Climate & Environment Assurance Note
Intervention Details
Title
Guyana Agricultural Diversification
Programme (formerly GTIS)
Responsible Officers
Title
Project Officer
Lead Adviser
Climate Change and Environment
Adviser
Growth Team Leader
Appraisal
Climate & Environment Category
Risks & impacts
C: low risk
Home Department
DFID Caribbean
Budget
Up to £1,475,000
Name
Mel Smith
Jan Wimaladharma
Nicola Jenns
Department
Caribbean
Caribbean
Caribbean
Matt Butler
Caribbean
Opportunities
A: High
This project would support the development and diversification of agriculture and aquaculture in
Guyana. This assessment of climate change and environmental considerations assumes that it
would follow the same environmental guidelines and procedures as currently employed by GTIS.
There are generic environmental risks and climate change risks and opportunities in the
programme. The expansion of agriculture could involve land use changes or forest clearance (for
example, along the Linden Highway), with possible carbon emissions (though forest clearance and
also ground transport and airfreight of produce) as well as related to project management (site
visits). Carbon emissions through air transport could be measured and offset, and there must be
strict guidance to avoid clearance of forested land wherever possible. Several of the crops
(vegetables and tilapia) to be cultivated are not native to Guyana and so measures will need be
taken to keep them contained (for example, all tilapia farms to have enclosed circulation systems
and empty to the ocean, no tilapia to be introduced inland from the coastal belt). Controls so far
have been effective – tilapia have not overwhelmed their new habitat as the pH of the water is too
acidic for reproduction beyond the coastal belt and predator fish keep the population in check.
Climate change consideration must include climate variability and more extreme weather events.
There is a real risk of flooding along the Guyana coastal belt, mitigation (drainage) for which should
be included in farm design. That area is also mostly below mean sea level and protected by sea
walls and other hard defences. Tilapia farmers have deliberately broken sea defences in some
areas to create brackish ponds for their fish (optimal growth conditions). Project design should
tackle this by suggesting ways to enable this without damaging sea defences and increasing the
vulnerability of the local area to sea water incursion and high tide/storm surge flooding.
The programme is required to meet Guyanese environmental standards (including those of the
Guyana Environmental Protection Agency), as well as more stringent US ones, and includes the
introduction of new technologies such as drip irrigation (more efficient water use), greenhouses and
new/more varied crops and seed varieties, as well as training in modern farming practices (such as
closed circulation systems). Together these represent substantial innovation and a considerable
opportunity for flexibility to adapt to climate change (for example, higher yields from less water
because of the greenhouses and drip irrigation) as well as the opportunity for farmers to manage
their land more effectively. All produce from the GTIS programme is expected to meet Global GAP
environmental and quality standards, and this will remain explicit in project design (and
independently verified). The programme has an environmental mitigation plan which will be
updated during the design phase, and includes full training on use of chemicals. Stringent record
keeping ensures traceability of inputs (including for example, chemicals and fertilisers) and
products. To date, all exports from the programme have met US and EU requirements for
importation, and pesticide residue testing in certified US laboratories have been within an
acceptable range.
Management
Risks and opportunities
defined
Opportunity: introduction of
new technologies such as
drip irrigation (more
efficient water use),
greenhouses and
new/more varied crops and
seed varieties, as well as
training in modern farming
practices builds climate
change resilience of small
farmers.
Climate & Environment Measures agreed
Opportunity: more modern
land management
techniques reduce the
environmental impact of
the farms on the local area
(eg pesticide run off) and
potential damage to health
(eg pesticide misuse)
Compliance with Global GAP standards of
land management and food quality ensures
improvements in the way land is managed,
the use of chemical and fertiliser inputs etc.
Risk: Expanded demand
for agricultural land might
lead to forest clearance.
Project to include work with farmers on which
areas are suitable for development. Strict
guidelines to be developed to ensure forest
clearance avoided.
Nothing specific in logframe,
but Guyana has REDD+
agreements on avoided
deforestation.
Risk: Tilapia and some
vegetable crops are not
native to Guyana and could
invade neighbouring areas.
Project’s operating procedures include the
restriction of tilapia to the coastal belt of
Guyana, with all farms to be closed systems,
emptying to the ocean (not rivers).
Not in logframe,
Risk: Tilapia farmers may
deliberately break sea
defences to create
brackish ponds for the fish,
increasingly the
vulnerability of surrounding
area to high tide/storm
surge flooding
Project to include education to farmers on the
risk of weakening sea defences, and to
develop other, safer ways to bring in some
sea water to the ponds.
Not in logframe.
Risk: carbon emissions
from travel around air
freight (product export) and
programme management
Air freight of exports and staff travel can be
logged, with carbon offset.
Not in logframe.
New farming methods (drop irrigation,
greenhouses etc) aim to get the best from
sandy soils and ensure most efficient use of
water, as well as the ability to operate either
heavy rains/low rain (by protecting crops from
damage and/or making best use of limited
water).
Diversified crops spread (and
thereby reduce) disease and other risk.
Full log and tracking of all inputs (including
chemicals) as well as training on their use.
Climate & Environment
Measures in log-frame
Number of acres under
production using modern
agriculture and aquaculture
methods.
Number of farmers trained in
these modern methods.
Number of acres under
production compliant with
Global GAP standards.
% of produce meeting Global
GAP standards
Number of farmers and
workers trained in these
standards and best practices.
Evidence: Relevant documents
Business case and logframe –ARIES project #
SIGNED OFF: Nicola Jenns, 30 April 2012