AGRICULTURAL productivity will soon be measured by how local government unit (LGU) executives in 17 regions in Southern Luzon understand how climate change affects agricultural productivity and ways of implementing well-tested tools and processes in establishing climate-smart villages (CSVs) in their respective areas.
The LGU executives are scheduled to attend a two-day roving workshop focused on agriculture, climate risks and livelihood challenges, the Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture (AMIA) project framework of the Department of Agriculture (DA) aimed at delivering climate-resilient agriculture (CRA) at local levels.
The Cavite-based International Institute for Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) will hold the workshop in Guinayangan, Quezon, from October 16 to 18.
Guinayangan is a third class and vulnerable municipality that has been experiencing various climate challenges typical in many parts of the Philippines. Until recently, the introduction of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) makes it a model CSV. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization defined CSA as “agriculture that sustainably increases productivity, enhances resilience [adaptation], reduces/removes greenhouse gases [mitigation] where possible and enhances achievement of national food security and development goals.”
CSVs, on the other hand, are “sites where farmers, researchers, local government partners and the private sector come together to understand which CSA practices are best suited for a particular location,” according to the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research-Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security Program.
“The workshops will give participants a chance to directly interact with farmer-researchers and farmer-learning groups [FLGs] and get a firsthand look at how CRA is implemented at the grassroots level,” said Enrica Esmero, IIRR Training and Capacity Development Program specialist.
The workshop will also showcase CRA tools and approaches, such as FLGs, participatory action research, participatory varietal selection, green leaf manure testing and upland farming systems, Esmero added.
The workshop speakers will include Agriculture Undersecretary Joel Rudinas, Dr. Saturnina Halos (DA-Amia), IIRR Country Program Director Emily Monville-Oro and Guinayangan municipal agriculturist, among others.
“It is especially important for the public to be informed about the concept of climate change and how it affects agricultural production now, since this would greatly impact food security in the near future,” Monville-Oro explained.
Climate change, as described by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, refers to “any change in climate over time, whether due to natural variability or as a result of human activity.”
“There is also need to share information about CRA practices today, since these approaches have already been proven effective in mitigating the effects of climate change among smallholder farmers who are one of the most vulnerable segments of society,” Monville-Oro said.