Interlinkages Between Desertification, Land Degradation, Food Security and GHG 3 Fluxes: Synergies, Trade-Offs and Integrated Response Options

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Interlinkages Between Desertification, Land Degradation, Food Security and GHG 3 Fluxes: Synergies, Trade-Offs and Integrated Response Options Final Government Distribution Chapter 6: IPCC SRCCL 1 Chapter 6: Interlinkages between Desertification, Land 2 Degradation, Food Security and GHG fluxes: 3 synergies, trade-offs and Integrated Response 4 Options 5 6 Coordinating Lead Authors: Pete Smith (United Kingdom), Johnson Nkem (Cameroon), Katherine 7 Calvin (The United States of America) 8 Lead Authors: Donovan Campbell (Jamaica), Francesco Cherubini (Norway/Italy), Giacomo Grassi 9 (Italy/EU), Vladimir Korotkov (The Russian Federation), Anh Le Hoang (Viet Nam), Shuaib Lwasa 10 (Uganda), Pamela McElwee (The United States of America), Ephraim Nkonya (Tanzania), Nobuko 11 Saigusa (Japan), Jean-Francois Soussana (France), Miguel Angel Taboada (Argentina) 12 Contributing Authors: Cristina Arias-Navarro (Spain), Otavio Cavalett (Brazil), Annette Cowie 13 (Australia), Joanna House (United Kingdom), Daniel Huppmann (Austria), Jagdish Krishnaswamy 14 (India), Alexander Popp (Germany), Stephanie Roe (The Philippines/The United States of America), 15 Raphael Slade (United Kingdom), Lindsay Stringer (United Kingdom), Matteo Vizzarri (Italy) 16 Review Editors: Amjad Abdulla (Maldives), Ian Noble (Australia), Yoshiki Yamagata (Japan), Taha 17 Zatari (Saudi Arabia) 18 Chapter Scientists: Frances Manning (United Kingdom), Dorothy Nampanzira (Uganda) 19 Date of Draft: 07/08/2019 20 21 Subject to Copy-editing 6-1 Total pages: 303 Final Government Distribution Chapter 6: IPCC SRCCL 1 Table of Contents 2 Chapter 6: Interlinkages between Desertification, Land Degradation, Food Security and GHG 3 fluxes: synergies, trade-offs and Integrated Response Options ........................................................... 6-1 4 Executive summary .......................................................................................................................... 6-3 5 6.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 6-7 6 6.1.1 Context of this chapter ................................................................................................. 6-7 7 6.1.2 Framing social challenges and acknowledging enabling factors ................................. 6-7 8 6.1.3 Challenges and response options in current and historical interventions ................... 6-10 9 6.1.4 Challenges represented in future scenarios ................................................................ 6-18 10 6.2 Response options, co-benefits and adverse side-effects across the land challenges .......... 6-21 11 6.2.1 Integrated response options based on land management ........................................... 6-25 12 6.2.2 Integrated response options based on value chain management ................................ 6-39 13 6.2.3 Integrated response options based on risk management ............................................ 6-39 14 Cross-Chapter Box 7: Bioenergy and Bioenergy with Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage 15 (BECCS) in mitigation scenarios ................................................................................................... 6-48 16 6.3 Potentials for addressing the land challenges ..................................................................... 6-51 17 6.3.1 Potential of the integrated response options for delivering mitigation ...................... 6-51 18 6.3.2 Potential of the integrated response options for delivering adaptation ...................... 6-60 19 6.3.3 Potential of the integrated response options for addressing desertification ............... 6-68 20 6.3.4 Potential of the integrated response options for addressing land degradation ........... 6-74 21 6.3.5 Potential of the integrated response options for addressing food security ................. 6-80 22 6.3.6 Summarising the potential of the integrated response options across mitigation, 23 adaptation, desertification land degradation and food security .................................................. 6-89 24 6.4 Managing interactions and interlinkages ......................................................................... 6-102 25 6.4.1 Feasibility of the integrated response options with respect to costs, barriers, saturation 26 and reversibility ....................................................................................................................... 