The relationship between population mobility and farming is complex and has been the focus of numerous studies. Despite differing perspectives on the subject, there is an increasing realization that migration sustains farming in many rural communities, but with contradictory effects. Notwithstanding this conclusion, there is a paucity of village level studies that explain the precise ways in which migration in its various forms affects the survival of small farms. This paper reports on the results of a village level study of migration and small farming in the Rio Grande Valley of Jamaica. Apart from highlighting the various ways in which migration affects small farming at the local level, the study confirms the contradictory impact of migration on small farming in this remote agricultural community. It is noted, however, that the net effect is positive and the capital and labour resources, which are made available as a result of migration, play pivotal roles in the survival of small‐scale farming as an economic activity in the area.

Purpose -This paper seeks to examine the issue of vulnerability of coastal urban settlements in Jamaica in the context of rapid urbanization, poverty and institutional incapacity. It also aims to provide a case study that demonstrates the precarious situation faced by the most vulnerable coastal urban communities in Jamaica. Design/methodology/approach -A literature review preceded in-depth but informal interviews with the directors of planning of the cities of Kingston, Port Antonio and Port Maria on a variety of issues related to hazards in conjunction with their municipal operational capacities. Informal interviews were also carried out with a community leader and five more persons who have resided in the African Gardens community since its inception in the 1980s. Interviews were based on issues such as hazards, government involvement in the development of the site and demographic characteristics of the area. Archival information on the Hope River corridor was also utilized to enhance the understanding of the site-specific hazard issues in relation to the surrounding environment. The field verification, which was carried out in September 2008, updated the 1994 topographic map of the area at a scale of 1:5,000. Findings -The results suggest that the conditions for the vulnerability of coastal towns in Jamaica are overwhelmingly man-made. The problems of vulnerability have been worsened by the incapacity of the central and local governments in terms of their limitations of financial and technical resources, and the lack of government sensitivity to tackle the issue in a sustainable approach. Originality/value -The matter of vulnerability of coastal urban settlements is a complex settlement problem of Jamaica's entire landscape. The solution to this problem requires an integrated and long-term action programme regardless of the political party in power.

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