iica's publications on agriculture and climate change

Flagship Project Resilience and Comprehensive Risk Management in

Agriculture

Content

1 Family farming, integrated farms and climate change 2 Promoting agro-environmental management in dairy farming 3 "Win win" initiatives in sugarcane production

4 Research and technology transfer to help small and medium-scale producers

5 Climate change makes it imperative to include risk management in agricultural and rural development planning

6 The Coffee NAMA: a tool for low emissions development

7 Thanks to public and private initiative, the banana sector is striving to achieve carbon neutrality

8 The position of the Americas on agriculture within the agenda of the international climate negotiations

9 Estimating the water footprint: Applications for the agriculture sector of Latin America

10 Implications of climate change for maize and bean production in Central America

11 Agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean: Challenges and opportunities created by climate change

12 What is the connection between agriculture and Rio+20?

13 The commitments assumed at Rio+20 related to sustainable agriculture and the implications for IICA

14 Agriculture in the climate change negotiations

15 Implications of the COP 18 for Latin American and Caribbean agriculture

16 International Initiatives for Collective Action to Confront Climate Change in the Agricultural Sector

Promoting agro-environmental management in dairy farming

Under pressure from the high percentage of greenhouse gas emissions and increasingly notorious climate variability, Costa Rican milk producers decided to take action to adapt to and mitigate the effects of these phenomena. One thousand four hundred and fifty producers organized themselves in the Dos Pinos Milk Producers Cooperative (la Cooperativa de Productores de Leche Dos Pinos) and, with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, are improving their production and environmental management systems, both on farms and in industrial plants.

• Implementation of herd managementtechniquesdesignedtoincreaseproductivitybyhectareandreduceGHGemissionsperkiloofmilkproduced:

- Nutrition: establishment and managementofimprovedpasturelandsaimedatthemoreefficientfeedingofcattletoavoidexcessiveamounts of nitrogen in the diet, theintroductionofbalancedfoodsandminerals,cattle ranch management plans –whichinclude soil and bromatological analyses,technical fertilization recommendationsand the establishment of rest periods–,calculations with respect to adequatenumber of livestock and the establishmentoftheappropriatetypeofgrassandlegumesinaccordancewiththeregion;

- Administration: establishment of record-keepingsystems;

- Reproduction: compilation and review ofkey reproductive data, such as the annualbirthing rate, to increase reproductiveefficiencyandavoidprolongedopenperiods;

- Veterinary control: periodic visits fromveterinarians, control of brucellosis,tuberculosis, leucosis, and other diseasesthataffectanimals.

The initial activities undertaken by the dairyproducers, thanks to support from the Dos

Pinos Agro-environmental Program, have beencoordinated with national efforts to achievedevelopment that is low in emissions. Onehundred and eighty dairy farms that are part ofthe Cooperative are working with the Ministryof Agriculture and Livestock and are serving asa laboratorytodeterminethecarbonfootprintofthosesystemsandtherebyobtainmorecompellingresults on the contributionofGHGemissions inthedairysectorandmoreappropriatetechnologiesforemissionreductionandcapture.

In addition to these activities implemented onthefarms,DosPinosproposestobecomeacarbonneutral company, a process that it has initiatedby identifying sources of emission, instituting theverificationofthecarbonfootprintbyathirdpartyand the identification of possible reduction andoffsetemissionprograms.

Taking2010asabaseyear,in2011,therewasa5.8percentreductioninemissions.Thiswasachievedby replacing thermal boilers, using water frompasteurizers to generate hot water, changing thefleetofvehicles,changingdrivingtechniques,andreplacingrefrigerantgases.

Thecompanyexpectstocontinueitseffortstowardscarbon neutrality certification with recognizedentities, inventory validation and verificationprocesses,aswellasemissionmitigationprojects.

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For Further inFormation, please contact:

•RebecaGutierrez,Coordinator,Agro-environmentalProgram.CooperativadeProductoresdeLeche,[email protected]

•Ana Laura Vásquez, Sustainability Manager, Cooperativa de Productores de Leche, Dos Pinos [email protected]

Tropical agriculture gears up for climate changeCosta Rica Carbon Neutral 2021

InCostaRica,livestockfarmingaccountsfor40per centof greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)from the agricultural sector. Added to this

are the effects of more acute periods of droughtin some areas of the country, and increasedprecipitationintherainyseason,whichhaveanimpact on animal health and, consequently, onproduction.

Given this scenario, taking action to adapt toclimate change and mitigate greenhouse gasemissionshasbecomeanecessityformilkproducers.Measureshavethereforehadtobeimplementedtoimprove productive and reproductive parametersin dairy herd management, the rational use ofnaturalresourcesandtheuseandmanagementofanimalwaste.

