What practices and approaches should be adopted in agriculture to cope with climate change

Towards a resilient agriculture

Agriculture is a sector that contributes to global warming and suffers its consequences but also offers opportunities for adaptation and mitigation. Agriculture’s ability to cope with climate change stems from its capacity to acquire a certain resilience, a goal that must first be achieved at the farm level. Climate-smart agriculture is a synonym for agroecological farming that has evolved from conventional practices to adapt to climatic conditions, thus pivotal in achieving sustainable development goals. (GGGI, 2021) 

It is, therefore important to take a closer look at the meaning of agroecology by understanding some of its key practices : 

1. Agroforestry: 

Agroforestry is an agricultural practice/system that combines trees or shrubs with agricultural (crop) and/or animal production and land management systems on the same agricultural plot. Adopting this practice on farms is a real weapon against food insecurity and vulnerability to climate change. Firstly, the advantage this system offers in terms of diversifying farmers’ sources of income considerably reduces the risks associated with production and market failures. In addition, trees form a natural shield against extreme climatic phenomena and soil erosion and add to the biological diversity of the natural landscape. In addition, agroforestry fixes a significant quantity of carbon and improves the amount of organic matter in the soil, increasing soil fertility. Specific species lic leguminous shrubs offer a double advantage since they can fix nitrogen and be used for fodder. (FAO, 2010)

2. Conservation agriculture: 

A type of agriculture based on 3 essential pillars: 

• Minimal/Conservation tillage (including zero/no-tillage): Direct seeding (in crop residues) is an essential component of conservation agriculture. Conservation agriculture is a soil and crop management system that involves no soil disturbance, with the seed sown directly into unworked soil. This system is presented as a solution to today’s agricultural challenges, particularly those linked to climate change, soil degradation, globalization, price instability, and high input costs. The system’s main objective is to guarantee sustainable production; no-till could help combat global warming by reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions while increasing the soil’s capacity to store organic matter. (Maher et al., 2020) 
• Permanent ground cover: The principle of ground cover is another key element of conservation agriculture. Crop residues remain on the surface, but cover crops may also be needed when the period between harvesting and planting the next crop is extended. Cover crops help to enhance the sustainability of the conventional farming system by improving soil qualities and promoting increased biodiversity in the agroecosystem. [1]

• The crop rotation system: This technique provides the soil with fertility and reduces the life cycle of pests, parasites, diseases, and weeds, thus interrupting their development. Introducing legumes in rotation with other crops, for example, will also enable nitrogen fixation and reduce the need for mineral nitrogen fertilization, favoring fossil energy savings and GHG emissions. (INRA, 2018)

3. Varietal selection:

Resilience means the ability of an ecosystem to regain and maintain its equilibrium after a disturbance (Dauphiné & Provitolo, 2007). The resilience of living beings (plants and animals) to climatic stresses stems from the robustness of their genetic material. Safeguarding the genetic resources of different breeds, including their wild relatives, is essential to strengthen resilience in the face of trauma. Therefore, creating new varieties and breeds adapted to specific ecosystems and farmers’ needs is critical (FAO, 2010). the process is based on natural genetic variations in plant DNA, facilitating the production of crops that are better adapted to their environment and meet consumer preferences, particularly in food markets. Thanks to years of research, breeding new crops and animal breeds has evolved beyond the simple selection of a parent plant based on its appearance. It now requires detailed knowledge of a plant’s genetics, enabling agronomists to optimally select plants that will provide the best set of traits [2].  

4. Vertical farming:

Vertical farming (VF), a rapidly expanding field, is growing plants indoors, in stacked structures, with artificial light and above ground. As recent global disruptions in the supply chain have fueled ongoing concerns about global food security, vertical farming has been propelled to the forefront (GGGI, 2021). 

Indoor vertical farms, equipped with artificial lighting, are becoming an increasingly popular opportunity worldwide. Their appeal lies in their ability to produce year-round quantity and quality, ensure food security, and use water and mineral nutrients more sustainably (Paucek et al., 2023).

