Salinization is a major problem affecting over 62 million hectares of land worldwide and costing $27.3 billion annually in lost crop yields. Marginal lands, which make up a large portion of the world's agricultural lands, are particularly vulnerable to issues like salinization due to their poor soil quality and lack of access to resources. The International Center for Biosaline Agriculture is working to develop innovative solutions like integrated soil management practices and salt-tolerant crop varieties to help improve food security and livelihoods in these marginal areas affected by salinity and water scarcity.
Presentation from Ephraim Nkonya from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) gives an overview of water management practices, relevant to the context of smallholder farming, that are able to both increase water use efficiency and the provision of ecosystem services. The presentation was prepared and delivered in occasion of the International Symposium on Agroecology for Food Security and Nutrition, held at FAO in Rome on 18-19 September 2014.
Global Soil Biodiversity: Status, gaps and way forward Ms Monica Kobayashi, FAOSoils FAO-GSP
This webinar aims to discuss the global status, gaps and multiple benefits of soil biodiversity as a key contributor in sustaining life in this planet.
Petaluma Community Guild Guild Compost Forum — Will Bakx: Carbon FarmingPetaluma Grange
Slide presentation from Will Bakx, CEO of Sonoma Compost and organizing member of the Sonoma County Compost Coalition. Delivered at the Petaluma Community Guild's public forum — "Compost in the North Bay: A Public Forum & Solution Showcase" — April 27, 2016 at the Petaluma Historical Museum.
The status and challenges of global soil fertility and the use of fertilizersSoils FAO-GSP
Webinar: Towards the implementation of the International Code of Conduct for the Sustainable Use and Management of Fertilizers (Fertilizer Code). Zineb Bazza (GSP Secretariat. Gary Pierzynski (ITPS and Ohio University)
Presentation from Ephraim Nkonya from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) gives an overview of water management practices, relevant to the context of smallholder farming, that are able to both increase water use efficiency and the provision of ecosystem services. The presentation was prepared and delivered in occasion of the International Symposium on Agroecology for Food Security and Nutrition, held at FAO in Rome on 18-19 September 2014.
Global Soil Biodiversity: Status, gaps and way forward Ms Monica Kobayashi, FAOSoils FAO-GSP
This webinar aims to discuss the global status, gaps and multiple benefits of soil biodiversity as a key contributor in sustaining life in this planet.
Petaluma Community Guild Guild Compost Forum — Will Bakx: Carbon FarmingPetaluma Grange
Slide presentation from Will Bakx, CEO of Sonoma Compost and organizing member of the Sonoma County Compost Coalition. Delivered at the Petaluma Community Guild's public forum — "Compost in the North Bay: A Public Forum & Solution Showcase" — April 27, 2016 at the Petaluma Historical Museum.
The status and challenges of global soil fertility and the use of fertilizersSoils FAO-GSP
Webinar: Towards the implementation of the International Code of Conduct for the Sustainable Use and Management of Fertilizers (Fertilizer Code). Zineb Bazza (GSP Secretariat. Gary Pierzynski (ITPS and Ohio University)
Best Practices In Land And Water ManagementJosé Jump
Government organizations need to serve farmer clients in more interdisciplinary and participatory ways
Re-orient agriculture and rural development programmes to promote and nurture active participation of farmers and their organizations
Target the production chain: GAP-LWM productivity + food quality markets health and nutrition
Participatory research and support services to facilitate transition from conventional agriculture to GAP-LWM
Restructure inappropriate macro-economic and agricultural policies
Adopt policies that promote and enforce sustainable and productive land and water use through GAP protocols
Protect the integrity of agricultural families – land tenure, build on indigenous knowledge, promote youth in agriculture, reduce labour/drudgery
Adjust legislation to facilitate initiatives of local groups adopting GAP (help meet their needs)
Towards the implementation of the Fertilizer Code at the global levelSoils FAO-GSP
Webinar: Towards the implementation of the International Code of Conduct for the Sustainable Use and Management of Fertilizers (Fertilizer Code). Zineb Bazza (GSP Secretariat
Presentation by Prof Paul Mapfumo. Presented during a pre - SBSTA meeting on CSA Alliance: Building Climate Change Resilience in Africa held on 30th May 2014 in Bonn, Germany http://ccafs.cgiar.org/csa-alliance-building-climate-change-resilience-africa#.U42GUihCCTs