6-102 27 6.4.2 Sensitivity of the Integrated Response Options to climate change impacts ............. 6-111 28 Cross-Chapter Box 8: Ecosystem services and Nature’s Contributions to People, and their relation 29 to the land-climate system............................................................................................................ 6-113 30 6.4.3 Impacts of integrated response options on Nature’s Contributions to People and the UN 31 Sustainable Development Goals .............................................................................................. 6-117 32 6.4.4 Opportunities for implementation of Integrated Response Options ......................... 6-130 33 Cross-Chapter Box 9: Illustrative Climate and Land Pathways ................................................... 6-142 34 6.4.5 Potential Consequences of Delayed Action ............................................................. 6-147 35 Frequently Asked Questions ........................................................................................................ 6-150 36 Appendix to Chapter 6: Interlinkages between Desertification, Land Degradation, Food Security and 37 GHG fluxes: synergies, trade-offs and Integrated Response Options .............................................. 6-152 38 Supplementary Information for Section 6.4.1 .............................................................................. 6-152 Subject to Copy-editing 6-2 Total pages: 303 Final Government Distribution Chapter 6: IPCC SRCCL 1 Supplementary Information for Section 6.4.3 .............................................................................. 6-170 2 Supplementary Information for Section 6.4.4 .............................................................................. 6-204 3 References: ....................................................................................................................................... 6-206 4 5 Executive summary 6 The land challenges, in the context of this report, are climate change mitigation, adaptation, 7 desertification, land degradation, and food security. The chapter also discusses implications for 8 Nature’s Contributions to People (NCP), including biodiversity and water, and sustainable 9 development, by assessing intersections with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 10 chapter assesses response options that could be used to address these challenges. These response 11 options were derived from the previous chapters and fall into three broad categories (land 12 management, value chain, and risk management). 13 The land challenges faced today vary across regions; climate change will increase challenges in 14 the future, while socioeconomic development could either increase or decrease challenges (high 15 confidence). Increases in biophysical impacts from climate change can worsen desertification, land 16 degradation, and food insecurity (high confidence). Additional pressures from socioeconomic 17 development could further exacerbate these challenges; however, the effects are scenario dependent. 18 Scenarios with increases in income and reduced pressures on land can lead to reductions in food 19 insecurity; however, all assessed scenarios result in increases in water demand and water scarcity 20 (medium confidence). {6.1} 21 The applicability and efficacy of response options are region and context specific; while many 22 value chain and risk management options are potentially broadly applicable, many land 23 management options are applicable on less than 50% of the ice-free land surface (high 24 confidence). Response options are limited by land type, bioclimatic region, or local food system 25 context (high confidence). Some response options produce adverse side-effects only in certain regions 26 or contexts; for example, response options that use freshwater may have no adverse side effects in 27 regions where water is plentiful, but large adverse side effects in regions where water is scarce (high 28 confidence). Response options with biophysical climate effects (e.g., afforestation, reforestation) may 29 have different effects on local climate depending on where they are implemented (medium 30 confidence). Regions with more challenges have fewer response options available for implementation 31 (medium confidence). {6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4} 32 Nine options deliver medium to large benefits for all five land challenges (high confidence). The 33 options