Workshop On Climate-Smart Agriculture Techniques and Practices

The World Bank’s Groundswell report of 2021 found that climate change could force 216 million people worldwide to move within their countries by 2050 including 49 million in East Asia and the Pacific, 40 million in South Asia, and 5 million in Central Asia. This is due to loss of livability in highly exposed locations, including agricultural production areas.

Agriculture is one of the sectors most vulnerable to climate change. Shifts, instability, and extremes of temperature and precipitation directly impact its productivity. Climate change makes it difficult for farmers to optimize water and soil conditions, manage pests and weeds, and maintain cultural practices that they have followed for generations. Agriculture is also one of the main sectors responsible for climate change. The OECD reported in 2019 that between 2007 and 2016, it contributed approximately 12% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.

To protect against and mitigate climate change while producing more food for growing populations, the adoption of CSA must be accelerated. The FAO defines CSA as an approach that helps guide actions to transform agrifood systems toward green, climate-resilient practices which include three main objectives: sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes; adapting and building resilience to climate change; and reducing and/or removing greenhouse gas emissions where possible. In practice, CSA involves all aspects of agricultural materials and methodologies such as selection of crops and varieties, adjusting water requirements, preparation of land, selection of culture practices, and management of fertilizer and pesticide use. In the Asia-Pacific region, the ASEAN Climate Resilience Network (ASEAN-CRN) was established in 2014 as a platform for regional exchange, particularly for sharing information, experiences, and expertise on CSA.

This workshop on CSA is part of the APO’s ongoing efforts to contribute to meeting the UN SDGs through Green Productivity (GP). The GP concept has been promoted by the APO for almost three decades to enhance productivity and simultaneously reduce negative impacts on the environment. This workshop will also provide a platform for leaders from the public and private sectors to examine the latest CSA techniques and practices in the Asia-Pacific. It will help decisionmakers to develop plans for R&D investment in CSA and introduce adaptive technologies in APO member countries.

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