TheDosPinosMilkProducersCooperativeplaysavery important role in thenationalcontext. TheCooperative, which started in 1947 with a smallgroup of 25 producers, currently boasts 1 450membersinitsranks,representing1700productionunits invarious geographical areasof the country.TheproducersbelongingtothisCooperativehaveatotalof85000milkingcowsandareresponsiblefortheprocessingof85percentofindustrializedmilkinthecountry.

The production systems may be broken down asfollows:

• 70%grazing• 27%semi-stabled• 3%stabled• 81% in specialized systems (solely milk

production)and19%dualpurpose(productionofmeatandmilk).

Dos Pinos implemented its agro-environmentalprogram in 2007. This program is designed toprovide technical assistance to producers indeveloping techniques for the environmentalmanagement of farms and facilitating sustainableproduction strategies. The program is based onpollution prevention as the central focus of theenvironmentalmanagementplan.

The following are the main environmentalmanagementactivitiesondairyfarms:

• Implementation of agro-environmentalmanagement plans based on pollutionprevention,throughtechnicaladvisoryservicesto more than 1 400 producers. The plansincludeadiagnosis,formulationofmanagementproposalsandfollow-upvisits;

CostaRicanmilkmenpromotesustainableproductionstrategies

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microbiologicalsoilcharacteristicsandtherebyreduce the use of nitrogenated fertilizers,corresponding to approximately 500 000 kilosofureaperyear;

• Promotionofcontrolledreleasefertilizers;

• ImplementationofanaerobicdigestionsystemsforgeneratingenergyfromthefermentationofanimalwasteinmorethanfivepercentofthedairysystemsthatmakeuptheCooperative;

• Production of organic fertilizers throughcompostprocesses,bokashiandvermicompost,fromanimalwaste;

• Implementation of cleaner productiontechniques,suchasareductionintheamountof water used for the washing of facilities,the installation of solar panels and heatconverters for heating water to wash milkingequipment, and the recycling of solid waste(mainlycardboard,paper,tetrapakandplasticagrochemicalcontainers).Inthespecificcaseofwaterresources,avarietyoftechniquestolowerconsumption has produced savings of 840,000litersofwaterperday;

• Use of cattle excrement mixed with water(purines) to improve physical, chemical and

“Win win” initiatives in sugarcane production

The Costa Rican sugarcane subsector is largely responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, surpassed only by the livestock and coffee subsectors. In the face of this situation, initiatives that reduce and offset emissions throughout the value chain take on special importance, especially because they safeguard productivity.

For Further inFormation, please contact:

• Laura Agüero, Head of the Departamento Ambiental, Azucarera El Viejo S.A. [email protected]

At the farm level, work has focused on developing biological fertilization systems that help reduce the amount of synthetic fertilizers used. Thus, the byproduct known as cachaza (made from sugarcane juice) which previously constituted waste, is now used as an organic fertilizer.

In addition, the company is now involved in an annual reforestation program through which it plants around 300 trees in the unproductive areas of the farm.

Measures to reduce and offset GHG emissions instituted by the company have enabled it to obtain a positive carbon balance for the industrial area. This means that they are fixing more CO2 e units than they are emitting, while at the same time generating additional income by producing energy and effecting savings in water use.

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Energy from sugarcane bagasse

The process of making sugar produces bagasse as a byproduct. Bagasse is sugarcane fiber residue remaining after the extraction of the juice. This fiber is used as fuel for producing electric energy. Electricity produced in this way is used in the industrial and agricultural operations of the company and the surplus from the total produced is sold to the inter-connected national network of the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad – ICE). This energy is produced at a time of utmost necessity for the country since it is during the summer that the dams are at their lowest point and it is helpful to the country in that it is able to generate less electricity from fossil fuels.

During the 2011-2012 harvest, approximately 38 000 000 kWh were sold to ICE. This represented US$3 048 000 in income for the company.

Dry cleaning of sugarcane

Eliminating the sugarcane washing process at the outset and changing over to the dry cleaning of organic residues, which previously were transported with water, has been one of the most important measures in reducing emissions in the industrial area, given the opportunity it has afforded to reduce significantly the amount of waste water that needs to be treated.

In addition, discontinuation of sugarcane washing has resulted in more than 6 million gallons of water being saved each day during the harvest season, which moreover, represents savings of approximately US$54 000 for the company.


In Costa Rica, sugarcane production is responsible for 11 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in the agricultural sector. This places

the sugarcane production subsector in third place in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, coming after the livestock subsector which occupies first place, followed by the coffee subsector, which occupies second place.

