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Adrian Watson, Technical Officer for REDD+ Climate Change at Jamaica's Forestry Department, recently embarked on an enlightening mission to Porte Seguro, Brazil. This field trip provided valuable insights and innovative ideas that could significantly enhance Jamaica's forestry practices and REDD+ programme.

Key Observations and Lessons Learned

Forest and Biodiversity Conservation

  1. Genetic Assessment and Traceability: Estacao Veracel demonstrated the importance of advanced traceability systems. Implementing a genetic-level traceability system for seedlings, from mother plants to seedlings, could revolutionize Jamaica's forest management.
  2. Tissue Culture Library: Veracel's approach to maintaining a tissue culture library for clone strains could be adapted in Jamaica for endemic, commercially viable timber, and rare fruit trees.
  3. Endemic Seed Plots: The Arboretum Programa's focus on rare and endemic species highlights the importance of establishing plots specifically for harvesting seeds from endemic species. This could bolster Jamaica’s ability to retain and protect our endemic species and our most critically endangered species whilst buying us some time to do further research.
  4. Hydrogel Technology: The Arboretum Programa's use of hydrogels in restoration work has shown promising results, significantly increasing seedling survival rates when incorporated into their irrigation plan, which includes community involvement.

Adaptive Management and Environmental Responsibility

  1. Drought Resistance: Veracel's development of more drought-resistant eucalyptus clones after facing challenges during the 2008-2009 El Niño/La Niña drought demonstrates the importance of adaptive management. They were able to do this by combining the different traits that prove to be resilient under adverse ENSO-influenced conditions. This prove why we need to maintain and conserve for as wide a genetic variance in species and landscapes we are trying to protect.
  2. Forest Code Compliance: Veracel's adherence to the Forest Code, which requires maintaining 20% of lands under forest cover, showcases a commitment to environmental responsibility. This is a governance framework that Jamaica could do more research on and adapt to already existing legislation to guide development outlined in Vision 2030, The National Forest Conservation Plans, Parish orders, etc.

Governance and Stakeholder Participation

Community Engagement in Sustainable Agriculture Brazil's experience also highlights the importance of inclusive governance and stakeholder participation:

  1. Agroforestry Systems: Ecotourism Bau Brazil's implementation of the Cabruca system for shade-grown cacao and the cultivation of various crops like coffee and cassava demonstrates how agroforestry can balance forest conservation with agricultural productivity as this system prioritizes the protection of endemic species being grown side by side with trees used for agrarian purposes and creating an eco-tourism product that functions to support the Endemic Agroforestry system.
  2. Community-Based Initiatives: The Nova Vitória Rural Settlement's agroforestry project highlights the potential of engaging local communities in forest conservation efforts. Enlisting forest communities, farmers, independent professionals, and institutes in growing and researching desired species could create a robust supply chain and foster community engagement in forest conservation.

Research and Innovation

  1. Product Research on Endemic Species: The Nova Vitória Rural Settlement's research into the potential of native plants for essential oils, resins, other valuable compounds, and other products opens up new economic opportunities.
  2. Long-term Vision: Symbiosis Investments' focus on native species for timber production with a 15-year maturation period demonstrates the importance of long-term planning in forestry.
  3. Innovative Technology: Symbiosis Investments' use of the Arboreal Tree App with LiDAR technology that is embedded in smartphones for quick and accurate tree data collection demonstrates how modern technology can enhance forest management practices. The accessibility of this technology could also help to decentralize data collection within an agency as well as through a curated volunteer core.

Applying Lessons to Jamaica's Forestry Department and REDD+ Programme

These observations align well with REDD+ pillars and could significantly enhance Jamaica's forestry practices:

  1. National Strategy/Action Plans: Implementing genetic assessment, traceability systems, and product research on endemic species in established endemic conservation plots could form key components of Jamaica's national strategy for reducing deforestation and forest degradation.
  2. Forest Monitoring Systems: Adopting innovative technologies like LiDAR for tree data collection could improve Jamaica's ability to monitor, report, and verify changes in forest cover and carbon stocks.
  3. Safeguards: The emphasis on community involvement and research into sustainable forest products aligns with REDD+ safeguards, ensuring that actions benefit local communities and contribute to sustainable development.
  4. Results-Based Payments: Implementing these innovative practices could lead to more effective forest conservation and restoration, potentially increasing Jamaica's eligibility for results-based payments under REDD+.

By incorporating these lessons, Jamaica's Forestry Department can enhance its approaches to sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation, and community engagement, aligning closely with the objectives of the REDD+ programme.

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