The community farming volunteer project in Jamaica combines elements of farming and agricultural management with a more community focused role. Sustainable agriculture is important to the livelihood of many small farmers in rural areas of Manchester Parish. Farmers make up 20% of Jamaica workforce; this represents almost 160, 000 families who are defendant on farming. Increasing costs of fertilisers and agrochemicals and a lack of support for rural farmers is impacting the livelihood of many farmers.

Volunteers working on the Community Farming Project in Jamaica will work with the Christiana Potato Growers Association (CPGCA) to support and prmote 'protected agriculture' as a way forward. Protected farming involves working in greehouses to limit the effects of poor weather and insects. The greehouses also take up 10 times less land. The group will work with farmers in their fields or greenhouses.

CPGA now represents some 4, 000 small farmers in 5 parishes. Its mission is to provide consistantly high quality products and excellent services to farmers and customers, and to focus on the growth and productivity of the cooperative to the benefit of the wider community. The aim is to assist local farmers to increase their yield and quality of their harvest.

The CPGCA is involved in a wide variety of agricultural activities including:

- Greenhouse production of tomatoes, sweet peppers, scotch bonnet peppers, cucumbers and lettuce

- Tissue culture development of sweet potatoes, scotch bonnet peppers, gingerand cassava

- Domestic market development of major crops and export market development of several crops

The group can assist in numerous areas depending on their interests.