Overview
- The impact of climate change on agriculture
- Chemical pest solutions and their environmental impact
- What is climate-smart agriculture?Ā
- Climate-smart agriculture techniques
- The role of biocontrol products for safer, climate-friendly farming
- Integrating beneficial species for pest control
- Conservation farming and climate resilience
- Challenges in adopting climate-smart agriculture
- Preparing farmers for the future of climate-smart agriculture
Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is an approach combining agricultural practices and technologies to improve food security while addressing climate change issues. CSA aims to help growers adapt to climate change, whilst still maintaining or enhancing productivity levels and avoiding further contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.
In this article, we explore how climate change affects agriculture, what climate-smart agriculture is and how to implement it, and how biological solutions can be utilized to help.
The impact of climate change on agriculture
Climate change is profoundly affecting agriculture. It causes extreme weather events, including droughts, unpredictable rainfall patterns or floodings, that can have devastating effects on crops. Climate change can particularly affect crop yields and agricultural pests and diseases, which in turn can aggravate crop problems. A study estimates that climate has been responsible for a decrease in 21% in global agricultural productivity since 1961.
Changing pest patterns
Changes in the climate can have various effects on pests. For example, temperature is a crucial factor influencing insect population dynamics. The global rise in temperature and weather shifts caused by climate change allow certain insect pests to move and thrive in new regions that were previously unsuitable for their survival. This is also true for pathogens like blights or fungi that can change their environmental range similarly. An example of this is the expansion of the pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) in Europe due to warmer winters. Many other pests are expected to follow the same pattern as highlighted in this scientific review of the impact of climate change on plant pests (2012) from the IPCC.
Temperature increase can also affect many aspects of a pest’s life and biology: metabolic rate, reproduction, survival, and interactions with other pests. This can have several consequences:
- Pests can have more generations per season
- Pests can survive the winter more often
- The transmission of pathogens carried by insects to plants is more frequent
As a result, pests can cause more damage to crops.
Effects on crop yields
Extreme weather events associated with climate change can directly destroy crops and can also indirectly affect them, for instance by impairing soil health and quality, which is detrimental to plant growth. In addition, crops can suffer from increased pest pressure due to their change in behaviour. According to the FAO, climate change is projected to worsen crop losses by an additional 15 to 25%.
The combination of these factors can reduce overall agricultural productivity, threatening food security and producersā livelihoods.
Chemical pest solutions and their environmental impact
Traditional chemical pest management methods (involving the use of synthetic pesticides to eliminate pests) have many detrimental effects – including effects on the environment and human health. Indirect effects of chemical pesticide use include disrupting ecosystems, harming biodiversity and contaminating soils and water, to name a few.
Unfortunately, chemical pesticides have significant environmental costs. They may make farming systems more vulnerable to climate change, but also directly aggravate the environment by adding more emissions to the atmosphere. Indeed, they contribute to greenhouse gases emissions via their energy-demanding production, which often relies on fossil fuels.
Climate change and pesticide effectiveness
In addition to side effects, warmer temperatures caused by climate change can also impact the effectiveness of pesticides. Warmer temperatures can accelerate the breakdown of pesticides that do not persist on the crop, meaning a good amount of the chemical product is lost. This can potentially lead to an increase in the quantity, and number of applications, of chemical pesticides applied on a farm, creating a vicious cycle that aggravates climate change.
What is climate-smart agriculture?
Climate-smart agriculture is an approach for improving and managing agricultural systems to tackle issues related to climate and food security. It is a way of combining sustainable practices that can tackle these issues and also emphasizes the efficient use of energy resources, aiming to improve overall environmental impact.
Climate-smart agriculture has three main objectives:
- Productivity: Sustainably improving agricultural productivity and producers’ livelihoods
- Adaptation: Adjusting farming systems and build resilience to climate change
- Mitigation: Reducing and/or removing greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide.
Climate-smart agriculture techniques
There are many CSA techniques, although some work best when tailored to a specific agricultural system. Here are some examples of CSA techniques:
- Soil management and conservation agriculture: through composting, mulching, no/low tillage to preserve the integrity and structure of the soil and improve carbon sequestration.
- Water management: to improve the efficiency of water use, for example with drip irrigation or rainwater harvesting.
- Integrated pest management: including planting pest resistant varieties or monitoring so that farmers can react swiftly and effectively to pest outbreaks.
- Crop diversification: by growing several varieties of crops, you can reduce risk from climate variability.
- Drought-resistant crops planting: by planting resilient crop varieties that require less water and withstand extreme climate conditions.
- Precision farming: using technology like sensors, data analytics, early warning systems, to optimize resource use (water, fertilizer) and reduce waste.
Nature-based solutions
Nature-based solutions refer to a range of actions that aim to protect, manage and restore ecosystems. These actions leverage nature and the power of healthy ecosystems to combat the effects of climate change and address challenges in society.
The practice of nature-based solutions has the potential to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and can be incorporated alongside other climate-smart agriculture practices.
