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Rural poverty in Grenada

Grenada has one of the highest unemployment rates in the Caribbean (about 15 per cent). Unemployment is particularly high among young people and people living in rural areas. The causes of poverty in Grenada are complex. They are related to historical and economic factors, including the vulnerability of the economy because of the country's small size and its exposure to natural disaster. The destructive tropical storms and hurricanes that roar through the islands are a factor in keeping poor people from overcoming poverty. Although the country is small, Grenada shows a wide disparity of living standards, and areas of extreme poverty. About 32 per cent of all people are poor, and almost 13 per cent are extremely poor. Poverty is a predominantly rural problem, driving many young people from family-run farms to look for work in urban areas or abroad.

Who are Grenada's rural poor people?

Rural poor people in Grenada include unemployed men and women, people under 20 years of age (who make up half of the poor population), women who are heads of households, and artisan and fisher families.

In Grenada, as in much of the Caribbean, a large number (about 45 per cent) of households are headed by women . This is often the result of out-migration by men in search of employment. Teenage pregnancy is also common, and many young mothers have to end their schooling and look for work to provide for their children. Despite the high proportion of households headed by women, the poverty rate among them is only slightly higher than the rate for households headed by men.

Poverty and the limitations of a small island economy affect rural youth, restricting their opportunity to complete schooling or to find employment. Young men in particular feel disenfranchised and participate less at the community level, so it is more difficult to involve them in economic activities. Young people see agriculture as an unsatisfactory employment option unless they have control over family lands. The tourism sector holds much more appeal for them, but they may lack appropriate qualifications and skills.

Where are Grenada's rural poor people?

Rural poor people are fairly evenly distributed across the country. The parish of St. Patrick has the highest proportion of poor people (about 35 per cent), and the parish of St. John has the lowest (about 24 per cent).

Why are rural people poor?

The country's small size and its exposure to natural disasters are important factors contributing to rural poverty. Most poor people in rural areas are cut off from the mainstream economy, which is highly dependent on international trade and is susceptible to global developments and external shocks.

Grenada is unusual in that about 87 per cent of farming is an individual rather than a household activity. Farmers tend to own their own land. Both men and women are involved in agriculture, but most cultivate the land on a part-time basis. Land holdings tend to be small, with half of the farmers estimated to have less than one acre and 90 per cent less than five acres. At the household level, farmers find it difficult to overcome poverty because of illiteracy, lack of technical and /or entrepreneurial skills, and lack of access to productive resources, including credit, and to resources such as social and or productive organizations, markets and/or market information, and technical and financial support services

The constraints faced by farmers and the prospect of continued poverty are leading many young people away from agriculture. In 1961, Grenada's farmers numbered 67,100. In 1995, the number had decreased to 43,400. The trend continues, and it is mainly young people who drift away from farming. Farmers in Grenada tend to be older than those in many countries: the average age of women who farm is 54 and the average age of men is 48. Grenada's young labour force is not entering the agricultural sector, despite a high unemployment rate and a lack of alternative entry-level opportunities for youth with minimal education. The results are a downward spiral: a large proportion of uncultivated land, low productivity and the loss of traditional farming knowledge and techniques.

This situation, not unique to Grenada, has serious implications for agriculture and the nation's socio-economic well-being. One result is poverty, especially poverty among the young. More than half of Grenadians who live below the poverty line are under the age of 20. Another consequence is inadequate food production. Food imports account for more than one quarter of Grenada's total imports.

Source: IFAD