Soil erosion is one of the major challenges of Ethiopia deteriorating the productivity of land. Soil and water conservation (SWC) is the only practice to reverse the threat and protect the land. Over the last three decades, different soil and water conservation activities have been undertaken. However, soil erosion still persists and become major threats of Ethiopian farmers. Despite the massive mobilization of resources for SWC, only very few farmers have been practicing integrated soil and water conservation measures for restoration of degraded agricultural land. In addition, there is lack of information among farmers on the impact of SWC on soil fertility improvement and soil nutrient content dynamics. This study was conducted in Kofele district, which is one of AGP district, in West Arsi Zones of Oromia. The study was aimed to demonstrate the impact of integrated Soil and water conservation measures in restoring degraded agricultural land. Dasho and Elephant grasses were planted on graded soil bund as an integration measures at four farmers field. Farmer’s field visit was arranged two times in two years to share practical experiences among the farmers and DA. It was also identified that soil nutrient contents in terms of total nitrogen, available phosphorous, available potassium and soil organic carbon content showed an increasing trend since establishment (2016). On the other hand, this kind of soil and water conservation practices on agricultural land showed promising way of carbon sequestration as the climate change mitigation strategy. The study recommended the use of integrated soil and water conservation measures as strategy of rehabilitating degraded agricultural land as apart of integrated water shed management.
5. Bhungroo: Water Management solutions to support diversified cropping syste...World Agroforestry (ICRAF)
5. Bhungroo: Water Management solutions to support diversified cropping systems for men and women in northern Ghana (Presented by Paa Kofi Osei-Owusu of Conservation Alliance International) presented at #AASW7 Kigali
Farm Nutrient Monitoring: A case of Wakiso District, Central Uganda.Dr. Joshua Zake
Soil fertility depletion is a major constraint for agricultural productivity under smallholder farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa.
The NUTMON toolbox was used to determine on-farm nutrient balances in Central Uganda to come up with plausible recommendations to advance increased soil productivity and household food security and incomes among smallholder farming systems in Wakiso district.
Farm balances for major nutrients (N, P, K) at crop level (Primary Production Units – PPU) for major crops i.e. banana, sweat potatoes, beans and maize were all negative during the monitoring period, thus indicating a net mining of nutrients through crop harvest.
Soil fertility is the backbone of agriculture systems and plays a key role in determining food quantity and quality. The intension of soil fertility management is to improve soil buffering capacity and to reduce soil degradation. Soil health is fundamental for a healthy food production. It provides essential nutrients, water, oxygen and support to the roots, all elements that favor the growth and development of plants for food production. Now the Indian population is 1.37 billion (Census India gov.in) Land area availability is 3.287 million km2. Net cultivable area is 143 million ha. Degraded land in India around 141 million ha. Per capita land availability is 0.3 ha per farmer (Indian express Nov 6,2009). Food grain supply 234.0 million tons, food grain demand 236.2 million tones (Praduman Kumar et al.,2016). In the year 2019 Global Hunger Index(GHI), India ranks 102nd out of 117 qualifying countries. With a score of 30.3, India suffers from a level of hunger that is serious (Global Hunger Index Organization). Nearly 1 billion people around the world suffer from hunger. Soil management is important, both directly and indirectly, to crop productivity, environmental sustainability, and human health (Mittal et al., 2008). To achieve future food security, the management of soils in a sustainable manner will be the challenge, through proper nutrient management and appropriate conservation practices. Such as maintain soil organic carbon, effective utilization of natural resources, use of non-monetary input like LEISA etc., will be the better option to fulfils the ever-growing population’s food and nutritional security.
Ensuring climate resilience of agro-ecosystems and sustainable management of ...ICARDA
Dr. Rachid MRABET
Research Director
INRA Rabat
Cop 22 - Session November 16th 2016, Coping with Climate Change in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region Meeting future food demand through SCIENCE & INNOVATION
Resource utilization and managing conflict in the pastoral community of Ethio...ILRI
Presentation by Dr Tilahun Amede for the 5th All Africa Conference on Animal Agriculture and the 18th Annual Meeting of the Ethiopian Society of Animal Production (ESAP), Addis Ababa, October 25-28, 2010.
