By 2030, global food demand is expected to rise by 35%…wow! That’s a huge increase considering the challenges currently posing the agriculture industry globally, especially in developing countries like Nigeria.
In order to feed the world’s population and protect the environment, sustainable agriculture must focus on developing viable rural livelihoods. To overcome each of these obstacles, farmers are essential. Farmers all throughout the world are seriously at risk from climate change. Good weather, including high and low temperatures, rainfall, wind speed, and many other factors, is essential for agriculture. According to estimates, worldwide agriculture productivity could decrease by 17% by 2050 due to climate change. Remember we said earlier that global food demand could rise by 35%, now you see some imbalance in how our future food is secured.
With the endless buzzwords of “climate change” around the globe, one may get scared or frightened of whether the world can really combat the pending damage of climate change, well, the good news is that we can, but with one person at a time. We must begin to create sustainable measures on our farms in order to adapt to climate change.
Farmers particularly see the effects of climate change on a daily basis, but there aren’t many ways to stop this terrible menace. Agriculture, however, offers a singular, little-known way to lessen the number of greenhouse gases trapped in the atmosphere. It has been demonstrated that increasing crop rotations, growing cover crops, reducing tillage, and reintroducing livestock into agricultural production systems can both lower agriculture’s own carbon footprint and absorb extra carbon produced by other industries. The carbon dioxide that was held in the plant and/or soil organic matter is then converted, which improves the soil and increases the ability of the land to produce food in the future. The unusual shortage of rainfall that necessitates artificial irrigation in areas where natural irrigation was previously sufficient is one effect of climate change on agriculture. Excessive wetness is another effect of climate change on agriculture that is just the contrary. Plants are equally susceptible to drought and flooding, and they die in both situations. Increased insecticide use and more water resources are needed due to an increase in pest infestations brought on by high temperatures. Agriculture becomes a very difficult industry to run in marginal areas and African states in particular when the going gets tough.
Here’s how to Adapt to Climate Change
Enhanced Irrigation Efficiency In the absence of rainfall, irrigation is essential for vegetation, and there should be enough water to support steady plant growth. However, better irrigation techniques, particularly drip or tape irrigation, enable farmers to provide needed moisture while using less water. In this context, mulching and crop residue make positive contributions that help to address the problems associated with farming and climate change.
Growing Cover Crops A productive farming technique that encourages water retention, nitrogen fixation, and soil erosion prevention is planting cover crops. Legumes are therefore recognized as crops that contribute to the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into forms that plants may consume. Additionally, cover crops are used as organic manure or as a source of fodder for grazing livestock.
Reducing Tillage A field-management technique called no-till farming disturbs the soil neither significantly nor at all. No-till farming helps farmers and the environment by reducing soil erosion and encouraging carbon sequestration. With this approach, tillage activities and tilling equipment maintenance inputs are reduced, the climate and environment of the soil are improved, and soil depletion is decreased. Increasing Crop Rotation Crop rotation can be defined as the practice of switching up the crops grown in a field each year. A cycle may last for a variable number of years and involve planting different crops in rotation and/or leaving the land fallow to recover. Crop rotation is a time-tested and effective agricultural technique that has shown efficacy in the management of weeds, pests, and chemical use. Crop diversification is advantageous for human gastronomic experiences and environmental biodiversity.
Reintroducing Livestock into Agricultural Production Systems Systems that are integrated can also benefit from adaptation. According to research, integrated systems can increase the resilience of farms for each component considered, as well as improve the local climate by lowering local temperatures and increasing precipitation and water availability, as well as lessening the effects of extreme weather on crops, livestock, and other products, as well as reduce soil erosion and increase productivity. They can also provide additional socioeconomic benefits by boosting the range of products that farmers can produce to survive.
Farmers all around the world may be able to transition to more resilient, low-carbon agriculture through the use of techniques like those mentioned above, allowing them to more sustainably feed the world’s population while also recovering the environment. Finding a more resilient and sustainable agribusiness model is essential in a world where the effects of climate change are already becoming evident. This will help to protect farms and farmers. On the front lines of climate change are more than a billion farmers and their families worldwide. Their lives and means of support are directly impacted by its effects, and they are essential to putting many of the solutions we need in place to help avoid its action.
“Climate-smart agriculture” refers to agricultural methods that hold the potential to raise farmers’ incomes and production while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions in a fair and sustainable way. It also refers to methods that increase resilience. Climate change adaptation and mitigation in agriculture should be tailored to the specific situation in question. Crop producers should take into account the climate-specifics of their region, agricultural capacity and needs, and the affordability of applicable technologies while figuring out how to adapt to changing weather conditions.
Crop growers and experts alike are very concerned about agriculture and climate change adaptation. To help farmers, botanists are developing species that are more resilient to extremes in temperature and water availability. By preventing resource depletion, boosting carbon sequestration, conserving natural resources, avoiding chemical applications, and decreasing hazardous emissions, ecologists support sustainable soil management.
We are pretty confident that if we begin to take these measures now, then we stand a chance to create a world that is food secured by 2030.
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