Message 8: “There are many existing solutions to some of the known challenges of climate change that can be scaled up. These include improved soil and water management practices, better climate information services, and greater access to agricultural resources among women. Our most important challenge, as farmers and as supporters, is not to invent new practices and approaches, but to share what already works as widely as possible to create global change for the better.”
The eighth of nine factsheets containing data and facts extracted from the sources below and others, then mapped to the nine key messages or topics of this guide/toolkit. Data will be related to UNFCCC negotiations, food security and nutrition, small vs large scale farmers, as well as specific topics such as:
- The benefits of adapting to, and mitigating the effects of, climate change;
- Key statistics on the impact agriculture has on climate change;
- Impacts of climate change on agriculture;
- Adaptation-mitigation co-benefits;
- What is the SBSTA work programme?
Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) is a rice management practice that reduces water use by up to 30%, methane emissions by 48%, maintains yields, and can save farmers money on irrigation and pumping costs. Source:
CGIARInformation and communication technologies (ICTs) have the potential to help monitor climate change and to help farmers adapt to it and mitigate its effects. ICTs can help in the timely provision of climate-related information, which may allow vulnerable societies and individuals to prepare for extreme weather events. This can reduce losses during bad years but also allow farmers to take advantage of favourable climatic conditions. Source:
Big Facts
Weather index-based insurance is an attractive approach to managing weather and climate risk because it uses a weather index, such as rainfall, to determine payouts. These can be made more quickly and with less argument than is typical for conventional crop insurance. Source: CCAFS
If women had the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20–30%. This could raise total agricultural output in developing countries by 2.5–4%, which could in turn reduce the number of hungry people in the world by 12–17%.
Source:
FAOMany options are available for adapting livestock production systems to a changed climate. These include: technological options (e.g. using species with greater drought tolerance); behavioural modifications (e.g. changes in dietary choices, such as consuming less meat); managerial choices (e.g. different farm management practices); and policy alternatives (e.g. planning regulations and infrastructural development). Some options may be appropriate for the short term, others for the long term and some for both. Source:
Big FactsAgroforestry (trees on farms) can increase soil fertility, reduce soil erosion and provide other environmental benefits, helping farmers deal with increased climate variability. Source:
Big FactsThere is huge potential to expand aquaculture (the raising of fish in captivity in the sea or freshwater) even in the face of climate change. Source:
Big FactsEthiopia’s Productive Safety Net Programme and Household Asset Building Programme have improved the food security and resilience to climate change of nearly 8 million households across the country. Source:
CGIAROne good adaptation option is to reuse wastewater for irrigation, instead of disposing of it untreated in surface water. This is especially true for rice crops. Using wastewater in this way not only helps adaptation to climate change, but can also contribute to food security in areas with rapid growing populations. Source:
Big FactsWater productivity can be increased by 15%–20% in smallholder rainfed agriculture. Small investments in supplemental irrigation (providing 1,000 cubic metres of extra water per hectare per season) in combination with improved soil, nutrient and crop management can more than double water productivity and yields in small-scale rainfed agriculture. Source:
Big FactsConservation agriculture (CA) can increase resilience to climate change and has the potential to contribute to climate change mitigation. Source:
CGIAR