In this context, initiatives to promote transformations throughout the sugarcane value chain and that are focused on reducing and offsetting emissions, while maintaining productivity, take on extreme importance.

The company, Azucarera El Viejo S.A., which cultivates and produces sugarcane, is an example of such initiatives. The company produces annually approximately 50 thousand tons of sugar for export or national consumption through the industrial processing of a half a million tons of cane cultivated by more than 500 farmers.

In 2011, the company formally initiated a system for the management of GHG emissions in the industrial area by defining the net inventory of

Promoting sweeping transformation throughout the value chain

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Principal measures for reducing emissions in the industrial area

• Replacementofinefficientlightinganduse of natural light.

• Automaticcontroloflightingandairconditioning.

• Replacementoffossilfuelcombustionequipment with electrical equipment.

• Reductionintheamountofwastewaterby eliminating the washing of sugarcane.

• Reductionintheconsumptionofgreaseand other inputs.

emissions in accordance with ISO 14064 and INTE 12-01-06:2011. Thanks to this initiative, a baseline of emissions was established for the period 2008-2009. This was to be followed by inventories for subsequent periods. In this way, it has been possible to quantify GHG mitigation as a result of the implementation of measures for reducing and offsetting GHG emissions. The measures targeting industrial GHG emission reduction are complemented by emissions that are sequestrated by 300 hectares (741 acres) of woods and wooded areas. Of a total wooded area of 2 236 hectares (5 522.92 acres), 1 319 correspond to Hacienda El Viejo National Wildlife Refuge, which accounts for some 27 per cent of the total area belonging to the company.

Carbon footprint, 2008-2009Emission Activity CO2e Tons

Gasoline consumptionDiesel consumptionOil consumptionGrease consumptionTreatment of waste water

0.00155.93

7.681.71

7 100.36

Electricity consumption 41.39

Travel abroad 0.41

Total emissions 7 307.48

Electricity generation 3 111.50

Wooded areas 4 988.72

Total mitigation = Reduction + removal

8 100.23

Balance (mitigation - emission) 792.75

Carbon footprint, 2010-2011Emission Activity CO2e Tons

Gasoline consumptionDiesel consumptionOil consumptionGrease consumptionMolasses applied to roadsSolventsRefrigerantsTreatment of waste waterExtinguishersLPG

0.05126.08

7.690.92

85.800.26

46.272 850.06

0.067.68

Electricity consumption 117.33

Travel abroad 1.33

Total emissions 3 243.53

Electricity generation 4 178.81

Wooded areas 1 253.31

Total mitigation = Reduction + removal

5 432.12

Balance (mitigation - emission)

2 188.59

Research and technology transfer to help small and medium-scale producers

In the Costa Rican Atlantic area, the National Institute for Innovation and Technology Transfer (Instituto Nacional de Innovación y Transferencia de Tecnología Agropecuaria -INTA) has converted a 900 hectare (2 223 acres) farm into a laboratory for sustainability. There, in a region rich in biodiversity, proper use is being made of natural resources, research is being conducted and innovation and technology transfer are being promoted. Its forest areas and bamboo plantations are important to the process of carbon dioxide fixation.

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By instituting these measures, a total of 405 tons of CO2e could potentially be reduced.

Beyond the efforts to obtain carbon neutrality certification for the EELD farm, this process will be vital in supporting national efforts to transfer agricultural technologies designed to achieve development that is low in emissions.

Agriculture• Useofprecisionagriculturetechnologyforfertilizerapplications.• Establishmentofforagespecies(Mucuna sp, Canavalia sp and Trichanthera gigantea) in germplasm

banks, research plots and fallow areas.• Establishmentofbamboobarriersontheedgesofthefarm.

3 Potential to reduce 10 tons of CO2 e per year.

Forests and bamboo• Agro-ecologicalzoning.• Developmentofaforestmanagementprogram.• Evaluationoftheecologicalsustainabilityofagro-forestrysystems.


Other information• Establishmentofaprogramtooptimizefuelconsumption.• Establishmentofaprogramtooptimizeelectricenergyconsumption.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Xinia Solano, Coordinator, Experimental Los Diamantes Station [email protected]


The National Institute for Innovation and Technology Transfer is responsible for the Experimental Los Diamantes Station

(Estación Experimental Los Diamantes –EELD),a 900-hectare farm whose purpose is to respondto technology generation and transfer needs and provide services to small and medium-scaleagricultural producers in the humid tropics.

The station is located in Guápiles, Pococí, province ofLimón,inanareaoftransitionbetweenthelifezonesknownasBasalRainForestandPremontaneForest, which have significant animal and plantbiodiversity. Because of their geographic location and natural characteristics, the farm has significant potential for the development of activities to protect soil resources, the hydrological regime, as well as the environment, landscape and biodiversity.

