NEWSLETTER Issue 4 / October 2014
Funding Adaptation: IDB
AGROCENTRAL The Youth Climate Change Conference
Creating Work & Life Balance
Climate
Change Food security, Deforestation & Energy
RESPECT FOR COMMUNITY. RESPECT FOR ENVIRONMENT
Funding Adaptation: The Inter-American Development Bank in Jamaica There is a new climate change specialist in town. Her name is Anaitée Mills. She recently relocated from Washington, DC as the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) first Climate Change Representative in Jamaica. And she is here to help. “This beautiful country is bearing the burden of climate change, and will continue to do so. We hope to find solutions that can represent some relief,” Mills told ECCO Magazine. Development banks and multilateral institutions have quickly turned their attention to the challenges of climate change in recent years. They have recognized the critical – indeed, urgent – need for support for developing countries seeking to adapt to the growing pressures and often unanticipated effects: droughts, floods, rising sea levels, storms. As the largest provider of technical assistance loans and grants in the Latin America/Caribbean region, the IDB began stepping up its efforts in 2010. “We identified climate change as one of our five institutional priorities and included a specific lending target of 25% for climate-related initiatives,” Mills said. In 2011 the Bank created its Integrated Climate Change Mitiga-
tion and Adaptation Strategy, with much work to be done in several areas – importantly, in expanding its lending and technical assistance in key sectors impacted by climate change. Through its Climate Change and Sustainability Division, Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) and other mechanisms, the IDB responds to countries’ needs in the areas of mitigation and (more crucially for Jamaica) adaptation – adjusting to climate change. Besides grants and loans, the bank can facilitate obtaining guarantees and equity. The IDB can also help, Mills noted, in accessing international funding entities such as the Green Climate Fund and Global Environment Facility. Technical support for both public and private sectors is always one of the Bank’s greatest strengths, and this applies equally to climate change projects. The IDB’s private sector clients are right across the board; they include non-governmental organizations as well as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), large corporations and local and international financial institutions. Through the MIF, the Bank is looking for opportunities to support innovative and exciting projects that benefit entrepreneurs and poor and low-income households. Some of these solutions may be short term; but many will likely be longer term, because that is the kind of thinking we need when facing up to the “clear and present danger” of climate change. Jamaican businesses and communities, too, have no choice but to adapt, with skill and determination. Climate change is here to stay. We are all going to have to live with it, and with this in mind, the IDB is seeking to build resilience in communities across the region. MIF-funded projects fall under three Access Areas: Access to Finance, Access to Markets and Capabili-
Rural areas, in particular farmers, are often hardest hit by the impacts of climate change.
Agriculture is one of the most important areas of focus for climate change adaptation funders.
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ties and Access to Basic Services and Green Growth. More information can be found at www.fomin.org. There you will find several examples of funded projects: A solar power and remittances project in Haiti; women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship in Peru and Chile (women at grassroots level are especially impacted by climate change); and an SME finance project in Nicaragua.
institution to offer micro loans at highly concessional rates.
So what is Mills’ office doing in Jamaica now? The IDB is working on a region-wide Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR), funding efforts to integrate climate change into development planning (for example, agricultural practices/food security, water supply and sanitation infrastructure, monitoring/analyzing weather data and climate-resilient housing). This is a key objective of Jamaica’s Climate Change Ministry: “mainstreaming” climate change into all plans. The private sector would do well to follow suit. Next year, an Adaptation Program and Financing Mechanism for Jamaica will get under way, aiming to enhance the generation and distribution of climate change adaptation information; to establish financial mechanisms to support climate resilience; and knowledge management. This should provide a solid basis for Jamaica’s climate change adaptation strategy, going forward.
One thing is clear: The IDB is open for business when it comes to funding climate change adaptation projects, large or small. The IDB is the “go-to” bank. So, now it is up to Jamaican entities – green entrepreneurs, community-based organizations and businesses of any size – to come up with inventive, well-conceived and solid projects for funding. What can you do for your business or community?
Energy, water and rural development are all closely linked to the challenges of climate change. The IDB can also lend support in these areas. In the area of renewable energy, the IDB is currently funding a major solar power project in Barbados.
