| I investigated the gender and social variables that influence agricultural strategies in two ethnically distinct communities in Trinidad. My purpose was to help the agricultural support system effectively engage with a greater percentage of the farming community. I conducted a descriptive study using mostly qualitative methods of data collection, analysis, and presentation. I also did a quantitative survey of the broader regional community to validate my initial findings and included descriptive statistics to show the incidence of a finding.; To show the relationship between social identity and agricultural activities, I developed the Objectives, Resources, Constraints, and Activities (ORCA) framework. The framework illustrates how gender and social variables affect an individual's objectives, resources, and constraints, ultimately influencing their selection of agricultural activities. The framework facilitates the identification of influential social factors that can be used to group farmers into social recommendation domains: groups of farmers with similar social and agricultural profiles for whom similar agricultural recommendations would be appropriate.; My results confirmed the relationship between social identity and agricultural activities. The most influential social variables were (1) farm gender; (the configuration of household responsibility for agriculture, namely female farmer, male farmer, and farm couple); (2) ethnicity; and (3) marital status. In combination, these three variables defined fourteen social recommendation domains (SRDs), with distinctive social and agricultural profiles. The highest priority SRDS were those that had high household vulnerability, high dependence on agriculture, and low access to agricultural services.; In conclusion, I recommend that the agricultural support system (1) recognizes the gender and social diversity that exists in the farming community and (2) responds with tailored programs based on the social categories identified in my study. The detailed information compiled on each SRD provides an extensive database that will facilitate the development of targeted interventions. By using this approach, the agricultural support system in Trinidad could improve their ability to effectively engage with a more diverse cross-section of the farming community. |
