MiFOOD webinar no.21
This seminar presents data on a recent city-wide study examining the role of remittances in households in Kingston. Conducted as part of a survey for the project entitled “Food (in)accessibility among remittance receiving households in Kingston in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic”, the presentation sheds light on the frequency and use of remittance among those left behind. The study therefore contributes to existing literature examining family dependence on remittances and the links between food security and remittances. The discussion offers new insight into the role of remittances in crisis scenarios, in-kind versus cash remittances, and remitting of senders based in Jamaica. The presentation is especially timely given the recent deportation policy agenda in the main destination country of Jamaican migrants. The analysis points to the need for more updated information on remittance practices in small island developing states.
About the Speakers
Natalie Dietrich Jones is Senior Research Fellow at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) at the University of the West Indies Mona campus. Her interests include geographies of the border, governance of migration, and intra-regional migration in the Caribbean. Natalie is Chair of the Migration and Development Cluster, an interdisciplinary group of researchers exploring contemporary issues concerning migration in the Caribbean and its diaspora. Natalie holds an MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge and a PhD in Development Policy and Management from the University of Manchester. She is currently undertaking a multi-sited project on the response to Venezuelan migration in small island developing states in the Southern Caribbean. She is also Principal Investigator for the Jamaica (Kingston) component of South-South Migration and Migrant Food Insecurity: Interactions, Impacts and Remedies (MiFood Project), a multi-city research initiative which is led by the Wilfrid Laurier University.
Dr. Stephen Johnson is an accomplished researcher with extensive experience in research methods and monitoring and evaluation methodologies. With a vast portfolio of projects and research publications focused on confronting developmental issues in Jamaica, the wider Caribbean, and the developing world, Dr. Johnson is committed to taking a pragmatic approach to development challenges. His expertise lies in advanced research methods, monitoring and evaluation, voting behaviour, user experience analysis, predictive analytics, harm reduction and behaviour modification campaigns. The British Commonwealth Scholar holds a Ph.D. in International Development from the University of Sussex, UK. He also obtained an MSc in Government and a BSc in International Relations from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica. Dr. Johnson currently holds the position of Research Fellow, where he delivers lectures on Research Methods and equips graduate students with the necessary skills to conduct rigorous research. Dr. Johnson also serves as the chair of the youth development research cluster, where he fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and drives research initiatives focused on youth development.
MiFOOD is hosting a series of webinars on various topics about migration and food security that highlight the progress of the project. These webinars include conceptual discussion, empirical findings and policy analysis. Through these webinars, we intend to build a community with various stakeholders for knowledge sharing, deepen the understanding of the complex intersections between migration and food security, and facilitate the discussion of effective policy interventions. Follow the MiFOOD Twitter (Moving on Empty), Like the MiFOOD Facebook page to be notified about upcoming webinars.