As the IDB’s Mills reminds us: “We are without a doubt the ultimate ‘Green Bank’!” For more information, contact: Anaitée Mills, Project Manager, Climate Change & Sustainability Country Office – Jamaica, at 40-46 Knutsford Boulevard, 6th Floor, Kingston 5. Tel: 1 (876) 764-0821
As part of its support for the “climate-proofing” of Jamaica, the IDB is currently designing innovative financial mechanisms such as micro loans and the creation of a Climate Change Trust Fund. With technical support, these will kick-start climate resilient projects within MSMEs, non-governmental and community-based organizations for tourism and agri-business. By 2015, the IDB plans to have a fully established line of credit available through a local financial
Vegetable farmers in Jamaica working in their field.
A market vendor. The IDB seeks to support
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AGROCENTRAL:
Bringing Innovation to the Business of Farming The concept of a ‘digital agricultural clearing house’ is an innovative one in Jamaica. Imagine a business owner being able to find the products you need to be able to meet the demands of your customers without having to leave the confines of your office space. Now think about this in terms of agricultural produce. No need to do any physical scouting or involve third parties, which means another layer of costs which, in turn. means higher prices to the consumer.
users to communicate through concise messages. AgroCentral has built their business using Web to SMS/SMS to Web technology. The company has created a database that includes profiles of buyers and sellers. On the AgroCentral website at www.agrocentral.co, persons with businesses can register as buyers to access produce from around the Caribbean and sellers can avail themselves of a platform that gives global exposure.
AgriCentral has brought a unique facility to the island’s farmers and business owners, through software that connects both parties. Farmers now have ready access to businesses in need of their produce and those who need what the farmers provide have ease of accessibility through the AgroCentral App.
Information on farmers include the location of each farm, crops that are grown, amount of produce that can be supplied and contact information. Included in business-owner profiles are their address, the products they require and preferred method of business transaction. Produce that can be sourced through AgroCentral includes coffee, fruits, ground provision, spices and vegetables. AgroCentral’s two-way SMS portal allows for a smooth flow of information which enhances the conduct of business. Small farmers who struggle to find markets for their produce have the option of using a system that puts them directly in touch with customers, eliminating middlemen and gives them the added option of receiving information on diseases, pests and disaster preparedness.
Through their involvement in the Startup Weekend Jamaica (SWJA) project that was supported by the government, a team of young entrepreneurs got the start they were looking for by copping the top prize at the SWAJ for their creation of a Web and SMS application that puts sellers directly in touch with buyers. Since 2013, AgroCentral has developed their product and through the World Bank’s entrepreneurship initiative infoDev, won an Investment Readiness award, which allowed them to attend an even bigger entrepreneurship program overseas. AgroCentral has made use of SMS (Short Message Service) or text messaging, which allows cell phone
Thought their state-of-the-art business development model, AgroCentral has forever changed the way in which buyers and sellers of food produce engage in business across the Caribbean and the world. Green Your Biz Newsletter • September 2014
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Debaters from Westwood High School and Bustamante High School listen to their competitors.
The Youth Climate Change Conference: Spurring Youth Action On September 19, the Jamaica Conference Centre was buzzing, with the added air of anticipation that precedes a competition. This was the Ja REEACH Project’s inaugural Youth Climate Change Conference, entitled: “One Climate, One Future…Empowering Youth for Action!” What is Ja REEACH? It is a USAID-funded program, implemented in Jamaica by a private non-profit organization, ACDI/VOCA, and local partners. It works in over fifty rural Jamaican communities in twelve parishes - all facing climate or disaster hazards in varying degrees. Ja REEACH is action-oriented and adaptation-oriented; its Farmer Field Schools train farmers in climate-smart agriculture. Communities learn to empower themselves to respond to disasters, be proactive and strengthen their resilience in the face of climate change. Of course, this includes Green Your Biz Newsletter • September 2014
young people, who must be the agents of change. Now once the formalities were over, the five competing rural high schools plunged straight into the debate; the preliminary round, with thirty participating schools, had already taken place. The Debate Statement was: “Climate change has adverse effects on the supply and quality of water for key economic sectors. All sectors must compete. Are the needs equal? How must we act to protect and conserve this precious resource?” Each of the schools focused on a key sector that would be affected by a scarcity of water: Health and Recreation; Agriculture; Manufacturing and Industry; Tourism; and the Environment. Can you imagine a tourist industry without water? Westwood High School students (yes, the girls in the neat straw hats) argued that the tourism sector must