Best Practices In Land And Water ManagementJosé Jump
Government organizations need to serve farmer clients in more interdisciplinary and participatory ways
Re-orient agriculture and rural development programmes to promote and nurture active participation of farmers and their organizations
Target the production chain: GAP-LWM productivity + food quality markets health and nutrition
Participatory research and support services to facilitate transition from conventional agriculture to GAP-LWM
Restructure inappropriate macro-economic and agricultural policies
Adopt policies that promote and enforce sustainable and productive land and water use through GAP protocols
Protect the integrity of agricultural families – land tenure, build on indigenous knowledge, promote youth in agriculture, reduce labour/drudgery
Adjust legislation to facilitate initiatives of local groups adopting GAP (help meet their needs)
Towards the implementation of the Fertilizer Code at the global levelSoils FAO-GSP
Webinar: Towards the implementation of the International Code of Conduct for the Sustainable Use and Management of Fertilizers (Fertilizer Code). Zineb Bazza (GSP Secretariat
Presentation by Prof Paul Mapfumo. Presented during a pre - SBSTA meeting on CSA Alliance: Building Climate Change Resilience in Africa held on 30th May 2014 in Bonn, Germany http://ccafs.cgiar.org/csa-alliance-building-climate-change-resilience-africa#.U42GUihCCTs
Soil erosion is one of the major challenges of Ethiopia deteriorating the productivity of land. Soil and water conservation (SWC) is the only practice to reverse the threat and protect the land. Over the last three decades, different soil and water conservation activities have been undertaken. However, soil erosion still persists and become major threats of Ethiopian farmers. Despite the massive mobilization of resources for SWC, only very few farmers have been practicing integrated soil and water conservation measures for restoration of degraded agricultural land. In addition, there is lack of information among farmers on the impact of SWC on soil fertility improvement and soil nutrient content dynamics. This study was conducted in Kofele district, which is one of AGP district, in West Arsi Zones of Oromia. The study was aimed to demonstrate the impact of integrated Soil and water conservation measures in restoring degraded agricultural land. Dasho and Elephant grasses were planted on graded soil bund as an integration measures at four farmers field. Farmer’s field visit was arranged two times in two years to share practical experiences among the farmers and DA. It was also identified that soil nutrient contents in terms of total nitrogen, available phosphorous, available potassium and soil organic carbon content showed an increasing trend since establishment (2016). On the other hand, this kind of soil and water conservation practices on agricultural land showed promising way of carbon sequestration as the climate change mitigation strategy. The study recommended the use of integrated soil and water conservation measures as strategy of rehabilitating degraded agricultural land as apart of integrated water shed management.
5. Bhungroo: Water Management solutions to support diversified cropping syste...World Agroforestry (ICRAF)
5. Bhungroo: Water Management solutions to support diversified cropping systems for men and women in northern Ghana (Presented by Paa Kofi Osei-Owusu of Conservation Alliance International) presented at #AASW7 Kigali
Farm Nutrient Monitoring: A case of Wakiso District, Central Uganda.Dr. Joshua Zake
Soil fertility depletion is a major constraint for agricultural productivity under smallholder farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa.
The NUTMON toolbox was used to determine on-farm nutrient balances in Central Uganda to come up with plausible recommendations to advance increased soil productivity and household food security and incomes among smallholder farming systems in Wakiso district.
Farm balances for major nutrients (N, P, K) at crop level (Primary Production Units – PPU) for major crops i.e. banana, sweat potatoes, beans and maize were all negative during the monitoring period, thus indicating a net mining of nutrients through crop harvest.