It is because of these conditions that the efforts of the EELD have focused on enhancing the value of the farm with forestry restoration models, germplasm conservation,wildlifeprotection,standardizationonenvironmental management and the development of models for the sale of environmental services.

Responding to the demands of agricultural producers in the humid tropics

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On the whole, these activities would benefit the area of influence, especially the Atlantic area ofCosta Rica. They are also designed to fulfill thegreater objective of obtaining carbon neutrality certification for the farm, thereby generating a model that will allow for the transfer of technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions which have already been validated.

As an initial step towards achieving the carbonneutrality goal, the EELD has drawn up an inventory of greenhouse gases, which has made it possible to determine the sources of emissions and quantify the system’s carbon footprints.

Source of emission

MT CO2 e/year

Percentage of total

emissionsEnteric fermentation

livestock system543 332 46

Enteric fermentation porcine system

118 608 10

Production of pig slurry

420 371 36

Manure production and management

100 267 8

Nitrogen used in agriculture

33 <0.1

Residualwatertreatment

3 <0.1

Fuelconsumption 457 <0.1

Energy consumption 9 <0.1

Human emission 4 <0.1

Total 1 183 084 100

In addition, a series of technologies and initiatives that could be implemented to reduce emissions throughout the entire system has been identified andprioritized.

Livestock• Establishmentoflivefenceswithnitrogenfixingspecies(Erythrina sp and Gliricidia sepium).• Recoveryofpasturelandswithimprovedgrazingspecieswithgreaterdigestibility(Brachiaria sp).• AdjustmentofanimaldietstoreduceCH4 from enteric fermentation.• Useofpurinesinfertigationforpasturelands.


Pigs• Managementofanimalremnantsandexcrement.• Installationofabiodigesteranduseofbiogasproducedinmixersforpreparingconcentrates.• Treatmentofoxidationlagoonswithefficientmicro-organisms.• Establishmentoflivebamboobarriersontheperipheriesofpigfarmsasanalternativetophyto-

remediation of nitrous oxide leaching.


Climate change makes it imperative to include risk management in agricultural and rural development planning

Based on scientific information that demonstrates the huge impact of extreme natural events on the agricultural sector, the Government of Costa Rica, represented by its ministries of agriculture and planning, has developed a risk analysis methodology for its investment projects. The information that is organized on the basis of this methodology is useful not only to decision makers, but also to the inhabitants of the affected areas.

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For Further inFormation:

Roberto Flores Verdejo, Coordinator of the MAG-MIDEPLAN Agreement. [email protected]

Example of a matrix for estimating the risk for the threat of drought

VARIABLE PARAMETER INCIDENCELEVEL

RATING VALUE WEIGHTINGFACTOR %

INDEX

Recurrence of drought events

(years)

Less than 5 Very high 5

1 30 0.3

5 a 10 High 4

10 a 15 Medium 3

15 a 20 Low 2

Higher than 20 Very Low 1

Ranges of annual average

precipitation deficit (%)

Higher than -59 Very high 5

1 30 0.3

-49,1 a -59 High 4

-40,1 a -49 Medium 3

-30,1 a -40 Low 2

Less than or equal to -30 Very Low 1

Average duration of droughts (months)

Higher than 12 Very high 5

3 30 0.3

6 a 12 High 4

3 a 6 Medium 3

1 a 3 Low 2

1 Very Low 1

Average temperature in dry

months (º C)

Higher than 35 Very high 5

3 30 0.3

30 a 35 High 4

25 a 30 Medium 3

20 a 25 Low 2

Less than or equal to 20 Very Low 1

TOTAL INDEX 1.8

Third. Establishment of immediate actions to be carried out, either to reduce the risk, attenuate existing vulnerability, or to determine the technical and/or financial feasibility of a project in light of the implicit threats and risks.

The methodology applies four key instruments:

1. Matrices for the estimation of the risk in light of the threat;

2. Matrices to combine parameters to make it possible to adjust criteria for estimating the effect of the associated variables;

3. Matrices for classification of the lithology;4. Summary tables showing the assessment scale

with respect to the risk index, ranges for each level of risk and the summary of the index composed according to threat.

The systematized information and methodology for the risk analysis are considered highly useful for decision makers. They will make it possible to design working instruments and tools with which to address, objectively and with less uncertainty, policy design, planning and the implementation of plans, programs and projects in light of the variables related to natural threats and the general and sectoral effects they trigger throughout the country.

It will also be possible to have basic information for the development of mechanisms and other means at the national level, at the level of the canton or the community, which can contribute systematically to improving resilience and incorporating risk reduction criteria in the recovery programs relating to the zones affected by the various events.


Scientific evidence demonstrates that extreme meteorological phenomena have increased as a result of global climate change. In Costa

Rica, the annual average estimation of direct losses attributed to the impact of extreme natural phenomena between 2005 and 2009 suggests 0.83 per cent of GDP. The agricultural sector is the second sector most affected by the impact of phenomena associated with water excess and deficit, coming after the road sector.

Natural phenomena have different effects in the rural milieu. In this sense, the impact on the production sector can be visualized from the standpoint of social dislocation as a result of the loss of economic assets, as well as subsequent country to city migration.

Faced with this situation, national and sectoral authorities have been making much effort to develop technical expertise to reduce the impact of extreme natural phenomena.

In 2011, the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy (Ministerio de Planificación Nacional y Política Económica -MIDEPLAN) signed an agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería -MAG), the purpose of which is to systematize fragmented information that documents

Risk management for development planning

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and geotectonic origin to national life. The initial results, published in 2010, included 41 events that occurred between 1988 and 2009, causing direct damage estimated at US$1 823 000 000, in constant 2006 dollars, thereby underscoring the economic importance of these events.

The technical team formed by both ministries has worked on the development and validation of a

risk analysis methodology in relation to natural threats for investment projects. Included among the activities in this agreement are a conference agenda, seminars and workshops at various institutions throughout the country for the purpose of projecting the scope of achievements and results which have also been discussed in international technical fora on the topic.

Risk analysis methodology with respect to natural threats for investment projects

First. Determination of the type of threats (dangers) in what could become the location of an investment project;

Second. Determination of the effects that the events could have on the structure of a project, on the immediate environs and how it would affect its operations and useful life;

Global losses by economic activity, attributed to the impact of extreme events,

1988-2009-Millions of US$ as of 2006-

Sectors total millions

$ uS

Distribution %

Public Works and Transport

696.9 38.22

Agriculture 396,9 21.77

Energy 329.1 18.05

Housing 206.5 11.33

Environment 54.3 2.98

Aqueducts and sewage systems

45.4 2.49

EmergencyAttention

35.5 1.95

Health 28.9 1.59

Education 18.5 1.02

Social 6.2 0.34

Public buildings

2.5 0.14

Industries 1.2 0.07

Railway 0.8 0.05

Private works 0.098 0.01

TOTAL 1 823.3 100.00

Public Investment Unit of MIDEPLAN, based on information from the master plans of the CNE, reports of ECLACL, CAC-CORECA, MAG and CORBANA.

those natural phenomena that have given rise to a declared state of emergency in the country because of the intensity and extent of those phenomena.

The agreement considers all data on impacts on public and private goods as well as on people. This initiative is a continuation of the initial national effort to generate systematized information and reflects the importance of natural threats of climatic

Considered threats

Climatic and geological threats can magnify their effects when they coincide in time and place.

Climatic:• Avalanche• Landslides • Forest Fires• Flooding• Drought

Geological:• Earthquakes • Tsunami• Volcanic

processes and phenomena

The Coffee NAMA: a tool for low emissions development

In Costa Rica, coffee cultivation is a dynamic activity that accounts for 25 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector. It is also part of the national identity. Reducing these emissions is therefore essential to achieving the goal of carbon neutrality by 2021 defined by the country. With this in mind, the public and private sectors, as well as the academic sector, have committed to creating innovations that will pave the way for the introduction of more efficient production systems that are, at the same time, more competitive.

The optimized use of nitrogenated fertilizers is crucial in reducing emissions. The proposal is therefore to use controlled-release fertilizers, adopt proper fertilization plans and incorporate nitrogen-fixing species into the plantations.

A decline in the use of fertilizers could potentially translate into an annual reduction of 1 726.45 MT of CO2 e on the total area under coffee cultivation over the course of the ten years estimated for adoption of the measure. At the end of the ten years, there would be a 13.5 per cent reduction in relation to the base line.

• Efficientuseofwaterandenergyincoffeeprocessing

With respect to coffee processing, a series of measures are proposed to improve efficiency in the use of water and energy throughout processing. These measures involve reducing water consumption in coffee processing and instituting systems to generate energy through the use of byproducts and biomass.

One of the most important measures is making a change in the use of anaerobic lagoons for the treatment of waste water and using instead a system of wastewater irrigation of pastures.

This measure of changing from lagoons to irrigation fields in 46 processing plants that have the potential to institute this change would translate into a reduction of 6 084.83 MT of CO2 e.