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take precedence; after all, one in four Jamaicans are employed in the industry, directly or indirectly. Cruise ships and hotels need good quality water. Not so fast, said Charlemont High School debater Jerome Greenland. The agriculture and fisheries sector – which “serves as oxygen” for others – must have a good water supply. A productive agricultural sector needs irrigation, and without it there will be an increase in food prices, more imports, a weaker balance of payments and a less healthy population. Good points. With a small, emphatic thump on the podium, the energetic Vere Technical High School debater made the case for manufacturing and industry, which needs water for a variety of processes. The emphasis was on Jamaica’s growing population, and the need for economic growth. Munroe College stressed the value of health and recreation; the two debaters, calm and cool in their school blazers, suggested a desalination plant for Jamaica. Sanitation is key to the health of the country, they said – without it, diseases such as dysentery would be rife. Jamaicans must wash their hands! The feisty debaters from Bustamante High School referred to their “defeated opponents” in their lively presentation, provoking laughter. However, they made a strong case for the environment – the “foundation of all sectors,” and the need to conserve water resources. The students also waxed poetic in their description of Jamaica’s beautiful environment. The teams provoked a wide-ranging conversation with the audience. The students discussed rainwater harvesting and drip irrigation; the cost of desalination – a question raised by Thompson Town High School; and using recycled water for agriculture. A Kingston College student said the issue of water conservation must be addressed and consensus reached on the allocation of water for different sectors. A St. Mary High School student opined that tourism has had a negative impact, consuming (and wasting) water and other resources. Makeda Reid from Kellits High School suggested “all sectors are inter-dependent,” adding plaintively, “Why fight for it? Why don’t we share it?” Munroe’s Antonio Davis declared, “A healthy country is a wealthy country.” During the break, ECCO Magazine chatted with eighteen-year-old Chervel Hamilton, a graduate of Morant Bay High School and resident of Airy Castle, St.
Chervel Hamilton of Airy Castle: "I am a lover of trees."
Thomas. Chervel took the Ja REEACH training last summer after hearing about it at the Youth Club (where he is Assistant Sports Coordinator). Coal burning, resulting in deforestation, is a major concern for Chervel. “I am a lover of trees,” he told ECCO; he wants to start a replanting program in the community. There was a Poster Competition for communities and schools, too. ECCO Magazine caught up with three students of the first and second place winners Garvey Maceo High School. Twanda Bryan (who wants to go into agro-business), Sheresa Maylor (an aspiring accountant) and Devina Harris (who aims to work in the tourism sector) spoke enthusiastically about the school’s agriculture programs. The shade houses and the animals they keep there (goats, chickens and pigs) generate income for the school. What issues do they want to tackle? Burning and deforestation and the pollution of air and underground water are all concerns, say the girls. Garvey Maceo won planting equipment, fertilizers, a water tank and more. Portmore won the community section, while Albert Town High School came third in the school section.
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Generous sponsors - led by the Wisynco Group, the Gleaner Company and Power 106 FM/Music 99 FM – presented the schools with cash and other prizes. The Sandals Foundation, the CB Group Ltd., Evergrow Garden Center, Isratech Jamaica, the National Commercial Bank, Newport-Fersan and the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica were all sponsors. Now I suppose you would like to know who the debate winners were? Well, it was those young men in blazers, Munroe College. Jadan Johnson won Best Presenter (he’s only fifteen and already a media CEO) and Antonio Davis won the Best Technically Sound Speaker. Second were the energetic Bustamante High School and third was Westwood High School (the Most Cohesive Team). Speaking afterwards with Jadan and Antonio, ECCO Magazine learned that the boarding school up on the hill has a Science Club, which will be engaged in a public education campaign in the nearby community of
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Malvern. The school has a recycling program, also. “It’s like a pebble in the water – a ripple effect,” said Antonio Davis, a member of Munroe’s UN Club. “Programs like this help. We did a lot of research. It was hard work. So winning is an indescribable feeling.”
(l-r) Twanda Bryan, Sheresa Maylor and Devina Harris of Garvey Maceo High School, winners of First and Second Place in the Schools Poster Competition: "We love agriculture."