Soil fertility is the backbone of agriculture systems and plays a key role in determining food quantity and quality. The intension of soil fertility management is to improve soil buffering capacity and to reduce soil degradation. Soil health is fundamental for a healthy food production. It provides essential nutrients, water, oxygen and support to the roots, all elements that favor the growth and development of plants for food production. Now the Indian population is 1.37 billion (Census India gov.in) Land area availability is 3.287 million km2. Net cultivable area is 143 million ha. Degraded land in India around 141 million ha. Per capita land availability is 0.3 ha per farmer (Indian express Nov 6,2009). Food grain supply 234.0 million tons, food grain demand 236.2 million tones (Praduman Kumar et al.,2016). In the year 2019 Global Hunger Index(GHI), India ranks 102nd out of 117 qualifying countries. With a score of 30.3, India suffers from a level of hunger that is serious (Global Hunger Index Organization). Nearly 1 billion people around the world suffer from hunger. Soil management is important, both directly and indirectly, to crop productivity, environmental sustainability, and human health (Mittal et al., 2008). To achieve future food security, the management of soils in a sustainable manner will be the challenge, through proper nutrient management and appropriate conservation practices. Such as maintain soil organic carbon, effective utilization of natural resources, use of non-monetary input like LEISA etc., will be the better option to fulfils the ever-growing population’s food and nutritional security.
Ensuring climate resilience of agro-ecosystems and sustainable management of ...ICARDA
Dr. Rachid MRABET
Research Director
INRA Rabat
Cop 22 - Session November 16th 2016, Coping with Climate Change in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region Meeting future food demand through SCIENCE & INNOVATION
Resource utilization and managing conflict in the pastoral community of Ethio...ILRI
Presentation by Dr Tilahun Amede for the 5th All Africa Conference on Animal Agriculture and the 18th Annual Meeting of the Ethiopian Society of Animal Production (ESAP), Addis Ababa, October 25-28, 2010.
Priorities for Public Sector Research on Food Security and Natural Resources Report Presentation by Frank Place, ICRAF and Alexandre Meybeck, FAO
on April 12, 2013 at the Food Security Futures Conference in Dublin, Ireland.
What lasting solutions to desertification - land degration issues lecture i...Luc Gnacadja
What lasting solutions to Desertification Land degradation and Drought issues in the context of "The Future We Want"?
Outline
1). Land as a strategic commodity in the Nexus of Poverty-Food-Energy-Water
2). Understanding Land degradation, Desertification and Drought
3). The UNCCD from Rio Summit (1992) to Rio+20
4). Land-degradation neutral world: a holistic framework for lasting solutions?
5). The reasons for hope
Ecosystem services and resilience in large-scale agricultural landscapesBioversity International
A presentation given by Silvia Wood and Fabrice DeClerk on behalf of Bioversity International. Read more about our work on Agricultural Ecosystems here: http://www.bioversityinternational.org/research-portfolio/agricultural-ecosystems/
Item 6: International Center for Biosaline AgricultureExternalEvents
SOIL ATLAS OF ASIA
2ND EDITORIAL BOARD MEETING
RURAL DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES,
JEONJU, REPUBLIC OF KOREA | 29 APRIL – 3 MAY 2019
T9: ICBA’s Experience and Partnership, By Shoaib Ismail, ICBA ,UAE, Land and Water Days in Near East & North Africa, 15-18 December 2013, Amman, Jordan
28.soil sustainability for food security A Lecture By Mr. Allah Dad Khan Vis...Mr.Allah Dad Khan
28.soil sustainability for food security A Lecture By Mr. Allah Dad Khan Visiting Professor the University of Agriculture Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province Pakistan
The French Revolution, which began in 1789, was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France. It marked the decline of absolute monarchies, the rise of secular and democratic republics, and the eventual rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. This revolutionary period is crucial in understanding the transition from feudalism to modernity in Europe.
For more information, visit-www.vavaclasses.com
Synthetic Fiber Construction in lab .pptxPavel ( NSTU)
Synthetic fiber production is a fascinating and complex field that blends chemistry, engineering, and environmental science. By understanding these aspects, students can gain a comprehensive view of synthetic fiber production, its impact on society and the environment, and the potential for future innovations. Synthetic fibers play a crucial role in modern society, impacting various aspects of daily life, industry, and the environment. ynthetic fibers are integral to modern life, offering a range of benefits from cost-effectiveness and versatility to innovative applications and performance characteristics. While they pose environmental challenges, ongoing research and development aim to create more sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. Understanding the importance of synthetic fibers helps in appreciating their role in the economy, industry, and daily life, while also emphasizing the need for sustainable practices and innovation.
