Catholic Community of Pleasanton

Social Justice Newsletter Article

Summary of World Watch Report 188

    

 
Summary of World Watch Report 188
"Innovations in Sustainable Agriculture: Supporting Climate-Friendly Food Production"

    
From deadly drought in Kenya to heat waves in Russia and the United States, the world's climate is changing. Higher temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns are not only affecting people's daily routines, but they are disrupting life-sustaining agriculture in many parts of the world. These challenges are expected to grow only more pervasive in the future.


The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that the Earth's average surface air temperature could rise by 0.69 degrees Celsius by 2030, 1.8 degrees by 2065, and as much as 6.4 degrees by 2099. This warming, along with other climate-related shifts, including rising sea levels, drought, and ocean acidification, will make food production in the 21st century even more unpredictable, uncertain, and difficult.


Extreme weather events have always been a natural facet of life on Earth; however, as the IPCC states, human-caused climate change is likely the reason behind increased incidences of
weather extremes such as drought, monsoons, and strong winds or hurricanes.


Because agriculture relies on healthy soil, adequate water, and a delicate balance of gases
such as carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere, farming is the human endeavor most
vulnerable to the effects of climate change. At the same time, agriculture is a major driver of
human-caused climate change, contributing anywhere from 25 to 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, depending on the analysis.


The good news is that agriculture, when done sustainably, holds an important key to mitigating
climate change. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that, through a variety of approaches, the global agricultural sector could potentially reduce and
remove 80 to 88 percent of the carbon dioxide that it currently produces. Practices such as using animal manure rather than artificial fertilizer, planting trees on farms to reduce soil erosion, and growing food in cities all hold huge potential for reducing agriculture's environmental footprint and mitigating the damaging effects of climate change.


This report discusses six sustainable approaches to land and water use, in both rural and urban areas, that are helping farmers and other food producers mitigate or adapt to climate change-and often both. They are

  • Building Soil Fertility: Through a variety of techniques that organically rebuild dry or lifeless soils, farmers can improve soil fertility while reducing the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Alternatives to heavy chemical use in agriculture-such as avoiding unnecessarily tilling and raising both crops and livestock on the same land-can help to drastically reduce the total amount of energy expended to produce a crop or animal, lowering overall emissions.
  • Agroforestry: Growing trees on farmland can reduce erosion problems because the roots of trees and shrubs help hold the soil in place. Because trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, keeping them on farms whenever possible can help mitigate climate change. Agroforestry also keeps the soil healthier and more resilient by maximizing the amount of organic matter, microorganisms, and moisture held within it. But agroforestry doesn't just benefit the land on which it is practiced; it also provides shade for livestock and certain crops, and creates habitats for animals and insects, such as bees, that pollinate many crops.
  • Urban Farming: Growing food in cities can mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions released from the transport, processing, and storage of food destined for urban populations. Urban agriculture also increases the total area of nonpaved land in cities, making urban landscapes more resilient to flooding and other weather shocks, while improving the aesthetic value of these landscapes. Urban farming plays an important role in increasing food security, particularly in the poorest communities: the FAO estimates that, on average, poor urban households spend as much as 60 to 80 percent of their income on food.
  • Green Manure/Cover Cropping: Planting cover crops improves soil fertility and moisture, making soil less vulnerable to drought or heat waves. Cover crops also serve as a critical deterrent against pests and diseases that affect crops or livestock, such as corn root worm or Rift Valley fever, particularly as warmer temperatures enable these organisms to survive in environments that were previously too cold for them. Like agroforestry, in addition to helping farmers adapt to climate change, cover crops can also help mitigate climate change; planting cover crops fixes elements like nitrogen into the soil, maintaining the delicate balance of gases within Earth's atmosphere.
  • Improving Water Conservation and Recycling: Innovations in water conservation-such as recycling wastewater in cities, using precise watering techniques like drip irrigation rather than sprinklers, and catching and storing rainwater-all help to reduce the global strain on already-scarce water resources. These practices will be increasingly important in areas facing increasing drought, heat waves, and other weather conditions that threaten the availability of irrigation and safe drinking water. Conserving water also saves energy: by avoiding heavy energy expenditures from pumping water from deep within the Earth, as well as from transporting and distributing water from its sources, water conservation can mitigate the severity of climate change.
  • Preserving Biodiversity and Indigenous Breeds: Growing diverse and locally adapted indigenous crops, such as yams, quinoa, and cassava, can provide a source of income and improve farmers' chances of withstanding the effects of climate change, such as heat stress, drought, and the expansion of disease and pest populations. Preserving plant and animal biodiversity also reduces farmers' overreliance on a small number of commodity crops that make them vulnerable to global markets.

These six agricultural practices all help to make farmland, farmers, and entire communities more resilient to the dramatic effects of climate change, while scaling back energy use and greenhouse gas emissions and thereby mitigating overall climate change. Many of these practices are inexpensive to adopt and do not require extensive infrastructure. But because they are relatively labor intensive, they are most appropriate for small-scale agricultural operations, rather than large-scale industrial agriculture. Smallholder farmers currently produce half of the world's food, including as much as 90 percent of the food grown in Africa and 41 percent of the food grains grown in India. The FAO estimates that by adopting more sustainable approaches, small-scale agriculture in developing countries has the potential to contribute 70 percent of agriculture's technical mitigation of climate change. But even large-scale industrial agriculture can learn crucial lessons from these practices. Many of these innovations have the potential to be replicated, adapted, and scaled up for application on larger farms, helping to improve water availability, increase diversity, and improve soil quality, as well as mitigate climate change.


By tapping into the multitude of climate friendly farming practices that already exist, agriculture can continue to supply food for the world's population, as well as provide a source of livelihood for the 1.3 billion people who rely on farming for income and sustenance. Climate friendly
agriculture also can contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the mitigation of climate change. If agriculture is to play a positive role in the global fight against climate change, however, agricultural practices that mitigate or adapt to a changing climate will need to receive increased research, attention, and investment in the coming years.