The contribution of agriculture to sustainable development in Jamaica

This publication presents an analysis of the contribution of the agricultural sector to the economic development of Jamaica based on the estimation of the evolution of real agricultural income, focusing the impact of agricultural yield on the purchasing power of each dollar obtained from agriculture. The results of the study show that the traditional approach excludes backward linkages, to the extent that agriculture contributes to economic growth by absorbing inputs from othersectors such as manufacturing or commercial services. Finally, there is growing recognition of intangible, and yet to be estimated, benefits of agriculture. This refers to the positive contributions that it can make to conserving natural resources, the environment, and biodiversity, adjusting and responding to certain problems of a global nature such as climate change, and desertification, developing social capital, preserving community life and maintaining ecosystems.