Welcome to TechSoup New Member Orientation and Q&A (May 2024).pdfTechSoup
In this webinar you will learn how your organization can access TechSoup's wide variety of product discount and donation programs. From hardware to software, we'll give you a tour of the tools available to help your nonprofit with productivity, collaboration, financial management, donor tracking, security, and more.
Embracing GenAI - A Strategic ImperativePeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
Coping with Marginality and Salinization for Sustainable Food Security
1. Coping with Marginality and Salinization for
Sustainable Food Security
Dr. Ismahane Elouafi
Director General
International Center for Biosaline Agriculture
GSP General Assembly
May 23, 2016
2. Actual Status of Land
“…the majority of the world’s soil resources are only in fair, poor or very
poor condition and conditions are getting worse in far more cases than
they are improving.”
FAO-ITPS report “Status of the World’s Soil Resources”, 2015
7. Cost Of Salinization
Year Irrigated area (m ha) Salt affected area
(m ha)
Loss from salt
affected areas (in
USD)
1995 227 45.4 12 billion
2002 277 55.4 14.6 billion
2002 (+inflation) 19.1 billion
2013
(FAO-AQUASTAT)
310 62 27.3 billion
9. What Is Marginality?
“an involuntary position and condition of an individual or group at the
margins of social, political, economic, ecological and biophysical
systems, preventing them from access to resources, assets, services,
restraining freedom of choice, preventing the development of capabilities,
and eventually causing extreme poverty.”
Gatzweiler et al. 2011
Marginality is:
14. Projected Water Scarcity
Scarcity of water in dryland countries to produce crops, forages and
fuel wood.
Increase in water withdrawals by 2025
50%
Developing
Countries
18%
Developed
Countries
By 2025, 1.8 billion
people will be living in
countries or regions with
absolute water scarcity,
and two-thirds
of the world
population could be
under stress
conditions.
19. Innovative Solutions: Advocacy & Policy
• FAO promotes sustainable soil management since
1950
• FAO as a source of knowledge and information
• GSP has created a unified voice for soils. It
emphasizes the central role of soil resources as a
basis for food security and ecosystem services
• Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management
20. Innovative Solutions: Integrated Approaches
To Reclamation
Physical
Leveling
Scraping
Subsoiling
Sanding
Planting Method
Biological
Green Manuring
Mulching
Biosaline
Agriculture
Hydrologic
al
Leaching
Flushing
Irrigation
Drainage
Chemical
Amendment
Soil conditioning
Fertilizers
21. Innovative Solutions: Key Technologies
Land Management
Technologies
Soil
Surveying and
Mapping
Integrated
Nutrient
Management
22. Innovative Solutions: Biosaline Agriculture
Brackish and saline
water
Marginal and
saline land
Irrigated/supplementary
irrigated agriculture
Salt-tolerant plant
production systems
24. Use Of Non-conventional Water Resources
Treated wastewater
Brackish water
Reject water from mining
Sea water
25. ICBA - Agriculture For Tomorrow
Climate Change
Impact and
Management
Crop Productivity and
Diversification
Natural Resources
Assessment and
Management
26. A unique Center of Excellence looking at Agriculture
for Tomorrow
Thank you
For more information and ICBA publications visit:
www.biosaline.com
International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) is an international, non-profit organization that aims to strengthen agricultural productivity in
marginal and saline environments through identifying, testing and facilitating access to sustainable solutions for food, nutrition and income security.
Editor's Notes
Abstract: Increasing marginality of agricultural production systems is emerging as the major constraint to enhance productivity at the farm level, thus resulting in enormous food and nutrition security challenges and placing productive land into degradation. Marginality or marginal environments include bio-physical constraints, and/or social and economic constraints. The FAO-ITPS “Status of the World’s Soil Resources” report’s conclusion was that “the majority of the world’s soil resources are only in fair, poor or very poor condition and conditions are getting worse in far more cases than they are improving”.
