, plant species will struggle to grow, causing productivity on the farm to rapidly decline. It is imperative that farmers begin to adapt their planting system to plan for future extreme climate conditions.
Instead of planting an entire field of one crop, a planting system that encourages biodiversity on the farm must be implemented. Planting drought and flood-tolerant medicinal plants can provide an additional avenue of income in instances where the desired cash crop fails to cope with the surrounding environmental conditions.
The impact of climate change has already begun to affect the farming industry. Due to the financial challenges brought about by declining harvests, experienced farmers have become engaged in jobs that are not entrepreneurial in order to support their families. Because their focus is shifted elsewhere, this has led to a loss of knowledge being passed down to the younger generation. To fill the void, the Ministry of Agriculture has been training young persons of both genders with farming skills and knowledge which could be utilised to engage them in organic food crop, income generating opportunities.
The project aims to demonstrate how medicinal crops can be used to improve agro-ecology and climate resilience on farms in Barbados and provide an alternative sustainable livelihood option for farmers.