Theo friedrich -_ca_for_cc_adaptation_in_eap

Conservation Agriculture

for Climate Change Adaptation

in East Asia and the Pacific

Theodor FRIEDRICH

Plant Production and Protection Division

(AGP)

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Climate Change and Adaptation in Agriculture for East Asia and the Pacific Region:

Issues & Options

FAO-WB Expert Group Meeting, Rome, May 16-17, 2011

outline

• Introduction

• CA globally and regionally

• CA for CC adaptation/mitigation

• Policy and Investment

• Conclusions

introduction

• Challenge to feed the world

• Natural resource base dwindling

• Sustainability: no option but necessity; link/integrateproduction with sustainability

• One new strategic goal of FAO:Sustainable Crop ProductionIntensification (SCPI)

• CA is the core strategy of SCPI = applied sustainable agriculture

FAO definition: www.fao.org/ag/ca

Conservation Agriculture (CA)is an approach to managing agro-

ecosystems for improved and

sustained productivity, increased

profits and food security while

preserving and enhancing the

resource base and the

environment. CA is characterized

by three linked principles, namely:

1. Continuous minimum mechanical soil disturbance.

2. Permanent organic soil cover.

3. Diversification of crop species grown in sequences and/or

associations.

CA globally and regionally

CA: more than just no-till: “never till”

• with other best practices (IPM, IPNM, IC-

LS, agroforestry, ...) it is sustainable

agriculture and ecosystem management

• organic matter and carbon recycling

• biodiversity

(rotation, soil life)

• biological

processes

• climate change

adaptation and

mitigation


Advantages for the farmer:

Farmer’s livelihood

• less machinery cost

• 70% fuel saving

• 50% labour saving

• 20-50 % input saving

• less drudgery

• stable yields, food security

= better livelihood/income


100

Dustbowl

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) –

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an

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firs

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ill d

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imb

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razil

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ireto

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alh

a

exp

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ts i

n C

hin

a, In

do

gan

geti

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lain

s

New

bo

ost:

Can

ad

a, A

ustr

ali

a,

Kazakh

sta

n,

Ru

ssia

, C

hin

a, F

inla

nd

...;

Afr

ica

Arg

en

tin

a,

Para

gu

ay;

1980 1990

Fir

st

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e U

S

IITA

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50

Mil

l. h

aHistory and Adoption of CA

1970


USA 26.5

Canada 13.5

Australia 17

Europe 1

Kazakhstan 1

Africa 0.5

Brazil 26

Conservation Agriculture worldwide 117 Million ha

Argentina 26

Paraguay 2.5

China 1

tropical savannah

continental, dry

temperate, moist

temperate, moist

continental, dry

irrigated

smallholder

smallholder

smallholder

arid

aridlarge scale

large scale

large scale

large scale

large scale

large scale

subtropical, dry

tropical savannah

other LA 2

>50%

<25%

>70%

up to 90%


Climate Change: Higher variability

= less reliable rainfall

extreme precipitation

extended drought periods

CA for CC adaptation

Response strategy for Adaptation

Increase the resilience through:

• diversity in the cropping

• diversity in the overall production

• higher flexibility/more timely operations

• agronomic practices that work for drought,

rain, heat, cold, wind


Diversity = rotations = long term profit

• different rooting structures

• pest and desease management

• weed management

• soil cover/residue managment strategy

• higher long term productivity, risk

reduction

CA globally

...a challenge

which needs a

community

solution!

Fodder

Firewood

Livestock is pride

...maintaining soil cover in dry lands

CA globally

no-till tillage

same removal

Adaptation extreme events:

• Erosion:

stubbel, mulch, crops

aggregate stability (OM)

• Heat: mulch

• Frost: mulch


Adaptation to drought:

• better rooting

• snow catching with residues

• more water in soils

(1 % OM = 150 m3/ha)

• reduced water losses

(evaporation)

• better efficiency

(water/crop -30%)


Adaptation to heavy rain:

• water recharge (biopores)

• water quality (leaching/erosion)

• better infiltration (flooding)


CA CC-mitigation options:

• Sequestration:

Maximize soil as carbon sink• reduce soil carbon emissions

• maximise biomass production

• enhance soil carbon input

• Emission reduction:• Rice – methane (no flooding)

• Nitrous oxide (N-, compaction management)

• Fuel emissions

• Emissions from input manufacturing

CA for CC mitigation

Experiences in DPR Korea and China

Policy and Institutional Support

Soya Wheat

Maize

Cabbage

Policy and Institutional Support

RicePotato

Policy and Investment

Policies:

• China: CA mentioned in number 1 party

document

• CA promoted to prevent dust storms around

Beijing before the Olympic games

• Subsidies for mechanization exclude

ploughs; priority to no-till seeding equipment

• DPR Korea: CA promoted by Ministry of

Agriculture and the Academy of Sciences as

approach to sustainable and intensive

agriculture

Policy and Investment

Investments:

Overall CA is profitable for farmers

Initial investment requirements

• Capacity building: depending on extension (5 – 50 $/farmer; 100%?)

• Equipment: 100-200 $/ha for seed-drills(50% based on Chinese equipment; 10 years depreciation, 2 weeks planting window)

• evtl. soil rehabilitation: 50-200 $/ha(lime, herbicide, fertilizer, subsoiling)

• Investment offset: fuel and emission savings/carbon sequestration; disaster risk

• Total: China 500 mill. farmers, 140 mill. ha arbl. landDPRK 3 mill. farmers, 2.5 mill. ha arbl. land

Financial Benefits of Conservation Agriculture

Wheat Production in Northern Kazakhstan (IRR = 28%)

-400

-300

-200

-100

0

100

200

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Years

US

$/h

a

Investment

Tillage saving

Higher yield

Chemical weeding

Benefit

CA globally - impact

conclusions

Conclusions:

CA -

• is universally applicable/location specific

• is really existing on 8% of farmland

• is growing exponentially

• is compatible with MDGs, UN conventions

and FAO’s strategic objectives

• is productive and sustainable (win-win)

• is responding to climatic challenges

• requires supportive policies for

accelerated adoption

Thank you for your attention!

More information:

http://www.fao.org/ag/ca

With CA

Agriculture can be part of the solutions,

not of the problem!

Theo friedrich -_ca_for_cc_adaptation_in_eap

Education

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