• ProgramtopromoteAgro-forestrySystems(AFS)

The AFS coffee program promotes the intercropping of 70 timber trees, legumes or species in danger of extinction per hectare (2.47 acres) of coffee. By including various species of trees on the plantations, these systems have the potential to sequester up to 34 MT of carbon per hectare and generate additional

environmental benefits. It is estimated that close to 30 000 hectares (74 100 acres) of coffee can be incorporated into the AFS scheme.

In an effort to expand the coffee agro-forestry systems throughout the national territory, a payment for environmental services program has been created and will be reinforced by the NAMA. The country has more than 20 years’ experience with the National Forestry Financing Fund (Fondo Nacional de Financiamiento Forestal - FONAFIFO) for implementation of this measure.

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For Further inFormation:

Luis Zamora Quirós, Manager of the National Coffee Program, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock [email protected]

Summary – The Coffee NAMA

Objective: Contribute to greenhouse gas emission mitigation in the agricultural sector through appropriate measures in the coffee subsector.

Measures:- Reduction in and efficient use of nitrogenated

fertilizers- Efficient use and treatment of water and

energy in coffee processing- Program to promote Agro-forestry Systems

(AFS)

Scope: 93 000 hectares (229 710 acres) of coffee in Costa Rican territory

Period of implementation: ten years as of 2013

Investment USD: 30 000 000

Institutions responsible for the Coffee NAMA: MAG, MINAET, Icafe, Fundecooperación.

Technical support: CATIE, UNA, IICA, GIZ


In Costa Rica, coffee cultivation is an integral part of the country’s history and national identity. Coffee plantations extend across the country’s

mountain range, covering an area of over 90 000 hectares (222 300 acres) and extending from 600 to 1 600 meters (1 968 to 5 248 feet) above sea level. The coffee sector includes 50 671 producers, 172 coffee processing plants, 57 exporters and 37 coffee roasters. The coffee sector employs eight percent of Costa Rica’s work force.

The importance of coffee at the national level is also reflected in its contribution of nine percent of the country´s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 25 percent of the emissions generated in the agricultural sector. The agricultural sector accounts for 37 percent of total GHG emissions in the country.

These are the reasons that led Costa Rica to commit itself to designing and implementing the NAMA (Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action) for the coffee sector. This initial experience is also intended to set the stage for extending the initiative to other agricultural systems and sectors, such as transportation and solid waste, at both the national and international levels.

Institutional Framework

Costa Rica took on the challenge of achieving carbon neutrality by 2021. Targeting this goal has meant that the country has had to create concrete institutional frameworks within the various sectors to pave the way for instituting GHG emission mitigation measures that are national in scope.

The Ministry of Environment, Energy and Telecommunications (Ministerio de Ambiente, Energía y Telecommunications -MINAET) has a mandate to spearhead the National Climate Change Strategy and coordinate its implementation in cooperation with the other sectoral ministries included in the Strategy. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, (Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería – MAG) has defined a State Policy for the Agricultural Sector and the Rural Development of Costa Rica for 2010-2021. That policy also covers climate change and agro-environmental management.

The Costa Rica Coffee Institute (Instituto del Café de Costa Rica -Icafé), established in 1933, is a key institution for the coffee growing sector. It is a public non-state entity that promotes coffee cultivation nationwide and it has an agreement with MAG to support the development and implementation of the Coffee NAMA.

These institutional arrangements, added to the growing interest of the private sector in innovating more competitive production systems that are more resilient to climate change, the experience gained with respect to sustainable development, low-carbon agriculture and agro-forestry systems for small and medium-sized farms at the national level carried out by the Fundecooperacion Foundation for Sustainable Development (Fundación Fundecooperación para el Desarollo Sostenible), and the support of research centers such as the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza - CATIE) and the National University of Costa Rica (Universidad

Promoting Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action

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quantitatively and transparently, performance in the use of emissions reduction technologies and offset schemes. In addition, the funding needed to implement these measures, either through national resources, the national carbon market or international donors, requires a solid and reliable MRV system, which is the biggest challenge in successfully implementing this NAMA.

Description of measures proposed in the Coffee NAMA

• Reductionintheuseofnitrogenatedfertilizers

In Costa Rica, the coffee sector is responsible for most of the N2O emissions in the agricultural sector. Inefficient nitrogenated fertilization plans are still in use by producers who fail to apply the proper doses and to heed appropriate times for fertilization. The result is environmental pollution and an increase in production costs.

Nacional de Costa Rica – UNA) have laid the foundation for cementing the decision and the commitment needed to structure the Coffee NAMA.

Concept of the Coffee NAMA

The concept is based on the introduction of technologies that enable the coffee sector to improve competitiveness by instituting GHG mitigation measures which also generate a series of social, economic and environmental co-benefits that are also conducive to the adaptation of production systems to climate change.