with medium to large benefits for all challenges are increased food productivity, improved 34 cropland management, improved grazing land management, improved livestock management, 35 agroforestry, improved forest management, increased soil organic carbon content, fire management 36 and reduced post-harvest losses. A further two options, dietary change and reduced food waste, have 37 no global estimates for adaptation but have medium to large benefits for all other challenges (high 38 confidence). {6.3, 6.4} -1 39 Five options have large mitigation potential (> 3 GtCO2e yr ) without adverse impacts on the 40 other challenges (high confidence). These are increased food productivity, reduced deforestation and 41 degradation, increased soil organic carbon content, fire management and reduced
Recommended publications
  • The Use of Pesticides in Developing Countries and Their Impact on Health and the Right to Food
    STUDY Requested by the DEVE committee The use of pesticides in developing countries and their impact on health and the right to food Policy Department for External Relations Directorate General for External Policies of the Union EN PE 653.622 - January 2021 DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR EXTERNAL POLICIES POLICY DEPARTMENT STUDY The use of pesticides in developing countries and their impact on health and the right to food ABSTRACT This study provides a broad perspective on the main trends regarding the use of pesticides in developing countries and their impacts on human health and food security. Information is provided on the challenges of controlling these hazardous substances, along with the extent to which pesticides banned within the European Union (EU) are exported to third countries. The analysis assesses the factors behind the continuation of these exports, along with the rising demand for better controls. Recommendations are intended to improve the ability for all people, including future generations, to have access to healthy food in line with United Nations declarations. These recommendations include collaborating with the Rotterdam Convention to strengthen capacity building programmes and the use of the knowledge base maintained by the Convention; supporting collaboration among developing countries to strengthen pesticide risk regulation; explore options to make regulatory risk data more transparent and accessible; strengthen research and education in alternatives to pesticides; stop all exports of crop protection products banned in the EU; only allow the export of severely restricted pesticides if these are regulated accordingly and used properly in the importing country; and support the re-evaluation of pesticide registrations in developing countries to be in line with FAO/WHO Code of Conduct.
    [Show full text]
  • Saving the Planet with Pesticides and Plastic
    11 Saving the Planet with Pesticides and Plastic: The Environmental Triumph MYTHMAKERS SAY: ofHigh-Yield Fanning "Pesticides often leave the most resistant pests behind .... Then ... the resistant pests multiply ... soon, enormous quantities of pesticides are sprayed on the crops to kill just as many pests as were there when the process began. Only now the pests are stronger. And all the while, the quantity of pesticides to which we ourselves are exposed continues to Dennis T. Avery increase." Vice President Al Gore, Earth in the Balance, p. 5 2 Director of Global Food Issues "The second cause of slower food production growth is environmental degradation, which is damaging agriculture more than ever before." Lester Brown, State of the World 1993, Worldwatch Institute REALITY SAYS: "The Food and Agricultural Organization reported Sunday that the percentage of people in the developing nations who are hungry fell to 20 percent from 36 percent between 1961-63 and 1988-90." Paul Overberg, Gannett News Service, quoted from the Binghampton, N.Y., Press and Sun-Bulletin, September 21, 1992 "... [Plublic and private research institutions, commercial R&D enter- prises and especially the various international agricultural (research) cen- ters ... are moving forward in concerted efforts to extend, redirect @nd Hudson fine-tune the original Green Revolution thrust. With the added impetus of biotechnology and other new scientific tools, we see clear indications that Institute ,many of the problems and constraints of the 1960s and 1970s have been Indianapolis, Indiana surmounted." 214 Saving the Planet with Pesticides and Plastic Is High-Yield Farming Sustainable? 215 Dr. John R.