Zooming on salinity per se shows that about 20% of the global irrigated agriculture is affected by salinization. This situation causes an annual loss of about US$38.4 billion. To cope with this situation, biosaline agriculture (BA) may be considered one of the viable options. The BA is an integrated approach that includes physical, chemical, and biological reclamation methods, as well as integration of production systems. The success of BA lies in the use of diversified non-conventional (usually salt-tolerant native species) production systems combined with proper management systems to improve farm profitability. This is a potential niche that can improve food security in marginal and saline environments and subsequently improve food security at large.
Soil threat as outlined in the newly published FAO-ITPS report “Status of the World’s Soil Resources”
Salinity is accumulation of salts in the soil. It affects irrigated lands and water-logged lands with poor drainage. As water at the surface evaporates, it leaves behind traces of various salts.
It can be resolved by flushing fresh water through the soils (“washing” them), or building drainage systems (expensive infrastructure) lack of water or no drainage infrastructure means that it is difficult to reverse salinization once it has begun.
Best available data is from the 1990s. Since then, data is available for only places with good monitoring (USA) or relatively well documented irrigation systems (North Africa).
The scope of the problem is unknown & likely exceeds available estimates.
An average of 2,000 ha of irrigated land in arid and semi-arid areas is degraded by salt every day.
Today about 62m ha (20%) of the world’s irrigated lands are affected.
Source: UNU, FAO; FAO, IIASA, 2008
Yield reductions from salinity can be extreme. There are estimates that in Central Asia (where up to 50% of the irrigated lands are salinized) salinity costs farmers about 2.7 billion USD per YEAR (Qadir et al. 2014).
Definitions have come from various disciplines: resource management, ecology, social sciences, economics. Some folks think about poverty as a result of personal failures, others think about systemic barriers to improving incomes as examples.
Gatzweiler et al. use marginality to define a framework that integrates different ways of thinking about poverty and its causes.
“Terms which relate to "marginal" areas are frequently used interchangeably and often without definition. The difficulty in formulating a clear definition stems from the fact that "productivity" varies according to the type of land use. A tract of land that is "marginal" for crop production may be well suited for grazing. "Fragile" lands may be sensitive to degradation under cultivation but may be sustainably used for forestry. Furthermore, productivity is not only based on the biophysical characteristics of land, but also depends on the socio-economic parameters of a specific environment. Technologies may be known but the necessary incentives, institutions or inputs may be missing…” CGIAR Research Priorities for Marginal Lands, 1999.
The six dimensions of marginality
Health: <= 50% of children stunted
Economics: GNI < 1005 per capita
Infrastructure: > 10 hours to major cities
Geography: Soils unsuitable for agriculture
Politics: Political stability rating (World Bank)
In 2015, about 795m people were undernourished globally
Of these, 707m live in Southern Asia, Eastern Asia, South-Eastern Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa (89% of the total)
Source: FAO, 2014-2016
1.4bn poor people live on less than US$1.25 a day.
1bn of them live in rural areas where agriculture is their main source of livelihood.
On average, over 25% of GDP comes from agriculture in low-income countries and is much higher in many places.
Source: IFAD-UNEP, 2013; World Bank 2011-2015
2015 was the warmest year since modern record-keeping began in 1880.
15 of the 16 warmest years on record have now occurred since 2001.
Source: NASA, NOAA; WMO
Climate-smart agriculture requires a new thinking about cropping systems with heat- and drought-tolerant species. Increasing the biodiversity of the plants used for agriculture is an important part of adaptation to climate change.
Around 1.2bn people, or almost one-fifth of the world's population, live in areas of physical scarcity, and 500m are approaching this situation.
Another 1.6bn, or almost a quarter of the world's population, face economic water shortage.
Source: UNDP, FAO; WRI Aqueduct, 2014.
Water is not water is not water. What kind of water are we talking about? We must think about non-traditional sources of water.
Water usually refers to just fresh surface or ground water. However, ground water is brackish in the UAE and salinity is an issue in many places due to salt water intrusion along coasts. Ground water is being mined (extracted faster than it can be recharged). So other sources are needed. Waste water from urban sources can be re-used for agriculture (grey water or black water). Urban waste water has been tested on vegetables at ICBA and bacteria counts were below regulation limits except for tomatoes. In the UAE, desalinated water provides all urban water uses, and many farmers use reverse osmosis units at the farm level. Sea water can be used to irrigate some halophytic crops so must be included as a potential alternative water source.
