General Outlook of Agriculture and the Environment of the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic obviously faces challenges with regards to its agricultural sector in the coming decades.  With climate change their agricultural capacity will be tested to it’s fullest. These difficulties may be exasperated since free trade agreements are coming into full force such as DR-CAFTA. Some issues that are raised about this agreement involve agriculture and the environment.  According to International Business & Economics Research Journal DR-CAFTA could cause the following issues in the Dominican Republic: an increase in factory farms destroying traditional agriculture, deforestation from land clearings, and water supply issues with large farm exporting goods to the US. There is also concern that “The region lacks even the most basic environmental laws necessary to protect forests, water supply, sanitation and biodiversity. The DR-CAFTA will bring about massive changes in industrial and agricultural development, possibly worsening the environmental situation” (Sarkar 2) These effects will exasperated even further because of impending global climate change. This will bring a decrease in agricultural productivity, which would hurt the economic outlook of the Dominican Republic but the social outlook as well with

Collapse of agriculture poses other societal changes such as unemployment especially in the rural areas, out-migration of individuals in their productive years, increased poverty, negative impact on the youth and children, and school dropouts. These societal changes result in a worsening human resource picture and inadequacy of a competent and productive labor force. Added to that is lack of direction in policy formulation, credit from banks and other financial institutions and low investment in agriculture. There is also urgent need for infusion of good agricultural practices through scientific and technological education. The consequences of these trends may well be increased drug trafficking, and rising crime.  Praedial larceny would then have an additional negative impact on farmers. (Shillingford 2)

With these impending issues it is imperative that the Dominican Government take broader action with its environmental issues because they are linked to its economic and social prosperity most notably with agriculture. Currently the government has a myriad of laws that are unfocused and conflicting with regards to the environment and agriculture. This issue must change its course drastically because these two subjects will be intertwined in the coming decades with global climate change and food scarcity in countries like the Dominican Republic, because their climate is set to become hotter, drier, and have less arable land available for agriculture.  Although there have been some positive signs that the country is ready to move forward with environmental initiatives it has yet to be seen if any of the programs are having a desired effect. Unfortunately the window is closing for the Dominican Republic to reform not only its environmental laws, but also its agricultural practices as well.

-RJ