#CPAF15 WS7: Successful Farm-based Initiatives in response to Climate Change in the Caribbean:...
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Transcript of #CPAF15 WS7: Successful Farm-based Initiatives in response to Climate Change in the Caribbean:...
Successful Farm-based Initiatives in response to Climate
Change in the Caribbean: lessons and experiences from the
field
Caribbean Agriculture’s response to Climate Change
• Formal recognition began during CPACC 1997-2001
• Risk Management Training Seminar for the Agriculture and Water Sectors. July 10-12, 2002
• Global models were interpreted in the Caribbean context
• Institutional responses by IICA, FAO, CARDI, CTA etc.
• Research focused on increased temperature, Carbon Dioxide, salinization, extreme weather events
Caribbean Agriculture’s response to Climate Change
Adaptation – to climate change
“adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities”
• Majority of CARICOM countries contribute relatively insignificant amounts of emissions
• but are disproportionately vulnerable • Adaptation is therefore more important than
Mitigation
What do I mean by “successful” initiatives
• Those adaptations that addressed one or more of the environmental impacts of Climate Change on farm operations
• Success in the environmental sense. HOWEVER What we seek are Climate-Smart operations
that lead to ECOLOGICAL Success
ECOLOGICAL success
• The adaptations address the direct natural environmental impacts
• Success is not only farm-based • The Policy, Socio-Economic and Financial
environmental impacts are also addressed
LIVELIHOODS are improved
Our Goal is to find ways to replicate the very few cases of
ECOLOGICAL Success(the true test of Sustainability)
FAO Baseline survey of sustainable practices
• Conducted in Barbados and 6 ECS during 2011• “Sustainability” included environmental,
financial and socio-economic elements • The approach was not to determine the
prevalence or statistical significance of the employed practices but rather to seek out even isolated cases of sustainable operation
• The practices considered to be sustainable dealt with land clearing, erosion reduction and soil improvement. Additionally, water conservation as opposed to rainwater harvesting and storage was a central pursuit
• But were expanded to include the entire Agriculture Ecology
FAO Baseline survey of sustainable practices
Sustainability feature
• SOIL MANAGEMENT (Soil quantity, quality)
• Appropriate Land clearing technique used (to maintain biodiversity, conserve soil)
• Appropriate Building site selection • Building layout• Terracing
Use of plastic mulch in Antigua (weed control, soil water conservation)
• Contour ploughing• Crop cover• Direct planting ( reduced on slopes to reduce soil loss by
erosion)• Drainage (soil conservation, reduced runoff rate)• Green manure• Nutrient recycling• Composting• Crop rotation
Bawdens, Sedgepond (sloping) soil conservation
Water Management• Harvesting• Collection from guttering• Direct Collection from rainfall• Adequate Drainage (to limit waterlogging/flooding)• Irrigation method (efficient use of water)• Mulch (protecting soil moisture)• Green cover• Dispensing to animals (efficient presentation, proper storage)
Sustainability feature CROPPING PATTERN
• Crop appropriate for area/slope• Proper plant growth habit• Crop rotation
Sustainability feature BIODIVERSITY
• Land clearing method (retaining flora and fauna)
• Avoidance of monogenic strains/lines• Product mix (complex agro-ecological
zone) • Bio/cultural pest management
Sustainability feature CARBON FOOTPRINT
• Reduced Fossil fuel use• Reduced Electricity use• Renewable energy use• Solar• Wind (energy generation)• Waste reduction/less landfill use
Sustainability feature WASTE DISPOSAL
• Use of crop residue/waste/entrails• Composting• Scrap metal/building material• Waste water
Sustainability feature MARKETING ARRANGEMENTS
• Contract sales• Listed consumers• Cooperatives• Value chain involvement• GAP certification• Standards-driven production (Fairtrade etc)
Sustainability feature TENURE
• Freehold• Leasehold• Rental• None
Sustainability feature SOCIAL IMPACT
• Integration into neighbourhood• Community involvement
• The Study considered close to 2000 holdings/operations by GPS survey, geography, agricultural district, and importance of the major crop/product,
• yet there were VERY FEW examples of operations utilizing a full set of sustainable practices across environmental, financial and socio-economic spheres.
