CGIAR Improves Farmers’ Resilience in the Face of Climate Shocks – Global Issues
BAKU, Nov 16 (IPS) – As COP29 talks continue in Baku, agricultural leaders are highlighting the need for climate-responsive and data-driven solutions to support disadvantaged farmers and low-income communities.
In an exclusive interview with Inter Press Service (IPS), Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Director of the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR), discusses the impact of digital tools, precision agriculture, and low-emission food systems in achieving sustainable profitability. and an equitable food future.
Inter Press Service: How useful are digital tools in supporting disadvantaged farmers?
Ismahane Elouafi: Digital tools offer great potential, especially in bridging the information gap between agricultural experts and rural farmers who often lack access to information. Over the past few decades, funding for traditional extension services has dwindled, so digital solutions in local languages can fill this gap. Imagine a farmer receiving real-time advice about water management, soil fertility, or disease in a language they understand—this could revolutionize small-scale farming. Additionally, precision farming, which tunes inputs to specific locations and soil types, allows for customized farming strategies that maximize both resources and yields.
IPS: Can you explain how precision agriculture works in practice?
Elouafi: Precision farming allows us to deliver the exact inputs—water, nutrients, or fertilizers—that are needed to a specific location. This approach minimizes waste and impact on the environment, and is particularly useful in regions where resources are scarce. For example, if a plant needs 20 milliliters of water for one square meter but only 10 milliliters for several kilometers, precision agriculture ensures that we do not overuse resources. Ultimately, the goal is to increase productivity in a sustainable way, producing more output per hectare with less input, especially in a time when climate pressures demand that we pay attention to environmental impacts.
IPS: How important is biodiversity to sustainable farming systems?
Elouafi: Resilience means that after a shock—drought, flood, or even conflict—farmers can bounce back and continue to produce. CGIAR’s focus is to provide the tools, technology, and genetic resources that make this possible. We have developed flood-resistant varieties of rice and drought-tolerant maize, helping farmers maintain yields despite climate pressures. Another important feature is micro-irrigation, which allows farmers to cope with drought by providing more water, ensuring sustainability and food security.
IPS: He talked about low-energy diet plans. How can agriculture contribute to climate goals?
Elouafi: Agriculture is responsible for about 33 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases. By switching to low emission practices, we can significantly reduce methane and other pollutants. For example, traditional rice fields release a lot of methane. However, alternative methods of wetting and drying can reduce methane emissions by 30 percent while increasing productivity by 33 percent. In livestock, using specific forages and learning about animal microbiomes can reduce methane emissions by 60 percent. Agriculture is uniquely positioned to absorb carbon through practices such as cover cropping and biodiversity, which are important for mitigating climate change.
IPS: Can the use of the Internet and data improve climate security?
Elouafi: Definitely. Digital access and internet availability in rural areas can provide timely weather information, such as rainfall forecasts, empowering farmers to make better cropping decisions. With projects like Elon Musk’s nanosatellite network expanding Internet access, disadvantaged farmers can increase weather data. CGIAR also focuses on producing accurate data for the Global South, as existing climate models tend to rely on data from the Global North, which do not reflect the reality in areas such as Sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia. Our data can inform region-specific climate strategies, which can be implemented.
IPS: How does CGIAR support innovation and resilience in vulnerable areas?
Elouafi: CGIAR operates the largest publicly funded international agricultural research network, with a focus on low-income countries. Our mission is to close the yield gap between high- and low-income countries by providing a range of innovations: drought-resistant varieties, micro-irrigation, processing improvements, and market access. By helping farmers integrate these innovations, we ensure they are sustainable and have a stable income. Additionally, our research helps policy makers design better frameworks to support smallholder farmers and promote sustainable agri-food systems.
IPS: What do you hope COP29 will achieve in improving agricultural and climate systems?
Elouafi: COP29 should continue the momentum from COP28, where the UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agricultural Food Systems was endorsed by 160 countries. Agriculture, food, and water systems must be central to climate negotiations. As we look towards COP30 in Brazil, with its expertise in renewable and climate-smart agriculture, I hope we will continue to see agriculture as part of the climate problem but as an important solution to it. Climate adaptation in agriculture is non-negotiable—lives and livelihoods depend on it.
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© Inter Press Service (2024) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
