Building Resilient Agriculture in
the Pacific Communities: Experience from SPC
Gibson Susumu, Participatory Extension Officer, LRD, SPC
Outline
• Background Importance of Agriculture in the Pacific
Agriculture and Climate Change Challenges
• SPC Approach to Challenges and Issues SPC Community Vulnerability Assessment Approach (V&A)
V &A Results
• SPC Programmes to building resilient agriculture in the Pacific
• Impacts of Interventions
• Conclusions Lessons & Recommendations
Background
• Agriculture plays an important role in the Pacific Islands economies, providing food, income, employment and livelihoods for a significant proportion (80%) of the region’s population
• The performance of the sector has declined owing to many factors including, population pressures, soil fertility, P&D, low returns, narrow export based, and over reliance on imported foods
• Increasing productivity, competitiveness and sustainability of agricultural production to ensure ongoing food and livelihood security in the coming decades, a major challenge
• Climate change is already putting additional set of challenges for the sector
• There is limited research targeted on understanding climate change impacts on agriculture and resiliency of current production systems
• Knowledge gap
Bactrocera ochrosiae Bactrocera cucurbitae
Bactrocera ochrosiae Bactrocera cucurbitae
Bactrocera fraunfeldi Bactrocera fraunfeldi
Bactrocera fraunfeldi Bactrocera umbrosa
Bactrocera phillipinensis Bactrocera occipitalis Bactrocera calophyli
Bactrocera fraunfeldi Bactrocera cucurbitae
Bactrocera dorsalis Bactrocera xanthodes
Bactrocera atramentata Bactrocera atrosetosa Bactrocera bryoniae
Bactrocera cucurbitae Bactrocera curvifera Bactrocera decipiens Bactrocera fraunfeldi
Bactrocera lineata Bactrocera moluccensis
Bactrocera musae Bactrocera neohumeralis
Bactrocera obliqua Bactrocera papayae Bactrocera strigifinis Bactrocera trivialis
Bactrocera umbrosa Dacus axanus
Dacus solomonensis
Bactrocera tryoni Bactrocera psidii Bactrocera curvipennis Bactrocera umbrosa Bactrocera mucronis Bactrocera caledoniensis Bactrocera aneuvittata Bactrocera fulvifacies Bactrocera perpusilla Bactrocera ebenea Bactrocera paraxanthodes Bactrocera grandistylus
Bactrocera cucurbitae Bactrocera fraunfeldi
Bactrocera fraunfeldi Bactrocera umbrosa
Bactrocera cucurbitae Dacus solomonensis
Bactrocera near passiflorae
Bactrocera near passiflorae
Bactrocera facialis Bactrocera xanthodes
Bactrocera kirki Bactrocera distincta
Bactrocera passiflorae Bactrocera obscura
Bactrocera melanotus Bactrocera xanthodes
Bactrocera trilineola Bactrocera umbrosa
Bactrocera quadrisetosa
Bactrocera xanthodes Bactrocera distincta
Bactrocera passiflorae Bactrocera kirki
Bactrocera obscura Bactrocera gnetum
Bactrocera near passiflorae
Bactrocera passiflorae Bactrocera kirki
Bactrocera xanthodes Bactrocera obscura
Bactrocera xanthodes Bactrocera kirki
Bactrocera tryoni Bactrocera dorsalis Bactrocera luteola
Bactrocera atra Bactrocera perfusca
1/2
1/2
1/1 1/1
1/1
1/1
4/5 4/4
2/2
4/48
4/12
3/12
5/6
18/188
3/4
Bactrocera distincta Bactrocera kirki
Bactrocera xanthodes Bactrocera obscura
3/4
Bactrocera distincta Bactrocera kirki Bactrocera xanthodes Bactrocera obscura Bactrocera passiflorae
4/7
Pest and Disease Distribution
Bactrocera xanthodes Bactrocera kirki
Bactrocera distincta Bactrocera obscura
Bactrocera aenigmatica Bactrocera samoae
Bactrocera near paraxanthodes
2/7
4/7
2/3
3/5
No. of economically important species
Total no. of fruit flies in a country
1
2
SPC’s Response
SPC, is collaborating with Agriculture Ministries and a range of development partners (USAID, EU, ACIAR, FAO, SPREP, GIZ, IFAD, etc.) to evaluate and implement innovative techniques and management approaches to increase climate resilience of food production systems in the Pacific Islands communities.
Determinants of Vulnerability
• Building resilience starts with reducing vulnerabilities
• Vulnerability is a function of character, magnitude and rate of climate variation to which a system is exposed, its sensitivity, and its adaptive capacity (IPCC, 2007).
• Exposure is defined as the nature and degree to which a system is exposed to significant climatic variations. Climate variation includes average climate change and extreme climate variability (IPCC, 2007).
• Sensitivity is the degree to which a system is affected, either adversely or beneficially, by climate-related factors (IPCC, 2007).
• Adaptive capacity is defined as the ability of a system (the community) to adjust to climate change (including climate variability and extremes), to mitigate potential damages, to take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with the consequences (IPCC, 2007).
SPC Vulnerability Assessment Framework
• Using each of the PRA tools, E, S and A were assessed at LOW (1), MEDIUM (2), HIGH (3) and VERY HIGH (4) scales through assessment of their elements based on community perceptions.
