Building Knowledge to Help Farmers Address Climate Change (3 of 4) - Thomas Rosswall, CGIAR

farmingfirst.org

Interview with Thomas Rosswall, Chairman of the CGIAR Challenge Programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).

Many of the solutions for helping farmers address climate change already exist. These successes need to be scaled up, and they must reach the farmers who need them the most.

In addition to investments in road infrastructure linking farms to markets, solutions include integrated crop and pest management, no-till agriculture, intercropping, improved seeds, fertilizer best management practices and investment in storage facilities protecting crops after harvest.

But we must also use our current field of knowledge as the basis for further research and innovation to invent the necessary adaptation and mitigation solutions for the future. For instance, researchers are beginning to use new satellite technology to determine what type of farming techniques are being used. When matched with other agronomic and meteorological information, this mapping system can determine the amount of carbon being captured in the soil (the basis for a voluntary agricultural carbon trading scheme) and can supply farmers with more locally appropriate advice such as when to apply inputs, in what quantity to apply them, and when to harvest.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• thomas rosswall
• climate
• climate change
• agriculture
• food security
• farming first
• knowledge
• mitigation
• adaptation
• CGIAR