Benefits of nature-based solutions
Nature-based solutions offer many benefits that support human well-being and biodiversity. In an agricultural land, they can:
- Sustain or increase yields
- Secure food supplies
- Protect clean drinking water
- Control erosion
The role of biocontrol products for safer, climate-friendly farming
Introduction to biocontrol products
Biocontrol products are based on naturally-sourced compounds or natural organisms and help manage pest and disease outbreaks. They are a good alternative to chemical pesticide and offer many benefits such as being safer for the environment and humans.
Case studies of successful use of biocontrol products
One example is the reduction of maize aflatoxin with a fungal biocontrol product in Pakistan. Because aflatoxin can be deadly to humans and livestock, it has a negative impact on food security and safety while also affecting farmersā incomes. Research has shown that the biocontrol product, Afla-Pakā¢, significantly reduces aflatoxin by 80% and increases in farmer income by 25%.
- For more information, read CABIās blog.
Another example is the viral biopesticides, like Cryptex, used in South Africa to control the false codling moth, a major pest in citrus production. These biopesticides are as effective as chemical alternatives, reducing infestation by up to 92%, and have lasting effects.
Integrating beneficial species for pest management
Another method of climate-smart practices is the use of organisms for pest control, which have the ability to naturally control pests. These include beneficial insects, but also plants that can attract or repel unwanted organisms. Enhancing their presence or integrating them on the farm foster biodiversity and resilience.Ā
Utilizing beneficial insects
You can conserve and support beneficial insects that are already present on the land. These insects are, for example, predators that feed on pests. However, sometimes there are not enough of them to control a pest outbreak. By creating a favorable environment, by planting host and nectar plants for these insects, you can increase their populations, but also allow them to survive when the pest is absent. This maintains a balanced ecosystem that promotes natural pest control.
Companion planting for pest management
Certain crops can benefit other crops when grown in close proximity. Some of these crops attract or repel pests, providing protection to the neighbouring crop.
Trap crops attract pests and differ them from the main crop. This is, for example, the use of collards to distract the diamondback moth away from cabbage.
Basil is also a well-known deterrent for some pests, such as whiteflies. It pairs well with tomatoes and can repel its pests.
Conservation farming and climate resilience
Conservation farming, or conservation agriculture, is another climate-smart approach. It puts emphasis on increasing agricultural productivity while maintaining environmental sustainability. Implementing conservative farming methods can help to tackle agricultureās contribution to climate change. In particular, it aims to preserve water, soils and biodiversity, based on three principles:
- Minimum soil disturbance
- Permanent soil cover
- Species diversification, specifically crop rotation with legumes
Techniques in conservation farming
Techniques following conservation agriculture principles are for example no, or minimum, tillage, mulching, cover cropping, crop residue retention and crop rotation.
Benefits of conservation agriculture
Conservation agriculture practices help, for example, improving soil health by enhancing soil structure, organic matter, fertility and preventing erosion. They also provide environmental advantages like carbon sequestration and increased biodiversity.
In this manner, conservation agriculture directly contributes to CSA objectives. It boosts productivity and helps mitigate climate change, building a resilient agricultural ecosystem.
Challenges in adopting climate-smart agriculture
The global adoption of CSA faces several challenges. These include lack of knowledge of CSA technologies and limited access to resources by smallholder farmers, as well as a lack of adequate policies. There are also financial barriers to introducing CSA techniques due to high initial building costs.
Overcoming these barriers requires investments in education programmes, stronger institutional support and better access to CSA technologies. Organizations like CABI provide farmers with easy access to information on science-based solutions and training resources. These programmes empower farmers with the tools and knowledge needed to implement climate-smart practices, improving resilience and sustainability in agriculture.
Preparing farmers for the future of climate-smart agricultureĀ
As climate change reshapes agricultural systems, preparing farmers for climate-smart practices is essential. This requires a coordinated effort in training, education, and policy support.
Training and education
Education plays a vital role in helping farmers transition to CSA. Through training programs, farmers can learn about sustainable techniques like conservation farming and water management and how to maintain the efficiency of crop production. They can also learn about the tools and technologies available to help them in their transition to CSA.
For example, CABI offers valuable free courses on topics such as sustainable soil management practices and water management, empowering farmers to adopt efficient techniques that enhance productivity in their agricultural system, while protecting natural resources.
Policy support and government role
Governments play a pivotal role in supporting farmers to adapt to climate change by providing the necessary tools, resources, and policy frameworks. Governments can help by funding research projects and providing farmers with adaptive tools and evidence-based information to face climate challenges, safeguarding food security and biodiversity.
For instance, the USDA and its Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) have developed projects that address soil health, water conservation, and pest management. This USDA service provides farmers with technical assistance and financial incentives to adopt sustainable practices that protect both agricultural productivity and natural resources.
FAQs
What is an example of climate-smart agriculture?Ā
CSA techniques include crop rotation, sustainable water and soil management, integrated pest management, using drought-resistant crops, precision farming, etc.
What are the three pillars of climate-smart agriculture?
The three pillars are:
- Productivity
- Adaptation
- Mitigation
Is climate-smart agriculture effective?Ā
Yes, climate-smart agriculture is effective at increasing productivity, adapting to changing climates and mitigating climate-related problems in agriculture. Depending on local circumstances it can have a strong and lasting effect on the livelihood of farmers and food security.
