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G.K. Nair

Strengthening crop systems to climate variability is key priority for FAO

Kochi , Nov. 19

Converting biomass such as wood and crop residue, grass, straw and brushwood into fuel with the right technologies, could result in abundant supply of clean, low-cost energy, while helping spur economic development in rural communities, raise farmers' incomes and improve food security, according to FAO.

Crops such as sugarcane, corn and soyabean are already being used to produce ethanol or bio-diesel. "There is likely to be a significant transition towards bio-fuels during the next 50 years, with agriculture and forestry among the leading sources for both liquid and solid fuels," an FAO representative has said. "Although there is no single solution for all countries, bio-energy has a role to play in both climate change adaptation and mitigation," he added.

Climate change

Climate change will affect future food availability and ,therefore, adapting agriculture, forestry and fisheries policies and practices to climate variability has acquired momentum.

According to Mr Paulino Camarada, FAO Representative in Kenya, there are a number of areas where FAO's expertise can contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change.

Climate change will directly affect future food availability and compound the difficulties of feeding the world's rapidly growing population, FAO said at the opening of a UN climate change conference on November 6 in Nairobi.

In an address to the conference's scientific and technical body, the FAO Representative in Kenya stressed that greater attention must be given to the impact of climate change on agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and on mitigation and adaptation measures.

Tech support

He highlighted FAO's recent hosting of a UN Framework Convention on Climate Change workshop on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation in developing countries and emphasised the organisation's readiness to provide technical support in this area. Working to strengthen the resilience of crop systems to climate variability is a key priority for FAO, he said.

According to Mr Camarada, there are a number of areas where FAO's expertise can contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change.

Forest management

In fact, better forest management can play a key role in global efforts to deal with climate change. When over-harvested and burned, forests become sources of the greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, forests and the wood they produce capture and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, playing a major role in mitigating climate change, he said.

Tools & info

According to him, FAO's most effective contributions in the area of climate change adaptation lie in providing countries with tools and information for adapting their agriculture, fisheries and forestry policies and practices to changing climate regimes. This includes agro-meteorological data and tools for assessing the impact of extreme weather and for guiding adaptation; vulnerability assessment tools; land cover mapping; global assessments of crop and forest resources; and guidance on rural livelihood development related to cropping decisions by farmers.

He said that FAO's International Bio-energy Platform and its recent agreement with the Government of Italy to host the Global Bio-energy Partnership are important first steps towards promoting the sustainable and equitable development and use of bio-energy.

More Stories on : Regulatory Bodies & Rulings | Climate & Weather | Non-conventional Energy | Foods & Food Processing

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