ACEPTACION DE HERENCIAS

The 21st century has seen renewed efforts to tackle Africa’s development problems. Since 2008, there has been greater interest in investing in African agriculture, a sector that is the backbone of the majority of African economies (World Development Report 2008; AlertNet, 2011).

However, Africa’s sustained development is often hampered by an unpredictable and unforgiving climate with 12 of the 15 most-at-risk countries being in Africa (Maplecroft, 2010). The close link between the changing climate and human security has increasingly become part of

64

the global discourse and Africa’s climate story is largely defined by its dependence on rain-fed agriculture.

Risks to Africa’s well-being is not purely economic, though, but also include the potential for the spread of diseases and escalating conflicts over increasingly limited and scarce resources, particularly water. Indeed, the volatile mix of food and water insecurity has already been linked to conflicts in Somalia, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.

Yet, Africa’s adaptive capacity to climate change is itself constrained by widespread poverty, low human capacity, lack of appropriate technologies, poor infrastructure and susceptibility to high food prices. These factors put millions of Africans at great risk of poverty and hunger; limits the region’s chances of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and indeed, increase the likelihood of mass emigration. Climate therefore, is one of the most pressing challenges on the social, political and economic agenda.

Sustaining food security will require intense efforts to increase productivity while shifting to low- carbon and zero waste mode of production. Climate-smart agricultural techniques offer the potential to substantially reduce emissions and increase carbon storage in the soil. For FAO, climate-smart agriculture delivers a critical ‘win-win’ situation, one that includes higher sustainable productivity, greater resilience, reduce greenhouse emissions (GHGs) and progress toward national food security and development goals (FAO, 2010). Through sustainable intensification, use of alternative crops and changes in farm management practices, African farmers could remain on the same land, enjoy increased yields, and contribute to mitigating climate change by reducing deforestation and the encroachment of agriculture into natural ecosystems (Bellassen, 2010).

Accordingly, Africa’s political leadership at the highest level has stated its commitment to address the challenges of climate change. This is reflected in various decisions and resolutions of African Union (AU) Summits and Conferences of relevant Africa Ministerial bodies, most notably the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), the Joint annual Meetings of the AU Conference of Ministers of Economic and Finance, and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Conference of Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (ECA, 2010). Furthermore Pillar 1 of the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural

65

Development Programme (CAADP) advances the development of a framework on agricultural climate change Adaptation and Mitigation as part of the sustainable land and water use portfolio. 3.3 AGRICULTURE AND GREEN ECONOMY

A Green Economy is one that results in increased human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risk and ecological scarcities (UNEP, 2011). Knowledge sharing is critical to supporting the three dimensions of sustainable development (social, economic and environment) and extension and advisory services are vital knowledge-sharing institutions. Farmers are a key to Green Economy, they grow the crops to feed and clothe, and they manage the land, safeguard natural resources and help protect biodiversity. Growth in agriculture is at least twice more effective as reducing poverty than any other sector and it has one of the highest of mitigating carbon emissions.

Helping farmers share knowledge and access training and input they need to sustainably improve the quantity and quality and diversity of crops they grow must be our watchword. We must help them adapt to changing weather patterns, soil fertility and pest control. Farmers need better access to market, get supply and information in order to sell their surplus crops more reliably and affordably to further reduce waste. These facilities include local storage, communication and transport systems. These methods increase the money they earn and create more jobs. Farmers can use their income so derived from the sales of their produce to reinvest in their farms and pay for better education and healthcare for their families. When existing farms are more productive, natural habitat and the biodiversity they support can remain intact and forest can continue to capture carbon and decrease overall emission related to climate change.

Sustainable farming practices like conservation tillage also help prevent soil degradation and keep carbon in the soil; and technology like drip irrigation can also reduce the amount of water farmers use. Agro-forestry will preserve trees which give cover to the soil and thereby prevent soil erosion. Agriculture is essential to green economy; and the wise thing to do is to invest in agricultural research and create science-based policies that give farmers a wide range of options to choose from. Agriculture is capable and has the ability to create jobs to safeguard the environment.

66

The Rio Earth Summit in 1992 gave a vision of sustainability. The world has changed and the changes have become more complex with dramatic changes in the weather patterns - threatening food production to feed the ever increasing population of the world. To be able to succeed, therefore, the commission on sustainable agriculture and climate change made the following proposals which are worth examining:

 Integrating sustainable agriculture into National and Global Food Policies  

 Harmonized forest and agriculture policies can boost food production, biodiversity and carbon stocks. 



 Increase investment in sustainable agriculture by supporting scientific research which can help sustainable solution to reach more people. 



 By sustainably intensify food production; we can minimize the environmental footprint of farming while increasing food production. 



 Assisting the most vulnerable population and sectors involving women farmers in policymaking can improve the resilience of food production. 



 Reshaping food access and consumption patterns to ensure nutritious diets.  

 Reducing wastage in food systems by better storage and transportation can ensure that more food gets to the markets (CCAFS, 2012). 

3.3.1 SYSTEM OF RICE INTENSIFICATION (SRI)

The System of Rice Intensification, known as SRI is a climate-smart agro-ecological methodology for increasing the productivity of irrigated rice by changing the management of plants, soil, water and nutrients. SRI originated in Madagascar in the 1980s and is based on the cropping principles of significantly reducing plant population, improving soil conditions and irrigation methods for root and plant development and improving crop establishment methods.

Farmers can adapt recommended SRI practices to respond to their agro-ecological and socio- economic conditions. Adaptations are often undertaken to accommodate changing weather patterns, soil conditions, labour availability, water control, access to organic inputs and the decision whether to practice fully organic agriculture or not.

67

as wheat, sugarcane and millet, showing increased productivity over current conventional planting practices. When SRI principles are adapted to other crops, we refer to it as the System of Crop Intensification or SCI.

SRI methods, as enumerated above, have been demonstrated in over 45 countries, 50% - 100% and showed more increased yield, up to 90 percent reduction in required seed and up to 50 percent water savings (SRI-Rice, 2010).

Fig 19 2012: SRI BENEFITS HAVE NOW BEEN SEEN IN OVER 50 COUNTRIES OF ASIA, AFRICA, AND LATIN AMERICA

Source: SRI International Network and Resources Center (SRI-Rice)

Before 1999:Madagascar 2007: Afghanistan, Brazil, Mali

1999:China, Indonesia 2008: Rwanda, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt,

2000-01: Bangladesh, Cuba, Laos, Ghana, Japan

Cambodia, Gambia, India, Nepal, Myanmar, 2009:Malaysia, Timor Leste

Philippines, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, 2010: Kenya, DPRK, Panama, Haiti

Thailand 2011: Colombia, Korea, Taiwan, Tanzania

2002-03: Benin, Guinea, Moz., Peru 2012: Burundi, Dominican Republic, Niger,

2004-05: Senegal, Pakistan, Vietnam

Nigeria, Togo

2006: Burkina Faso, Bhutan, Iran, Iraq, Zambia

68

3.4 POLICIES ON CLIMATE CHANGE IN OTHER COUNTRIES/EXPERIENCE OF