5. Urban and peri-urban agriculture:

Urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) refers to the associated agricultural activities and processes (such as processing, distribution, marketing, and recycling, among others) that facilitate the production of food and other products on land and in various spaces located in and around urban areas [3]. 

For example, demographic expansion in the context of a country like Morocco has led to urban growth to the detriment of rural and agricultural areas. Morocco loses around 22,000 hectares of arable land annually, mainly lowland with high agricultural potential, due to urbanization, soil overexploitation, and inappropriate tillage techniques. With a growing urban population, peri-urban agriculture can be crucial in ensuring household food security. It can also help preserve biodiversity around urban areas and combat soil erosion by maintaining a continuous vegetation cover. Depending on specific cultivation methods, it can also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (NAKHILI, 2022) 

6. Mixed crop-livestock farming: 

Crop diversification can potentially increase the efficiency of farming systems and help them cope with climate change. It enables better risk management, improving the economic capacity of local and individual farms. Diverse crop rotations, including species with different thermal or temperature requirements, optimal water use, increased pest resistance, and lower yield variability, are all effective ways of minimizing risk and increasing efficiency. In addition, integrated crop and livestock systems enhance these production methods’ efficiency and environmental friendliness. Waste from one product is reused for another (for example, manure is used as fertilizer to boost crop yields, while crop residues or by-products are used as animal feed). Animals also occupy an important position: they can provide energy for farming operations or transport. They can be considered capital that can be transformed into cash in times of need (FAO, 2010).

Small farms are essential for the production of animal products (such as milk and meat) and basic foodstuffs (such as cereals, pulses, vegetables, etc.). It is, therefore, vital to boost the resilience of these small structures, which offer a variety of activities. Combining agriculture and livestock farming is a key element of sustainable agricultural systems, as it encourages crop rotation and limits the use of pesticides. This type of farming is generally more robust than specialized farms in the face of economic and climatic uncertainties (Sraïri, 2017).

References : 

Institut National de Recherche Agricole (INRA). (2018). Actes de séminaires. Agriculture résiliente dans un contexte de changement climatique. https://www.inra.org.ma/sites/default/files/agricresiliente2_0.pdf.

The Global Green Growth Institute (2021).  Manuel de bonnes pratiques en matière d’agriculture climato-intelligente et d’irrigation solaire. https://gggi.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Climate-Smart-Agricultue-Report-FR_21.07.30.pdf.

Dauphiné, A., & Provitolo, D. (2007). La résilience : Un concept pour la gestion des risques: Annales de géographie, n° 654(2), 115‑125. https://doi.org/10.3917/ag.654.0115

Organisation des Nations Unies pour l’alimentation et l’agriculture (FAO). (2010). Pour une agriculture intelligente face au climat. https://www.fao.org/3/i1881f/i1881f.pdf

Maher, H., Moussadek, R., Zouahri, A., Douaik, A., Dakak, H., El Moudane, M., & Ghanimi, A. (2020). Effect of no tillage on the physico-chemical properties of soils of the El Koudia region, Rabat (Morocco). E3S Web of Conferences, 150, 03010. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202015003010

Paucek, I., Durante, E., Pennisi, G., Quaini, S., Gianquinto, G., & Orsini, F. (2023). A methodological tool for sustainability and feasibility assessment of indoor vertical farming with artificial lighting in Africa. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 2109. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29027-8

Sraïri, M. T. (2017). New challenges for the Moroccan agricultural sector to cope with local and global changes. ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ISSUES OF THE 21ST CENTURY, 165.

Nakhili, B. (2021). Analyse multifonctionnelle de l’agriculture 

péri-urbaine dans la métropole de CASABLANCA. INSTITUT AGRONOMIQUE ET VETERINAIRE HASSAN II.

 [1] https://www.fao.org/conservation-agriculture/in-practice/soil-organic-cover/en/

[2] https://www.bayer.com/fr/agriculture/avantages-de-la-selection-varietale

[3] https://www.fao.org/urban-peri-urban-agriculture/fr