“One of the most important uses of this study could be the reintroduction of Good Agricultural Practices with a focus on Climate-Smart Agriculture that could, in one fell swoop, ensure the viability of the sector in a comprehensive way.”
CARDI APP Baseline data
• Producers in 14 countries were asked “Have you made changes to your operations as a result of the changing weather patterns
Changes to operation occasioned by weather
Knowledge of resilient cultivars
Awareness of improved Breeding Stock
Weather-related disruption to income stream
Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project
• Farmers practise soil and water conservation through contour farming; the use of grass barriers, check dams, hedgerows and windbreaks; minimum tillage practices, and application of mulch and other forms of green manure.
• Other practices include zero-grazing, maintenance of adequate drainage systems, strip cropping, maintaining ground cover, use of drip irrigation or micro-sprinklers, and rain water harvesting. Farmers have also diversified their production system to include a variety of crops,
Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project
• Water management practices among stakeholders include rainwater harvesting, drip irrigation and establishment of ponds and water catchments.
Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project
• In the Bahamas, systems have been developed for adaptation to various levels of soil salinization, atmospheric CO2 enrichment and increased temperatures. Systems have also been developed to use low quality (saline) water for irrigation.
Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project
• In Belize, local producers are using traditional knowledge and adoptable new technologies, including adjusting planting schedules, and applying alternative energy applications (solar water-irrigation pumps and solar powered electric livestock fencing, biogas) to reduce energy costs
Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project
• Most farmers have begun to adopt the use of protective structures (tropical green houses) and fertigation, post harvest technology and storage units (onion and grains) and silvo-pastoral systems (forage & protein banks) for sustainable production to respond to longer, drier, hotter temperatures and pest incidence increases.
Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project
• Farmers are now investing in the establishment of reliable water sources to cope with severe drought such as well and water catchment construction for crop irrigation and artificial lagoons with controlled valves for livestock producers.
Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project
• Climate change adaptation strategies also extend to the production of value added products by smallholders.
• For example the expansion of the Flowers Bank Community Group services to the commercial production of virgin cohune oil, and the production of other products such as soap, candles and activated charcoal
Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project
• Other examples of adaptation strategies practised by smallholders include organic production by the BelleVue Chopin organic farmers and greenhouse production of nursery crops at the Giraudel Flower Group’s headquarters in Dominica.
Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project
Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project
Compost making machine
Initiatives recorded during the IFAD-IICA CARIFORUM Project
Giraudel Nursery
Jamaica continues to lead the way in Protected Agriculture
Pond construction to provide solar-pumped water
Jamaica Bauxite Institute photos
German-Grenadian Pilot Programme on Integrated Climate Change Adaptation Strategies, funded by the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), implemented by the Environment Division of the Grenadian Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, GIZ and UNDP.
Temperature of compost after 2 weeks - 45.5 C
ECOLOGICAL success
• The adaptations address the direct natural environmental impacts
• Success is not only farm-based • The Policy, Socio-Economic and Financial
environmental impacts are also addressed
LIVELIHOODS are improved
Approaching Ecological Success
Lennox LampkinFull range of natural environment adaptationsWater/Soil/Biodiversity/TerracingSocio-economic reach using “new media”
contributions to schools, activist level involvement
Targeted marketing
The Caribbean Climate-Smart Agriculture The Caribbean Climate-Smart Agriculture projects focus on five general areas projects focus on five general areas
1. Adaptation through adoption of innovations and good agronomic practices
2. Mitigating the impacts of climate change3. Fostering community resilience through rural
entrepreneurship 4. Strengthening linkages between the agricultural/rural sector,
tourism and the environment5. Promoting the participation of farm families, women and
youth into the practice of Climate Smart agriculture.