    [Show full text]
  • Sustenance & Ecology on the Edge
    Care of Earth Care of People Two Permaculture tenets Sustenance & Ecology on the Edge A Permaculture View of One Plant Community Michael Pilarski This book had it's beginning on the edge of the Pacific Ocean at the southwest corner of the Olympia Peninsula, just below the Quinault Indian Reservation. The ocean's thunder never ceases as the heavy surf releases tremendous amounts of energy - shifting sand, nutrients, logs and rocks. Here at the edge of the ocean, the wind is strong - and salty. The vegetation crowding down to the ocean's edge is shaped by the wind. To a permaculturist, each new plant community is a delight to explore and is filled with lessons. Here are a few observations and ideas garnered from exploring the plant communities in this windswept forest. Sitka spruce (Picea englemanii) is the main conifer along with shore pine (Pinus contorta) and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) in sheltered areas. Alder (Alnus) and willow (Salix) are the tallest deciduous trees. Smaller deciduous trees and shrubs include Twinberry honeysuckle (Lonicera involucrata), native crabapple (Malus fusca), elderberry (Sambucus) and salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) thickets. The lower shrub understory is largely evergreen. Evergreen huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum), and salal (Gaultheria shallon) are predominant. These are both very useful from a human viewpoint and large amounts are harvested for the ornamental foliage industry. Sword fern (Polysticum munitum) and/or deer fern (Blechnum spicata) are common in some, but not all, of the local ecosystems. Both of these ferns are harvested for the ornamental foliage trade. A common groundcover in open areas is the native beach strawberry.
    [Show full text]
  • Effects on Social and Natural Systems in Rural Communities in Jamaica
    GGlloobbaalliizzaattiioonn ooff AAggrriiccuullttuurree:: EEffffeeccttss oonn SSoocciiaall aanndd NNaattuurraall SSyysstteemmss iinn RRuurraall CCoommmmuunniittiieess iinn JJaammaaiiccaa Paulette Meikle- Yaw Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work DELTA IN GLOBAL CONTEXT A Workshop on Community-Based Research, Practice and Development Mississippi State May 27-28, 2005, Delta State University in Cleveland, MS University in Cleveland, MS PPuurrppoossee ooff tthhiiss PPrreesseennttaattiioonn The purpose of this presentation is to produce a qualitative analysis of: the socio-economic socio-cultural and environmental impacts of the production and export of primary agricultural products from local communities in Jamaica, and global policies and institutions that are formulated to maintain the system. The focus is mainly on the external forces that have persistently influenced the use of natural resources and re-structure the socio- economic systems of vulnerable small rural communities Delta in Global Context 2 Workshop, May 27-28, 2005 BBAACCKKGGRROOUUNNDD AANNDD PPRROOBBLLEEMM In order to participate in the global economy, Jamaican small farmers are increasingly cultivating export crops on hilly terrain. As a parallel, the small farming economy is being negatively affected by the importation of certain crops under trade liberalization This has led to the mounting disruption of the natural ecosystems and socio-economic settings. As a parallel, local communities’ right to endogenous economic development is subdued by
    [Show full text]
  • Landscape Legacies of Sugarcane Monoculture at Betty's Hope Plantation, Antigua, West Indies Suzanna M
    University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 3-19-2015 Landscape Legacies of Sugarcane Monoculture at Betty's Hope Plantation, Antigua, West Indies Suzanna M. Pratt University of South Florida, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons Scholar Commons Citation Pratt, Suzanna M., "Landscape Legacies of Sugarcane Monoculture at Betty's Hope Plantation, Antigua, West Indies" (2015). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5558 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Landscape Legacies of Sugarcane Monoculture at Betty’s Hope Plantation, Antigua, West Indies by Suzanna M. Pratt A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Applied Anthropology (Archaeology track) with a concentration in Heritage Studies Department of Anthropology College of Arts and Sciences University of South Florida Major Professor: E. Christian Wells, Ph.D. Thomas J. Pluckhahn, Ph.D. Robert H. Tykot, Ph.D. Georgia L. Fox, Ph.D. Date of Approval: March 19, 2015 Keywords: historical archaeology, geoarchaeology, landscape change, Antigua, Caribbean colonialism Copyright © 2015, Suzanna M. Pratt ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the support of my advisor, Dr. E. Christian Wells, and my committee members, Dr. Thomas J. Pluckhahn, Dr. Robert H. Tykot, and Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Organización De Las Naciones Unidas Para La Agricultura Y La Alimentaci
    FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZACIÓN DE LAS NACIONES UNIDAS PARA LA AGRICULTURA Y LA ALIMENTACIÓN ORGANISATION DES NATIONS UNIES POUR L'ALIMENTATION ET L'AGRICULTURE Rome-Roma, 2009 The FAO Glossary on Organic Agriculture in English, French and Spanish contains 401 concepts and definitions, where appropriate, which have been selected from FAO and international documents and publications on Organic Agriculture, as well as from the proceedings of meetings of experts discussing Organic Agriculture and Food Security issues. The concepts are accessible online through the Organic Agriculture Web site at http://www.fao.org/organicag/en/ with the objective of maintaining the collection through time, with additions and amendments to the concepts as they evolve in FAO's work. Le glossaire de l’agriculture biologique de la FAO en anglais, français et espagnol contient 401 concepts et définitions, le cas échéant, tirés de publications et de documents de la FAO et d’autres organisations internationales dans le domaine de l’agriculture biologique, ainsi que des actes des réunions d’experts sur les questions de l’agriculture biologique et de la sécurité alimentaire. Les concepts sont accessibles en ligne sur le site Internet de l’agriculture biologique à l’adresse http://www.fao.org/organicag/fr/ qui a pour but de contribuer au suivi de la collection, en permettant d’y apporter les modifications ou ajouts nécessaires en fonction de l’évolution des concepts dans le cadre des activités de la FAO. El glosario de la FAO sobre agricultura orgánica en inglés, francés y español contiene 401 conceptos, con las definiciones oportunas, seleccionados a partir de documentos y publicaciones de la FAO y otros organismos internacionales relacionados con la agricultura orgánica, así como a partir de las actas de reuniones de expertos sobre agricultura orgánica y seguridad alimentaria.
    [Show full text]
  • Level 2 Agriculture Handbook 8/4/03 1:41 Pm Page 1
    COVERS 190x245 8/4/03 11:25 am Page 1 Level 2 Agriculture Handbook 8/4/03 1:41 pm Page 1 LIVELIHOOD OPTIONS IN REFUGEE SITUATIONS A HANDBOOK FOR PROMOTING SOUND AGRICULTURAL PRACTISES Level 2 Agriculture Handbook 8/4/03 1:41 pm Page 2 Acknowledgements Text written by Chris Davey, with additional input from David Stone (UNHCR), Mario Pareja (CARE International), Gabriel Weishike Batulaine (CARE International, Tanzania), Bushra el-Amin Mohamad Ali (COR, Sudan), Barnabus Okumu (GTZ, Kenya), Kizza Wandira (UNHCR, Uganda), Alain Mourey (ICRC, Switzerland), Nuwa Senkebe (LWF, Zambia) and Matthew Owen (Kenya). Illustrations prepared by Dorothy Migadde, Nairobi, Kenya. Series Producer: David Stone. Background & Cover Images: Irene R Lengui/ L’IV Com Sàrl Design & layout by L’IV Com Sàrl, Morges, Switzerland. Printed by: ATAR ROTO PRESSE SA, Vernier, Switzerland. Produced by the Environment Unit, Engineering and Environmental Services Section, UNHCR Geneva, and CARE International, December 2002. 2 Refugee Operations and Environmental Management Level 2 Agriculture Handbook 8/4/03 1:41 pm Page 3 Table of Contents Glossary of Terms 4 Acronyms 5 Section 1: The Handbook Explained 6 1.1 Introduction 6 1.2 Using this Handbook 6 Section 2: The Issues 8 2.1 Features of Refugee Agriculture 8 2.2 Supporting Agriculture in Refugee Settings 9 2.3 Some Environmental Concerns 10 2.4 Supporting/Enabling Agriculture in Refugee and Related Settings 12 Section 3: Gathering Information 14 3.1 Rules, Rights and Roles 14 3.2 With Whom Are You Working? 16 3.3 The Characteristics
    [Show full text]
  • Sustainable Gardening Practices
    Sustainable Gardening Practices Leonard J.M. Githinji, Ph.D. Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist Sustainable and Urban Agriculture Virginia State University (804) 524-5962; [email protected] www.agriculture.vsu.edu Introduction What is sustainable gardening? Gardening practices that: ♦ do not harm the environment, ♦ do provide fair treatment of farm /garden workers, and ♦ do support and sustain local communities. www.agriculture.vsu.edu Introduction Spheres of Influence in Sustainable Production www.agriculture.vsu.edu Introduction Sustainable vs industrial crop production Sustainable crop production is in contrast to industrial crop production. Industrial crop production generally relies upon mono- cropping, application of commercial fertilizers, heavy use of pesticides. www.agriculture.vsu.edu Introduction Sustainable vs industrial crop production Sustainable crop production relies on inputs that enhance the environment, communities, and welfare of farm workers. www.agriculture.vsu.edu Introduction What sustainable production can achieve Sustainable crop production practices can lead to ♦ higher yields over time, and ♦ lesser need for expensive and environmentally damaging inputs. www.agriculture.vsu.edu Principles of sustainable production Multicropping Use of beneficial organisms Integration Natural soil fertility management Less dependence on chemical weed control methods Soil water conservation practices www.agriculture.vsu.edu Principles of sustainable production Multicropping Multicropping is practice
    [Show full text]
  • Agricultures
    LEARNING AgriCultures Insights from sustainable small-scale farming MODULE 3 (INTERIM VERSION) Cropping systems MODULE 3 CROPPING SYSTEMS - INTERIM VERSION Published by ileia, This publication forms part of the Learning Amersfoort, the AgriCultures series for educators, providing Netherlands insights on sustainable small-scale agriculture. Ileia uses the Attribution-Noncommercial- ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons Licence. In brief, users are free to copy, distribute and transmit the contents of this module but the source must be acknowledged. The contents of this module may however not be used for commercial purposes. If you alter or translate any sections, the resulting work must only be distributed under the same or a similar license to this one. For details, please see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc-sa/3.0. One exception is video R4.6 which falls under copyright. Authors: Mundie Salm, ileia Illustrator: Fred Geven, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands Language and Copy-editor: Nick Parrott, TextualHealing.nl, Wageningen Design & Layout: Frivista, Amersfoort, the Netherlands Funding: SIDA and DGIS Cover photo: Flemming Nielsen, mixed sorghum field in Central Mozambique Acknowledgements The author would like to acknowledge the contributions of the following people: Frank van Steenbergen (MetaMeta) and Willem Stoop and Edith Lammerts van Bueren, members of our ‘sounding board’ for very helpful input, comments and suggestions for improvements on Please note: technical details in the first two blocks. Frank van This module is an Schoubroeck for suggestions for Learning Block 3. interim version. Nick Parrott whose clean-up of the final draft We welcome went beyond language and copy-editing. Fred comments and Geven, our patient illustrator who made much suggestions for creative input.
    [Show full text]
  • Comparison of Wheat-Based Rotation Systems and Monocropping Systems Under Dryland Mediterranean Conditions
    September, 2017 Int J Agric & Biol Eng Open Access at https://www.ijabe.org Vol. 10 No.5 203 Comparison of wheat-based rotation systems and monocropping systems under dryland Mediterranean conditions Servet Tekin1*, Attila Yazar2, Hatun Barut3 (1. Department of Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Kahramanmaras Sütcü İmam University, Kahramanmaras 46100, Turkey; 2. Irrigation and Agricultural Structures Department, Çukurova University, Adana 01330 Turkey; 3. Eastern Mediterranean Agricultural Research Institute, Adana 01370, Turkey) Abstract: Mono-cropping systems consisting of general low-yielding cereals are crucial productivity constraints in dry areas of the Mediterranean region. A crop rotation consisting of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L)-chickpea (Cicer arietinum) was compared with monocropping in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. A four year crop rotation trial was set up in Adana, Turkey. A total of nine crop rotation systems of Quinoa (Q), chickpea (L) and wheat (W) were considered in this study. The four year results revealed that there was significant difference in grain and biomass yields, but no significant difference in plant height, harvest index, and 1000 grain weight of wheat among the treatments in crop rotation except number of grains per spike and soil organic matter. Continuous wheat and chickpea-wheat-chickpea-wheat (LWLW) produced significantly greater grain yield in 2010/2011 and 2011/2012. QWLW and QWQW rotation produced significantly lower biomass yield in 2008/2009. The maximum biomass yield of LWLW rotation resulted in 2011/2012 growing season. Therefore, the effect of previous crop on wheat grain and biomass yield in the four years of the rotation study was significantly different.
