The Importance Of Climate Change In Agriculture

Farming has always been challenging, some years conditions roll in the favor of the farmer; most years the farmer has to do the best possible without full cooperation of nature. Understanding ecological principles and how those principles can be utilized, to improve crop performance, is useful for the farmer. This will surely become even more true as climate change brings new challenges and opportunities within the agricultural industry. Of the many agroecological principles which will have value to farmers, as environmental factors change, adaption will be the most necessary to ensuring food security.

Farmers and Scientists working in cooperation with natural adaptions, in participatory plant breeding projects will be an important factor for sustainable agriculture in relation to climate change as well. However, there are many variables when discussing global warming, and to attempt to breed plants that will hopefully be successful in an altered climate would likely be time wasted. As Sieglinde Snapp noted in Agricultural Systems: Agroecology and Rural Innovation for Development, “it is impossible to successfully develop a highly specialized and adapted technology if the conditions under which it is going to be operated are only vaguely known (2008).”

While it is agreed, climate change will result in higher temperatures, more frequent drought conditions and more frequent severe weather events; changes in temperature, precipitation and carbon dioxide levels, are not happening uniformly (Schimmelpfenning et al, 1996). Scientist and modules of climate change disagree as to the specific effects within any given area. Even before climate change became an issue, farmers were in the position of making decisions regarding when and wha...

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...ased adaptability among food crop species. While economic issues limit the ability of developing countries to increase agricultural inputs, these regions can find an advantage in the fact their agricultural practices tend to be more flexible. Meanwhile, technologies available to more developed countries are increasing the speed with which new cultivars can be developed, and the ability to understand and improve agricultural management practices. Ultimately, best results to developing agricultural systems which will provide a source of sustainable food for the entire world as climate change progresses; will be a result of a collaboration between scientists and farmers. When practices allowing for greater agrobiodiversity are employed the level of sustainability of our agricultural systems will advance and agriculture can become truly adapted to the new global climate.