ADAPT Jamaica: Enhancing climate change resilience of vulnerable smallholders in Central Jamaica

The report assesses gender disparities in Jamaica's agricultural sector, specifically within six target parishes, to inform the ADAPT Jamaica project. It identifies structural barriers for women, youth, and persons with disabilities, including limited land tenure and credit access. The document proposes a Gender Action Plan featuring labour-saving technologies, gender-responsive budgeting, and a survivor-centric Grievance Redress Mechanism to mitigate risks of sexual exploitation and abuse.

• Women in Jamaica face significant structural barriers to agricultural productivity, including limited land ownership and smaller farm sizes. Only 30% of women producers own land, and the average plot size for women is 1.4 hectares compared to 2.6 hectares for men.
• Access to credit is a major obstacle for smallholders, with 74% of ADAPT survey respondents reporting no access to credit or financing. High interest rates and a lack of land titles for collateral are primary reasons for not seeking loans.
• Water scarcity is a critical vulnerability, as 72% of survey respondents rely solely on rainfall for their crops. Women are more likely than men to use basic rainwater harvesting methods, such as tanks (25% vs 10%) and barrels (19% vs 7%).
• Gender-based violence (GBV) is a pervasive issue in Jamaica, with 25.2% of women experiencing physical violence from a male partner. Despite national statistics, 56% of ADAPT survey respondents claimed there were no instances of GBV in their community, suggesting a potential underreporting due to social stigma.
• Rural youth and elderly populations are particularly vulnerable. 35% of rural youth were not in employment, education, or training in 2019, while the elderly in rural areas face a poverty rate of 21.3%.
• There is a gender gap in the awareness and implementation of climate-smart farming practices. Men generally show higher awareness of techniques such as diversion ditches (57.8% vs 35.9% for women) and minimum tillage (45.3% vs 17.9% for women).
• The project identifies a high potential for bee farming as an inclusive entry point for women, youth, the elderly, and persons with disabilities because it does not require substantial land ownership.
• To mitigate risks of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH), the project will implement a survivor-centric Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) and a mandatory Code of Conduct for all staff and contractors.

APA

Green Climate Fund (2026). ADAPT Jamaica: Enhancing climate change resilience of vulnerable smallholders in Central Jamaica. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/fp299-gender-assessment.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. ADAPT Jamaica: Enhancing climate change resilience of vulnerable smallholders in Central Jamaica. 2026. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/fp299-gender-assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=ADAPT Jamaica: Enhancing climate change resilience of vulnerable smallholders in Central Jamaica |date=25 March 2026 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/fp299-gender-assessment.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2026adapt, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{ADAPT Jamaica: Enhancing climate change resilience of vulnerable smallholders in Central Jamaica}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2026}, month = mar, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/fp299-gender-assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }