Constraints to Farming along the Coast

   Though farmers may benefit from the unique interaction between the land and sea by farming on the coast, as well as the road networks that make transportation from their farms to inner city regions easier, there are constraints associated with coastal agriculture. These constraints may be exasserbated when combined with the environmental conditions that come with hurricanes. They are as follows:

1. Proximity to the sea

Being near to the sea puts agricultural crops at risk of being washed away, particularly during extreme weather conditions. One specific danger is that of coastal floods via storm surges, which cause sea water to wash further inland than usual. The damage to crops is not limited to them being drowned by the salt water, as an additional result of coastal flooding is increased soil salinity. This increases the salt content in coastal soil which alters the ability for certain crops to grow in that environment in the future.

2. Upstream events

As the coastal region is where the mouth of the river exists, upstream activities have a large impact on the agriculture that exists at the coast. During a hurricane, sediment from higher upsteam is washed downwards into the river which move downstream could potentially spill over into the agricultural land on the coast. This can cause mud and sediment to pile untop of agricultural crops, breaking vital stem and leave structures. Additionally, if any contaminants from urban areas such as broken sewerage pipes enter flood waters, it has a high possibility of reaching a coastal farm than it does a farm further inland.

3. Spatial Limitatons

Being that the farm is bounded by the sea in at least 1 direction, it becomes difficult for the expansion or transfer of assetts to a nearby region in the event of any damage. This makes recovery from potential disasters difficult. If the farm becomes damaged, farmers would more than likely have to relocate to another area entirely, or just rebuild on the land that was previously devastated.


Manzanilla coast with coconut trees that can be harvested and sold, but are at danger of coastal flooding