Water scarcity is adding to biophysical marginality.
By 2020, in some African countries, yields from rain-fed agriculture may be reduced by up to 50%.
Global warming has resulted in annual combined losses of 40m tons for six major crops or US$5bn since 1981.
Source: Altieri & Koohafkan, 2008; Center for Global Development; Lobell & Field, 2007, in Gornall et al., 2010.
Estimates of impact are highly sensitive to assumptions made in the modeling but it is clear that countries with fewer financial resources, esp. in SSA, will suffer the worse impacts.
Smallholder farmers:
Manage over 80% of the world’s estimated 500m small farms
Provide over 80% of the food consumed in a large part of the developing world.
1.5bn people live in smallholder households.
Source: IFAD, UNEP, 2013; FAO, 2012
Also: larger farms tend to be on better land; smallholders are usually on more marginal land. Women are more likely to farm the smaller plots, and therefore are more likely to be on marginal lands.
Even in MENA, 30 to 50% of farms are run by women and the numbers are higher in Asia and Africa, but only 5% of extension services are designed for them.
FAO estimates that if women had the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20–30%. This increase could raise total agricultural output in developing countries by 2.5–4% and reduce the number of hungry people in the world by 12–17%, up to 150 million people.
Source: Martini and Dey de Pryck, 2014;
de Schutter, 2013; FAO
Marginal land
(looking back to the dominant land cover and use map, we can observe clear delineation)
- Cultivated land is a leading land use (a fifth or more of the land area) in South and Southeast Asia, Western and Central Europe, and Central America and the Caribbean, but is less important in Sub-Saharan and Northern Africa, where cultivation covers less than a tenth of the area.
Globally, about 0.23 ha of land is cultivated per head of the world’s population. High-income countries cultivate more than twice the area per capita (0.37 ha) than low-income (0.17 ha) countries, while middle-income countries cultivate 0.23 ha per capita.
- In low-income countries, soils are often poorer and only 28% of total cultivated land is classed as prime.
- Increasing marginality of agricultural production systems is emerging as the major constraint to enhance productivity at the farm level, thus resulting in enormous food and nutrition security challenges and placing productive land into degradation.
Quinoa – high protein and high micronutrient content pseudo grain native to the Andes; has high potential to alleviate malnutrition in other parts of the world. Can tolerate a wide range of environments both in temperature and moisture/water. Poor tend to have unvaried diets that are low in protein, zinc, iron etc. and quinoa has higher levels than other grains.
Global initiative on quinoa since 2006 – identification of salt-tolerant now tested in several countries (UAE, Egypt, Morocco, ex).
Quinoa research in the UAE in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Farmers Services Centre.
4 high-yielding, salt-tolerant lines identified by ICBA staff, and ready for cultivation and up-scaling in the UAE and other countries.
Currently in development of a 10-year scaling-up phase to reach MENA and Central Asia in particular.
Salicornia is used as a vegetable (often pickled), animal feed, or a biofuel oil crop (seeds only). It grows in saline environments and can be irrigated with sea water.
Research on using seawater to grow Salicornia for biofuel in collaboration with Masdar and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.
Also used as part of an integrated aquaculture system to re-use brine waste water from reverse osmosis units in the UAE that we want to field test in Morocco or Central Asia in the coming years.
Assessment of NR – water, land, biodiversity
Climate change - Adaptation to climate change, assessment of water resources availability, variability and impact using modeling, GIS and remote sensing, scenarios of climate change impact for policy and decision making
Crop productivity e.g.
Stress-tolerant crops: salinity, drought, and marginal environments
Introduce new and alternative varieties of nutritious crops
Provide best practices in land management, technical support, and advice
Use of alternative water
Hydroponics
Biotechnology
Plant genetic resources
Aquaculture and bioenergy – integrated aquaculture/agriculture using saline water; salinity resistant bioenergy crops e.g. Salicornia
Policies for resilience e.g.
Technical assistance to develop strategies and frameworks
Analyze policies and conduct socioeconomic studies on food and nutrition security; water and land management
Assess opportunities for value adding to market chains