• Community perceptions were recorded and collated to determine the E Index, S Index and A Index
V = E X S/A
Elements of E, S, & A Exposure (local climate
change and variability)
Sensitivity (effects of changes
at local level)
Adaptive Capacity (livelihood
assets)
• Temperature
• Precipitation
• Plants/Animal behaviour
(Proxy)
• Hazards
• Agriculture and Food
Security
• Forest and biodiversity
• Settlement and
Infrastructure
• Water and energy
• Human Health
• Human resources
• Natural assets
• Social assets
• Financial assets
• Physical assets
Results: Exposure
1 – Low 2 – Medium 3 – High 4 – Very High
Exposure Indicators
Variables/Hazards Indicators Correlation with Scientific Studies and
Evaluation of farming systems
Temperature Number of hot days has increased; Number of cold days has
decreased
Extreme hot days to increase
Rainfall Rainfall season has shifted (longer) and increasingly unpredictable Seasonal rainfall to increase
Climate induced disasters
(Cyclones, Landslides,
Drought, Floods, Sea level
rise, P&D)
Occurrence of Landslides has increased
Occurrence of flooding has increased
Occurrence of drought
Cyclone and Tsunami intensity increased
Sea level rise and salt water inundation (atoll and coastal
communities)
Tropical cyclone frequency unchanged,
intensity increased
Mean Sea level to increase
Surface and sea surface temperature to
increase
Ocean acidification to increase
Livestock Behaviour (Pigs
and Chicken)
Reduced performance and productivity
Livestock diseases
Production and productivity
Behaviour of fruit crops Mango season ceased past 10 years (VT & SI) and shifted (SW, TO)
Productivity of banana has declined & pests and diseases (All)
BF season shifted and extended (VT&SI)
BF season is now all year round (KR, TO, SW)
Climatic factors – soil health issues; P&D
regime, production declines
Non climatic factors – unsustainable
farming practices (e.g. narrow genetic base
selection, etc.)
Behaviour of root crops Yam season is shorter with reduced tuber size and disease problems
Cassava productivity declined
Productivity of sweet potato reduced & pest and disease
Widespread of TLB has affected taro production (SI)
Soil Health in all countries
Climatic factors – soil health issues; P&D
regime, production declines
Non climatic factors – unsustainable
farming practices (e.g. narrow genetic base
selection)
Results: Sensitivity
1 – Low 2 – Medium 3 – High 4 – Very High
Sensitivity Indicators
Hazards/Variables Parameters/Sectors Impact Indicators
Cyclones
Landslides
Drought
Floods
Sea level rise
P&D
Agriculture and food security • Loss of productive lands due to soil erosion
• Loss of crop production and long recovery time
• Fruiting season has changed
• Soil fertility reduced
• Outbreak of plant P&D – decline or abandoned
• Production decline
• Loss of livestock/decline production
Forest and biodiversity • Loss of forest cover and livelihoods
• Loss of top soil
• Emergence of new plant species
Infrastructure • Trails damaged/flooded
• Damaged farm infrastructures
Water resources and energy • Loss of fresh water
• Reduced water quality
Human health • Emergence of waterborne diseases
Results: Adaptive Capacity of Communities
HHs Food Security
Access to Water
Land Access and Use
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Divers Bay Sepa Loimuni
Community Perceptions on the Quality of Farm Lands
Good (%) Average (%) Poor (%)
Adaptive Capacity Indicators
Human Assets Social Assets Financial Natural Physical
Skills
Labour
Limited
knowledge on
CC
Limited access
to advisory
services
Limited access
to basic services
Traditional
knowledge
Reliance on
imported food
Low income
levels of HHs
Limited diversity
of income based
Limited access
to markets
Topography
Access to
quality
agricultural
lands
Declining soil
fertility
Limited diversity
Water quality
Transportation
issues
Storage and
processing
facilities
Vulnerability Indices
SPC Programmes to BRA
• Implementation of programmes in an integrated and holistic approach (“whole of island ridge to reef approach”) – institutions, governance and farming communities
• Reducing exposure and Sensitivity
Diversification of food production systems Evaluation of existing and new Climate Resilient Crops (CePaCT) Small livestock support and conservation of indigenous breeds Supporting farmer manage seeds systems
Promotion of sustainable agriculture production technologies - soil health, traditional agroforestry systems, etc.
• Adaptive Capacity Income diversification and market access support Building capacity of research and extension services to respond to farmers
needs and strengthen adoption of technologies development and dissemination of improve technologies, practices and
processes related to agriculture to increase resilience of the production systems and improve livelihoods (PIRAS)
Impacts of Interventions
• Household diets improved
• HHs income diversified and increased
• Livestock contribution to HHs diets
• Crop production diversified
• Building resilient agriculture is a long term process – More time and work is needed to
understand systems responses and interactions to strategies and technologies
Conclusions
• CC impacts on Agriculture in the region is a big concern and addressing CC should be holistic
• CC is not the only driver of PI vulnerability – non – climatic factors, - population growth and rate of urbanisation, NCDs, and increasing reliance on imported food and unsustainable agriculture practices also contributes to vulnerability of communities
• There are a number of success stories in the region aiming at building resilient agriculture with some impacts already being realised at community levels
• PRA - Empowering communities is critical and as a bottom approach and thus resilient communities
• Building resilient agriculture is a long term process and must be factored into project designs
• Absorptive capacity of countries should be factored into programme designs targeting the region