Despite its post-war decline in GDP contribution, agriculture continues be a major force in Jamaica. With a little less than half of the population living in rural communities, agricultural activities, and their linkages with other economic activities, continue to play an important role as a source of livelihoods, and by extension, the economic development of the country.

Sugar cane cultivation has dominated the agricultural export sector for centuries as the source of the raw materials for the manufacture of sugar for export. Production for the domestic market has long been the larger subsector, organized around the production of root crops, especially yams, vegetables and condiments.

To analyse the potential impact of climate change on the agricultural sector, this study selected three important crops for detailed examination: sugar cane, yam and scallion. The analysis suggested replanting sugar cane with heat resistant varieties, rehabilitating irrigation systems where they existed, and establishing technologically appropriate irrigation systems where they were not for the three selected crops.