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Case Study: Environment

Soil Degradation in the Seychelles

Farming First Farming First

The main threat the Seychelles islands face is desertification and further soil degradation during heavy rainfall. As a small and yet geographically diverse island, the Seychelles consists of many extremely vulnerable ecosystems. Climate change has led to coastal erosion, flooding and more frequent and intense tropical storms, which has resulted in a shortage of arable land – a threat to national food production and hence to national food security. The Seychelles Farmers Association run an initiative to sustain their national agricultural production against these extreme weather patterns through the adoption of three technology packages:

  1. Tropical greenhouse technology
  2. Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
  3. Use of low volume irrigation water applicators.

Two main types of greenhouse are available according to the terrain; one for the coastal plains and the other for the upland slopes. An effective irrigation using a low volume water applicator combined with a fertigation system, which combines irrigation with fertilizer application, minimises water use but also allows for water and fertilizer to be applied more specifically and more efficiently.

This promotion of greenhouses has proven a viable and successful system to allow producers in the Seychelles to preserve their agricultural production in the battle against climate change.

For further information, visit http://www.env.gov.sc/ or http://www.sidsnet.org/aosis/

This initiative was provided by the International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP).

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