Ag Policy Blog

Talking Climate-Smart Agriculture in Abu Dhabi

Chris Clayton
By  Chris Clayton , DTN Ag Policy Editor
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Former California Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura on Monday explained the concept of climate-smart agriculture during a panel discussion other agricultural groups from around the world gathered at the Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture.

The event is being held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. There may be perhaps some irony that agricultural innovations conference focusing on climate change is being hosted in a country that gets 40% of its gross-domestic product from oil and natural gas exports.

Kawamura said the forum in Abu Dhabi of some estimated 3,000 people was set up to focus on solutions needed globally to increase food production to meet greater demand. Kawamura said people involved in American agriculture might not agree on the causes of climate change, but they do realize weather conditions are changing and they risk food, feed and fiber production globally.

"We see that starting to happen in little bits and pieces, but we want to accelerate the changes. We need a regulatory alignment and the environmental community to step forward, especially if they working for solutions," Kawamura said in an interview late last week.

Solutions from the Land, which Kawamura now co-chairs, early on helped begin the discussion that ecosystem benefits should be rewarded.

"Without it being called climate-smart agriculture, we started looking and seeing what the future of ag should look like," Kawamura said "It's rewarding to see practices we have adopted are being embraced all over the place."

Solutions from the Land, which Kawamura now co-chairs, helped form the broader North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance. Kawamura and others went to Abu Dhabi looking for more partners and funds for the climate alliance to broaden the conversation among farmers about climate change. The group seeks to work over the next three years to build out an alliance of groups that will examine the long-term resiliency of the agriculture supply chain. The group will work with farmers on both climate and adaptation strategies.

Right now, the climate-smart ag alliance has 34 member organizations and universities. The alliance expects to grow to 100 members --- a goal of 65 U.S. groups, along with 25 in Canada and 10 in Mexico.

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Ernie Shea, executive director for 25 x '25 and Solutions from the Land, said more leaders in agriculture are starting to talk about the risks posed by climate change. Shea point to Cargill's Greg Page as an example.

"So that is helping us along," Shea said. "Our business partners are recognizing this is something we need to pay attention to. I think what they really like is this is farmer-led. It's not led by government."

A challenge is to make such 50,000-foot discussion apply to farmers on the ground in North America.

"I think it gets down to developing conservation and risk-management practices and tools that will help corn farmers be more resilient and more economically viable," Shea said.

The alliance will attempt to drill down to crop-specific or livestock-specific management decisions or actions that can be taken to improve resiliency, Shea said.

Moreover, the focus will be on "sustainable-intensification" of production. "So we're not backing off or slowing down," Shea said. "We're going to continue to push hard, but we are going to use technology and precision-ag practices to maximize productivity with the least environmental impact."

The alliance will also look at ways for various sectors in agriculture to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions such as reducing nitrous oxide emissions through fertilizer management.

"Those things at the end the day are all about productivity and profitability and that's what we're about," Shea said.

Ohio farmer Fred Yoder, who made the trip to Abu Dhabi as well, said the climate-smart alliance is designed around helping mainstream agriculture.

"Farmers have been adapting since the beginning of time," Yoder said. "We're going to have to adapt in a more rapid pace. That's what this thing is all about."

Yoder said he believes more groups and companies want to be engaged, "but they want to make sure they hitch their horse to the right vehicle." Yoder added that farmers and U.S. contingent also want to see their climate-smart program considered as a template for the rest of the world.

"We're scared to death we'll get hijacked by some groups that oppose technology," Yoder said. "The question is getting agriculture to be viewed as a solution rather than a cause."

The partners listed so far in the North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance: http://sfldialogue.net/…

Follow me on Twitter @ChrisClaytonDTN.

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