    [Show full text]
  • Sustainable Agriculture: an Introduction It Will Take
    Sustainable Agriculture: ATTRA An Introduction A Publication of ATTRA, the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service • 1-800-346-9140 • www.attra.ncat.org By Richard Earles; revised by Paul Williams, NCAT Program Specialist © NCAT 2005 Contents What is Sustainable Agriculture? ...................... 1 How Do We Achieve Sustainability? ................. 2 Know Your Markets, Protect Your Profits, and Add Value to Your Products ............................ 3 Build Soil Structure and Fertility ............................... 3 Protect Water Quality on and Beyond the Farm .................................... 4 Photo courtesy USDA NRCS Manage Pests Ecologi- cally; Use Minimal food security, its midwives were not gov- Pesticides .......................... 4 What is Sustainable Agriculture? ernment policy makers but small farmers, Maximize Biodiversity on environmentalists, and a persistent cadre of the Farm ............................. 5 Sustainable agriculture is one that produces agricultural scientists. These people saw the How Can I Learn More abundant food without depleting the earth’s About Sustainable devastation that late 20th-Century farming Agriculture? ...................... 6 resources or polluting its environment. It was causing to the very means of agricul- is agriculture that follows the principles of tural production—the water and soil—and so nature to develop systems for raising crops began a search for better ways to farm, an and livestock that are, like nature, self-sus- exploration that continues to this day. taining. Sustainable agriculture is also the agriculture of social values, one whose suc- Conventional 20th-Century agriculture took cess is indistinguishable from vibrant rural industrial production as its model, and verti- communities, rich lives for families on the cally-integrated agri-business was the result. farms, and wholesome food for everyone.
    [Show full text]
  • Climate and the Global Spread and Impact of Bananas' Black Leaf Sigatoka Disease
    atmosphere Article Climate and the Global Spread and Impact of Bananas’ Black Leaf Sigatoka Disease Eric Strobl 1,* and Preeya Mohan 2 1 Department of Economics, University of Bern, 3008 Bern, Switzerland 2 Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine 82391, Trinidad and Tobago; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 7 August 2020; Accepted: 31 August 2020; Published: 5 September 2020 Abstract: While Black Sigatoka Leaf Disease (Mycosphaerella fijiensis) has arguably been the most important pathogen affecting the banana industry over the past 50 years, there are no quantitative estimates of what risk factors determine its spread across the globe, nor how its spread has affected banana producing countries. This study empirically models the disease spread across and its impact within countries using historical spread timelines, biophysical models, local climate data, and country level agricultural data. To model the global spread a empirical hazard model is employed. The results show that the most important factor affecting first time infection of a country is the extent of their agricultural imports, having increased first time disease incidence by 69% points. In contrast, long distance dispersal due to climatic factors only raised this probability by 0.8% points. The impact of disease diffusion within countries once they are infected is modelled using a panel regression estimator. Findings indicate that under the right climate conditions the impact of Black Sigatoka Leaf Disease can be substantial, currently resulting in an average 3% reduction in global annual production, i.e., a loss of yearly revenue of about USD 1.6 billion.
    [Show full text]