Transcript Farmers as agents of Solutions to the Climate Change

CSA to Foster Food
Production
Achuo Enow
GACSA Facilitation Unit
www.fao/gacsa/en
WFO General Assembly 2016
Workshop on
“Farmers as agents of Solutions to the Climate Change
Food Security Threat
• With the current world population of about 7 billion, 800 million people
are malnourished and the trend is projected to get worse by 2020.
• Huge pressure on natural resources to produce food for the growing
population with changing consumption habits and patterns.
• Inefficiency of current production systems (substantial yield gaps
between actual yields, and the technically feasible maximum yields),
particularly for small scale farmers in developing countries.
• Declining productivity of current agricultural systems, exacerbated by
Climate Change and land degradation.
• High vulnerability of production systems, especially small-scale
farmers, and particularly women and youth.
• Implications on economic growth and development – a vicious cycle
Call to Action
• In the present situation, ensuring food security requires producing
more food but this has to be done on increasingly decreasing
amounts of arable land with declining productivity
• Action would require :
 adapting production approaches to the changing
environment (including climate)
 reducing the detrimental effects of current practices
and approaches
• So we have to Produce More with Less – a smarter approach to food
production
 More food on less land
 More food with less fertilizers and pesticides
 More food with less water
 Transformation from Business as usual to Business Unusual
The Concept of “Smart”
• Knowledge based:
 All kinds of knowledge systems, including IKS
• Innovative thinking:




Developing more efficient systems
Improving efficiency of existing systems
Developing new technologies and strategies
Improving operational frameworks
• Fast in learning:
 Learning by doing (own experiences)
 Learning by seeing (see what others are doing)
 Learning by hearing (listening to the stories of others)
• Looking at the bigger picture:
 Value chain integrated approach
Climate-Smart Agriculture
• CSA is an approach to help guide actions to transform and reorient
agricultural systems to effectively and sustainably support
development and food security under a changing climate
 Identifying best suited production systems and enabling
institutions
 Looking at the CC challenges in a location – specific context
 Maintain and enhance the capacity of agriculture to support
food security in a sustainable way.
• Concept developed on three major pillars:
 Sustainably increasing food security by increasing
agricultural productivity and incomes;
 Building resilience and adapting to climate change
 Developing opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas
emissions compared to expected trends
GACSA’s Approach
• GACSA is voluntary coalition of entities committed to incorporating
climate-smart approaches at all scales and types of agricultural
systems across all climates and approaches to farming including
crop, livestock, fishery and forestry activities
• GACSA Vision: Improve food security, nutrition and resilience in the
face of climate change
• GACSA Mission: Help adjust agricultural, forestry and fisheries
practices, food systems and social policies to the challenges of
climate change, and promote the efficient use of natural resources
• GACSA Values:
 Diversity
 Inclusiveness
 Transparency
GACSA’s Approach
Delivery through Action Groups (currently 3)
• Knowledge AG: focuses on increasing and promoting
knowledge, research, and development into technologies,
practices, and policy approaches for CSA
• Enabling Environment Action Group: is promoting the
integration of CSA into policy, strategies, and planning at
regional, national, and local levels and across landscapes.
• Investment Action Group: is improving the effectiveness of
public and private investments that support the three pillars
of CSA
GACSA’s First Products
Country Case Studies (EEAG)
• Understanding the perceptions of CSA in different countries
• Establish the links (or lack thereof) between policy
frameworks and the practice of CSA
• Identify gaps in knowledge and other enabling parameters
for CSA
• Identify best practices as well as challenges from which
lessons can be learned.
• Provide a basis for developing frameworks for scaling up
CSA, bearing in mind context specificity in the various
constituencies.
GACSA’s First Products
KAG Practice Briefs:
1. INTEGRATED SOIL FERTILITY MANAGEMENT:
Combined use of mineral and organic fertilizers + other soil
amendments and proper agronomic management practices.
 Knowledge on mineral fertilizer management – formulation, rates,
timing
 Informed (evidence-based) fertilizer application rates – soil
fertility status
 Improved yield with less fertilizer inputs
 Better fertilizer use efficiency (reduced GHG emissions)
 Organic inputs make bigger impact in degraded soils
 Carbon sequestration through organic incorporation in the soil
 Better soil nutrient retention through improved soil structure.
GACSA’s First Products
KAG Practice Briefs:
2. SITE-SPECIFIC NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT:
Applying the right inputs (fertilizer, pesticide, etc.)
at the right place, right time and right dose (4R principle).

Knowledge-based approach – soil type & status; crop type &
growth stage

Improved fertilizer use efficiency – reduced wasteful applications

Improved soil conservation – not too much and not too less

Reduced pollution – wash off or leaching to surface and ground
water

Reduced GHG emissions – N volatilization, especially N2O

Economic benefit to farmers – the fertilizer price factor
especially in Developing countries
GACSA’s First Products
KAG Practice Briefs:
3. COFFEE – BANANA INTERCROPPING (CBI)
 Based on indigenous knowledge.
 Increases farmer incomes, improves resilience to climatic impacts –
spreading the risk through diversification.
 Higher carbon sequestration compared to mono-cropping systems.
 Beneficial to rural women and for household nutrition.
 Generates 50% more revenue than either coffee or banana monocrop
 Other agronomic benefits, e.g. weed control, soil moisture
conservation, regulation of microclimate, etc.
 Transformational changes are needed in the attitude towards CBI, to
support scaling up of the practice.
GACSA’s First Products
KAG Practice Briefs:
4. A GENDER-RESPONSIVE APPROACH TO CSA
Adoption of a gender-responsive approach in an effort to
close the gender gap when developing site-specific CSA
practices.
• A framework for recognizing and adequately addressing the
particular needs, priorities, and realities of men and women when
designing and applying CSA, to ensure equitable benefits.
 Gender-responsive technologies applicable under a CSA
approach
 Regular access to, and use of weather data, climate information
services, and price information
 Improved Livelihood, income, nutrition, wellbeing, social status or
empowerment
GACSA into the Future
•
Scaling up, informed by lessons learned so far
•
Alignment with major global agendas – e.g. Agenda 2030;
Paris Agreement
•
Partnerships for action – seeking practical solutions
•
Integration across regions and across sectors
•
Strengthen inclusiveness – Leave no one behind
•
Empowering the farmer – Agricultural development WITH
the farmer, not FOR the farmer.
How do we get there?
Collective effort
No one can do it
alone
What is the Added value?
Gain Knowledge
Learn from one
another
Build
Partnerships
Create synergies
Inspire Action
Value Different
Perspectives
Encourage
Debate
Find Solutions
Develop
Initiatives
Food for thought