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Small-scale food enterprises occupy a critical space in the food system of Kingston, Jamaica. While they serve the entire population, poor urban households are disproportionately reliant on small-scale food retailers. The nodes and networks of retailers play an important role in the value and commodity chain by providing access to comparatively cheap food but are often impacted by economic vagaries and state-level regulation amongst other factors which potentially challenge the sustainability of the trade. These issues are potentially offset by a highly dynamic system where entry into the trade is maintained by the high levels of unemployment and limited alternatives, even in the informal sector. While the challenges are the likely result of state-level deficiencies, it is possible that these problems are both alleviated and exacerbated by various strategies used to claim space and negotiate food-based livelihoods in the city. This research attempts to fill a conspicuous gap in the literature by examining the pathology of the urban food system as it relates to the characterisation, challenges and experiences of small-scale food retailers. The results are based on a combination of questionnaire surveys and interviews with small-scale food retailers in the city. They reveal the existence of gender- and age-based differences in education, profits earned and motivations for entry. Additionally, these vendors face a range of challenges including deficiencies in state support. While many of their challenges are partly compensated by reliance on inwardly focussed networks, statistical characterisation may provide vital insight into opportunities for policy interventions which specifically target this marginalised group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term and short-term (seasonal) migrations from Caribbean countries have been strategies for enhancing the livelihoods and assets of individuals and families for many decades. The greatest challenges to food security are felt by the populations below the poverty level, most of whom are rural dwellers. Taking two Caribbean countries - Jamaica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, this article assesses whether in rural, characteristically small-farming areas, the financial and social remittances resulting from migration are used to improve food security, through either supporting agricultural production or providing money to purchase food. The findings show the contrast between Jamaica and St. Vincent. Whereas migration generally benefits small-scale farming and domestic food production, increasing food accessibility in Jamaica, migration has been variously used by the rural poor in St. Vincent to replace farming. Food security in St. Vincent is heavily dependent on purchasing food and, in this regard, migrant remittances play an important role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The second half of the twentieth century has been characterised by a major divergence in economic performance between small island developing states (SIDS), and nowhere has this been more marked than in the Caribbean. Countries in that region with the highest growth rates have been those with the greatest investment in tourism. The tendency therefore has been for governments to place an increasing emphasis on this industry, especially in light of the declining role of agriculture in the region. In Jamaica, tourism is a priority in national plans and the trend has been towards mass tourism, with a high spatial concentration on the coastal zone. The demands of mass tourism for natural resources and environmental services are huge and have not been calculated in the cost of the industry against which the economic returns are balanced. This paper compares the contribution of the tourism industry to gross domestic product in Jamaica with a preliminary estimate of the environmental costs of the industry, as represented by the hotel sector, taking as basic indicators the usage of fresh water, the extent of waste absorption and of carbon dioxide sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses that return migration to Jamaica is associated with the existence and nature of the transnational linkages established between migrant workers and their home country. United States and Great Britain as top sources of return migrants; Comparison of remittances to the traditional foreign currency earners of bauxite and sugar; Awareness of the potential of the Jamaican overseas community.

The relationship between population mobility and farming is complex and has been the focus of numerous studies. Despite differing perspectives on the subject, there is an increasing realization that migration sustains farming in many rural communities, but with contradictory effects. Notwithstanding this conclusion, there is a paucity of village level studies that explain the precise ways in which migration in its various forms affects the survival of small farms. This paper reports on the results of a village level study of migration and small farming in the Rio Grande Valley of Jamaica. Apart from highlighting the various ways in which migration affects small farming at the local level, the study confirms the contradictory impact of migration on small farming in this remote agricultural community. It is noted, however, that the net effect is positive and the capital and labour resources, which are made available as a result of migration, play pivotal roles in the survival of small-scale farming as an economic activity in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]