EINNEWS, December 6—As representatives of the world’s nations wrestle at the Cancun conference with a strategy to slow climate change, a ray of hope was shed on an unlikely source: world agriculture.
By most scientific estimates, agricultural practices account for a considerable percentage of the greenhouse gases warming the planet. But an address by Inger Anderson, World Bank vice president on sustainable development, raised the possibility that agriculture could be part of the solution.
Speaking at Agriculture and Rural Development Day, an event held in connection with the UN Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico, Anderson outlined a scenario in which changes in government and agricultural industry policy and practices could lower emissions.
He drew on experiences in China and elsewhere to illustrate his argument.
Sixteen years ago, China, with World Bank assistance, set out to turn the nation’s Loess Plateau from a silt covered plain into fertile agricultural land. Silt dams were built to control drainage and water flow, terracing was created for fruit trees and grass to halt erosion. The area is recovering its viability and sending less harmful carbon into the atmosphere.
He also pointed to projects in Ethiopia, Malawi, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Niger and Zambia where small landholders had switched to energy efficient stoves that lower use of wood for fuel and contribute to healthier agro-forestry, integrating trees into food crops and livestock systems.
“In this way, a green cover on the land is sustained throughout the year,” said Anderson. “These systems bolster nutrient supply through nitrogen fixation and water conservation, and they increase the direct production of food, fodder, fuel, fiber and income from products under these trees.”
A theme running through all of the presentations was that underdeveloped nations in Africa and elsewhere should not rely solely on traditional methods but rather should look for ways to integrate indigenous knowledge with newer science-based techniques.
African agriculture is moving ahead with the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program which focuses on four key areas: land and water management, market access, food supply and hunger and agriculture research.
Dr Josué Dioné, the director of food security and sustainable development division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, noted that CAADP will strengthen the agriculture sector in Africa and improve food security, but he warned though that countries should come up with climate-proof programs to secure gains.
“Climate change in Africa is both a challenge and opportunity,” said Dioné. “By using the best practices to counter the impact of climate change, we could stop importing food for our people.”
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