Roots of History, Seeds of Change: Women Organic Farmers & Environmental Health in Jamaica

Date

2012-09-11

Authors

Harris, Laila Zahra

Journal Title

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Volume Title

Publisher

University of Guelph

Abstract

This research seeks to address the gap in the literature on women, health, and environments by exploring the factors that motivate Jamaican women farmers to practice organic agriculture and how these might relate to their understandings of environment and health. The experiences and decisions of women farmers are also positioned within wider historical contexts of colonialism and agricultural change. Integrating a variety of theoretical frameworks, including public issues anthropology, ethnoecology, rural sociology, and feminist political ecology, my own scholarly analysis is merged with the perspectives of the women farmers interviewed in this qualitative study. This research found that women organic farmers in Jamaica were motivated by various factors related to environment and health and impacted by the island’s legacy of slavery and industrialization. The findings of this thesis can be used to encourage the practice of organic agriculture and to improve human health and environmental wellbeing in Jamaica and beyond.

Description

Keywords

organic, women farmers, women organic farmers, organic agriculture, environment, health, environmental health, colonialism, agriculture, industrialization, women, environments, and health, women's environmental health, Jamaica, Jamaican agriculture, women organic farmers in Jamaica, industrial agriculture and human health, the negative impact of industrial agriculture on the natural environment, pesticides, agricultural chemicals, historical contexts of agricultural production in Jamaica, women organic farmers and environmental health, organic farming, motivations for organic farming

Citation