Engagement’s role in building adaptive capacity within the horticultural industry of the Virginia and Northern Adelaide Plains Region

Kylie Fergusen, Jensen Planning and Design

Karla Billington, naturallogic

Key Message – Facilitating climate change adaptation requires localised

and contextual engagement approaches

ENGAGEMENT WITH GROWERS

Science meets psychology meets communication meets industry knowledge

AMLRNRM engaged us to develop a climate change engagement plan for the Virginia and Northern Adelaide Plains region.

We reviewed existing baseline - communication and engagement, levels of vulnerability, adaptive practices, potential climate change impacts

PIRSA, Councils of Mallala, Playford, AMLRNRM, Hortex, Barossa Economic Development Authority commissioned a Horticultural Framework (economics, culture, training, education, land use planning, marketing, business management etc) for the region, engagement was a key component

AMLRNM engaged Graham Green to investigate climate change impacts on horticulture in the region

Background

Know about the industry

1295

632

594470

469

385

206

190

179124 571

Crop Type by Area: 5,114 ha

Potatoes

Olives

Winegrapes

Almonds

Carrots

Lettuce

Onions

Tomatoes

Capsicums

Cucumbers

Other

Know about the growers

Language and culture, age, household income, use of smart phones and computers etc (ABS)

varies geographically and extent

RegionEnglish Greek Italian Punjabi Vietnamese Khmer English

%

Gawler - North 30 0 7 0 0 0 75%

Lewiston - Two Wells 29 12 3 10 11 15 22%

Virginia - Waterloo Corner

213 38 39 23 307 68 27%

Munno Para West - Angle Vale

36 3 25 0 35 6 33%

Total 308 53 74 33 353 89 29%

Share Across Region 29% 5% 7% 3% 34% 8%  

Understand grower knowledge/ business style/cultural attitudes/networks/ local champions

Best engagement tools/activities

Climate change can impact on various domains and sectors for each industry.

Integrated Vulnerability Assessments (IVA) build on conventional risk management by considering not only the impacts associated with climate change, but also the capacity to overcome stress and adapt to changed.

Engage with people about the areas in which they are most vulnerable (priorities vary)

Know about levels of vulnerability (informs what you should be engaging about)

Domain Natural Resources

Agriculture Economy and Transport

Social and Community

Sector Water Resources

Soil health and salinity

Horticulture Field crops Floriculture

Energy Waste Transport Infrastructure Markets

Communications Health Knowledge

ExposureExposure SensitivitySensitivity

Potential ImpactPotential Impact Adaptive Capacity

VulnerabilityVulnerability

Understanding the relationship between exposure, sensitivity, adaptive capacity and vulnerability helps to identify adaption options that address the weakest link within processes (therefore assists what you engage about)

In addressing the weakest link, exposure to the stress is reduced and adaptive capacity is increased.

Vulnerability Assessment

Example of vulnerability assessment

Exposure from heatwaves

Water required for coolingChickens are highly sensitive

Adapt mains water supply, reduced vulnerability

Translating scientific information for community

engagement

How to translate information

Make it as contextual as possible

Let the science speak

for its self

Ensure accuracy of scientific message, providing detail which

ensures it is locally relevant, relevant to the crop or farm management

types, relevant to vulnerability, and in terms used by growers.

Growers think and communicate in terms of:

•Dry years, wet years….rather than percentiles

•Occurrence - i.e. events per year….rather than %

•Total volumes of water (linked to specific crop)…..rather than potential evapotranspiration (mm)

•Within 15 years……rather than by 2030

•Examples, scenarios

Examples

Statements which summarise multiple weather event indicators or management implications are also highly beneficial:

•Optimum growing temperatures for potatoes may reduce by up to 35 days •Approaching harvest time, more days of over 28oC will significantly effect quality •There will be an increase in the need for pre-harvest irrigation to bring soils to an ideal harvest temperature

Translation of scientific information takes a considerable amount of time and should be specifically considered within projects.

In the case of the Virginia project, we translated, summarised, interpreted and extrapolated information in order to achieve the key engagement messages.

Collaborative approach

Engagement in the face of uncertainty

•Growers deal with risk and uncertainty all of the time (weather, insurance, market fluctuations).

•With regard to climate change growers need to have the best information to hand about potential impacts. This information can be divided into different time scales:

• Short term, what and when to plant, pest / plant management, irrigation scheduling;

• Medium term, development of crop cultivars, developing irrigation infrastructure;

• Long term, whether to expand, sell out or relocate business.

•Providing information across all time frames is highly beneficial.

THANKYOU!