Climate Change for Agriculture Development

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As the premiere agricultural research organisation in the Caribbean, CARDI has an important role in developing and articulating the sector’s response to the effects of global climate change. This role is being carried out by working closely with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (5Cs) in the development of the requisite programmes for the agricultural sector. These programmes are to improve knowledge sharing and capability among personnel and increase infrastructural capacity to measure climatic parameters and relate them to agricultural production and productivity in the Caribbean. This is all in an effort to increase the ability of the region’s agricultural sector to adapt to and mitigate against global climate change. Some of the specific actions we have pursued in furtherance of the objectives above are:

Conduct of greenhouse gases (GHG) inventory for the agricultural sector in Jamaica
Participation in a workshop of Caribbean stakeholders to start the implementation of the project Regional Consultation to Assess Regional Priorities, Capabilities and Research Gaps on Climate Change and Poverty Reduction in Latin America and the Caribbean
Participation in a workshop to assist with the preparation of the Vulnerability and Adaptation (V&A) Assessments for the water resources and agricultural sectors in Jamaica

CARDI-CTA Partnership on Climate Change Advocacy in the Caribbean

“Climate Has Changed, Climate Will Change, Climate Demands Change” was a key message coming from a CTA supported CARDI workshop on the effects of climate change on agriculture that was held in Grenada in 2010, during the Caribbean Week of Agriculture. That initiative focused on adaptation and mitigation strategies to reduce the negative impacts of climate variability and change on regional food and nutrition security. One proposed strategy was the expanded use of Protected Agriculture (PA) systems as a means of carefully managing resources, especially water, which is a critical issue for a region that, because of climate change, is projected to be hotter and drier over the next few decades.

This theme was built upon in 2011 with another CTA supported climate change workshop on Climate change adaptation in Caribbean agriculture – Enhancing water resources management. This workshop was also held during the Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Dominica (October 2011). In addition to the CTA, CARDI has partnered with international, regional and national organisations with a vested interest in climate change related impacts on agriculture and/or water resources. Partner organisations included the Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM), Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC), the University of the West Indies (UWI), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), The Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), national water authorities and regional ministries of agriculture. The recommendations from both initiatives included the following:

Use of carbon sequestration practices in agriculture for sustainable development and sources of financing
Development of an integrated action plan to address cross cutting issues from various sectors including agriculture, fisheries, land, tourism, energy
Evidence based options for the formation of regional and national agricultural water management policies as mandated by CARICOM under the 2009 Liliendaal Declaration on Climate Change
Consensus among agricultural and non-agricultural stakeholders on key issues and priorities regarding effective agricultural water management policies
- A road map for the implementation of the agricultural component of the Liliendaal Declaration prepared and used for engagement with policy makers

The relevant resource materials, presentations, workshop proceedings and recommendations and policy briefs from the workshops can be found here.

2011 Workshop Dominica Climate Change Adaptation Water Resources

Climate Change Adaptation in Caribbean Agriculture: Enhancing Water Resources Management – Brief (318KB, PDF)

Climate Change Adaptation in Caribbean Agriculture – Enhancing Water Resources Management July 2011-June 2012 (289 KB, PDF)

E-Consultations Climate Change Adaptation Water Resources

- eConsultation Synthesis Reports (226 KB, PDF)

- eConsultation Ref Tech Session 1 (248KB, PDF)

- eConsultation Ref Tech Session 2 (212KB, PDF)

Panel Discussions

- The How (Policy Recommendations) (322KB, PDF)

- The What (167 KB, PDF)

- The Why (119KB, PDF)