The framing of such measures through the NAMA opens up the possibility for setting a concrete national goal for the coffee sector, in the area of GHG mitigation, accompanied by the development of a system for monitoring, reporting and verifying of greenhouse gas emissions (MRV). The MRV system is the most important requirement for evaluating,

Percentage distribution of national CO2 e emissions by sector and subsector.

Source: National GHG Inventory, 2009, National Meteorological Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, 2009.

Thanks to public and private initiative, the banana sector is striving to achieve carbon neutrality

In the Costa Rican banana sector, crucial for the economy of this Central American country, public and private institutions are working together and moving forward to establish production systems that feature more efficient use of natural resources and greenhouse gas mitigation. Their efforts are aligned with the national objective of making Costa Rica a carbon neutral country by 2021.

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For Further inFormation, contact:

Rudy Amador, Director of Environmental Affairs, Dole Fresh Fruit International Ltd. Email [email protected] Sergio Laprade, Director of the Environmental Commission, CORBANA. [email protected]

• An approximate 75 per cent reduction inrefrigerant emissions over the last five yearsas a result of a change-over tomore efficientsystems;

• Establishmentofaforestryprograminvolving2 488 hectares (6 145.36 acres) for CO2capture, erosion control and biodiversityconservation;

• PurchasefromtheNationalForestryFinancingFund (FONAFIFO) of loans certified bythe government to offset its annual carbonemissions generated by fruit transport to theportofexport.

National Support

The Climate Change Directorate (la Direcciónde Cambio Climático-DCC) of the Ministry ofEnvironment, Energy and Telecommunicationscoordinates the government initiative known asthe Country Program for the official validationof processes related to inventory reporting ofGHGandtheapplicationoftheNationalCarbonNeutralityStandard.

The Country Program is based on the nationalstandard known as the “Management System toDemonstrate Carbon Neutrality”, which createsCosta Rican Compensation Units (UnidadesCostarricensesdeCompensación)wherereductionhas priority over compensation. In other words,thepurchaseoftheseunitsbythecompaniestakesplacewhentheyhavealreadydoneeverythingintheirpowertoreduceemissions.

Thus, the efforts deployed by companies suchas Dole, which is part of the Country Program’spilotexperiences,have thebenefitof institutionalcoordinationandthesupportofanationalprogramwhich promote the development of competitiveagriculturethatislowinemissions.

Carbon footprint in the production chain

Heading Kg CO2e/MT

bananas

Percentage of total

emissions

Farm 137.83 12 %

Packaging 89.60 8 %

Transport from packaging site to embarkation terminal

14.11 1%

Port and terminaloperations

25.75 2%

Maritime transport 691.74 62%

Ripening 84.46 8%

Transport fromripening establishmentto distributor

26.62 2%

Excluded emissions 53.51 5%

Total 1 123.62 100%

Source: Adapted from Comprehensive Carbon Footprint Assessment Dole Bananas, Soil and More International B.V. (2010)


ThegenesisofthebananaindustryinCostaRica dates back to 1870. Costa Ricacurrentlyexportsanannualaverageof1.8

million metric tons, valued at US$745 000 000andaccountingforeightpercentofthecountry’stotalexports.

As a public, non-state entity that oversees thedevelopmentofthecountry’sbananaindustry,theNational Banana Corporation (la CorporaciónBananeraNacional-CORBANA)playsahighlyimportantrole for thesector.Accordingly, ithasworked in conjunction with the private sectorto institute production systems that are focusedon the efficient use of natural resources andgreenhousegasmitigation(GHG).

The private sector, for its part, has mobilizedeffortstoquantifyGHGemissionsbyintegratingthe entire productive chain. It has promotedinitiatives that are focused on institutingmeasurestoreduceandoffsetemissionstowardsachieving the goals of obtaining carbonneutralitycertifications.Inthissense,theprivatesector,withsupportfromthepublicinstitutions,hasaligned itselfwith thenationalobjectiveofmakingCostaRicaacarbonneutralcountrybytheyear2021.

A banana sector that makes efficient use of natural resources

2 3

Experiences of Dole Fresh Fruit International Ltd

Key measures

Belowaretheresultsofthemostsignificantmeasuresimplementedinthebananasector:

• Fifty percent reduction in the amountofwaterusedforwashingthefruitasaresultofreducingthedepthofthetanksto70-80cm(27½-31½inches)andreusingthewater;

• Reduction in electricity consumptionas a result of the use of solar light inpackagingplants;

• Fortypercentreduction innitrogenatedfertilizers per hectare (2.47 acres), withnoeffectontheproductivityofthefarms;

• Morethan1200hectares(2964acres)usedforconservation;

• Implementation of an agro-meteorological information system,known as BANACLIMA, whichprovidesproducerswithmeteorologicalinformationtofacilitatethemonitoringof pests and diseases and the optimumapplicationofagriculturalinputs.