From Ads to Bags JPS BannaBags Breathe New Life into Unused Advertising Through its BannaBags Project, JPS will this year hand over 1,000 backpacks and pencil cases to bright and talented students across Jamaica. The company converted its unused vinyl banners into attractive, sturdy and waterproof backpacks and pencil cases. These trendy school supplies are produced through a collaborative effort with HEART Trust/ NTA Garmex Academy. Companies and individuals interested in partnering with the JPS BannaBags project are encouraged to contact the project team at bannabags@jpsco.com.
www.jpsco.com
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Creating Work & Life Balance Despite the Demands of the Job Whether you own a business or work for a company, it is natural to become invested in its activities. Many employees, because of their relationship with the boss, go beyond what is required during the 8-hour workday. Nothing is wrong with this approach. It is only natural to want to be a part of something that is successful and even more importantly, if the company is successful, the employees will remain in a job. In some instances, things do become skewed and most often workers suffer when the work/life balance is disturbed. We’ve all experienced periods on the job when special projects call for extended hours and seemingly, all our energy. Factor in strict timelines and deadlines and employees may begin to feel as if their entire day revolves around the office. During high stress periods, it is important that each team member is aware of their importance to the Green Your Biz Newsletter • September 2014
success of the project and it should be stressed that individuals’ focus should be on their area of expertise, rather than trying to cover several bases. It is more productive to do a few things well, than to do many in a mediocre fashion. Having too wide a focus is a sure way of inviting stress into the work equation. Employees should be reminded not to treat every task with the same level of importance. Several tasks on your list of things to do may be important, but not all must be done now. Jobs should be prioritized according to the impact they have on the functioning of the business and their level of urgency. Some supervisors are known to demand several things at a time, however, the order in which the requests are made do not always speak to the order in which they have to be done. A few polite words can establish what needs to be done
now as well as putting timelines in place for each task. One mistake to be avoided at all cost is to take work home. If this is a regular occurrence, it is an indication of several things. Either the job carries too heavy a workload or time and tasks are not being dealt with efficiently at the office or there are distractions that prevent carrying out the job during business hours. If the latter is the case then it means the worker has to examine and find a way to eliminate whatever is preventing him/her from completing tasks during the day. In the event that proper priority is not being given to assigned tasks, it is key to look at which tasks do not get done and which are completed and examine why this happens. Frustration can set in if our workload encroaches regularly on our leisure time. Children are quick learners and realize when their parents are distracted or do not fulfill promises made. Family time for most comes at the end of the workday. Parents catch up on their children’s activities over dinner, help with homework, catch a movie or simply talk to their offspring. Bringing the job home cuts into this time and can spark resentment in children. Added to that, fatigue in mind and body can be expected if we do not get a chance to change gears during what should be downtime. In today’s world, technology makes it almost impossible to relax, if we are focused on the job. Files and documents are not the only culprits we take home that keep up tied to our place of employment. The laptop is twice as bad, because along with those reports that have to be written, there is email that can be intrusive. While email can be sent at any hour of the day, it is our choice when we receive them. One decision to check our work email account can end our evening. Tasks that can be relegated to the following morning now become a priory that must be dealt with now and once tempted to open one mail, it is a given that the others will follow. Many companies issue phones that are used to communicate with its employees. If these are
smart phones, again they can be tools that intrude on downtime. Many of us connect our phones to our email account, which means we don’t get a break from the influx of mail. While we do not consciously think about what we are doing each time we receive a mail notification and reach for the phone, it does bear thinking about. We were not meant to work for the major portion of the day and the importance of including rest in our schedule cannot be overemphasized. Our brains and bodies are replenished while we are at rest. Working during rest hours brings added stress, reduces our hours of sleep, which means that we cannot function at peak capacity. Business owners may not feel they have the luxury to stop working at 5:00 p.m., however, there is something to be said for flexibility. It is possible to shift activities in order to include exercise and a little family time. There is no point in running the risk of creating dysfunctional relationships for the sake of putting in a couple of extra hours on tasks that are less than earth-shatteringly important. This is where time management comes in handy. We may feel too pressed for time to examine the jobs we do each day and what we can eliminate to achieve a higher level of efficiency, but studying the way we operate can yield valuable results. At the end of each work day, we should take the time to see what we have achieved, what could have been done differently and how tomorrow’s tasks should be arranged in order to get the critical items completed. Being organized will allow us more flexibility, give us leeway to assess our achievements each day and factor in leisure time activities without feeling guilty. Once we have a handle on the things that keep us running in circles, we should make note of them and try to practice good habits. Rethinking the way we structure our assignments, making a conscious decision to include rest and relaxation as part of our day and powering down company gadgets that keep us tied to the office, will go a far way in creating a balanced lifestyle.
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CONTRIBUTORS: Joy Campbell, Emma Lewis Publisher:
Email: info@eccomagazine.com