LtdinCostaRicaandidentifyandexecuteprojectstoreduceandoffsetemissions.

The following are the principal measuresimplemented:

• Fiftypercentreductionintheuseofnitrogenatedfertilizersoverthelastfiveyearsthroughtheuseof controlled-release fertilizers and precision-agriculturetechniques;

• Reduction of 1 080 Tons CO2e per year as aresultofmeasuresimplementedtosavefuelinthecontainerterminal;

InCostaRica,DoleFreshFruit InternationalLtd,throughitssubsidiariesStandardFruitCompanyofCostaRicaS.A. andDiversificadosdeCostaRicaS.A., is the leading banana and pineapple exportcompany.In2008, itwasrecognizedasoneof thefirst100organizationstojointheNeutralClimateNetwork of the United Nations EnvironmentProgramme, receiving at that time the CenturionTrophy.

One year earlier, in 2007, the company hadestablishedaclimatechangeprogramintendedforthepreparationofinventoriesofemissionsgeneratedbytheoperationsofDoleFreshFruitInternational

The position of the Americas on agriculture within the agenda of the international climate negotiations

technical nOte

October 2013

The idea that climate change issues fall only within the domain of environmental scientists

and climate specialists has never been further from the truth. As humankind acquires a better understanding of the challenges posed by climate change, it is becoming increasingly clear that response measures need to involve all sectors of society at all levels, from the local to international.

Never before has there been such a high level of certainty regarding climate change. The most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that it is extremely likely (95-100% certain) that more than half of the increase in global average surface temperature from 1951 to 2010 was caused by the anthropogenic increase in greenhouse gas concentrations (IPCC 2013).

Agriculture is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 11-12% of the total.1 Globally, agricultural methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions increased by nearly 17% from 1990 to 2005; developing countries recorded a 32% increase, and were, by 2005, responsible for about three-quarters of total emissions from the agricultural sector.2 (Smith, P. et al., 2007).

The risks posed by climate change have a direct bearing on food security and the development of rural territories. Changes in rainfall patterns and higher temperatures could cause crop yields to fall 10-20% in the tropics and sub-tropics, where the world’s poorest and most vulnerable populations are concentrated (Thornton, P., 2012).

1 Medium agreement, medium evidence.2 High agreement, high evidence.

Agriculture, Natural Resources and Climate

Change Program

Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

The agricultural sector is faced with the twin challenges of producing enough food for a growing population and ensuring the livelihoods of people whose subsistence depends on farming. Urgent action is needed to support the people most vulnerable to climate change and to adapt production systems. Developing measures to transform agriculture and guarantee food security without contributing further rises in the levels of emissions that affect the global climate system is crucial.

A wide variety of channels can be used to provide responses to the challenges at different levels and scales. The international negotiations of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are an important example.3

Historically, agriculture has not played a significant role within the UNFCCC framework. In recent years, however, a number of countries have been promoting the idea of establishing a working group on agriculture under the aegis of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA). The SBSTA plays an important role by linking the scientific information provided by specialists, such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, to the policy-oriented needs of the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the UNFCCC.

The creation of a working group on agriculture would be a significant development, inasmuch

as it would strengthen and link knowledge and technology on climate change and agriculture, raising the latter’s profile within the technical and financial mechanisms of the Convention.

In 2011, the SBSTA was asked for the first time to consider the need to create a working group on agriculture. The countries were invited to submit their positions and arguments regarding the creation of such a group. Five countries in the Americas (Canada, the United States, Costa Rica, Bolivia and Uruguay) sent in individual submissions, while Mexico and Haiti responded collectively with other countries holding similar concerns.

In their submissions, the countries expressed the need for a working group but failed to propose approaches or define the priorities of the group clearly.

The issue of agriculture came to the fore again in June 2013, during the 38th session of the SBSTA, where the countries and observer organizations were asked to submit to the secretariat of the UNFCCC, by September 2, 2013, their views on “the current state of scientific knowledge on how to enhance the adaptation of agriculture to climate change impacts while promoting rural development, sustainable development and productivity of agricultural systems and food security in all countries, particularly in developing countries, taking into account the diversity of the agricultural systems and the differences in scale as well as possible adaptation co-benefits” (UNFCCC, 2013).

3 The objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), adopted in 1992, and any related legal instruments that the Conference of the Parties may adopt, “is to achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Such a level should be achieved within a time-frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner” (United Nations, 1992).

2 | Agriculture, Natural Resources and Climate Change Program

The SBSTA also requested that the secretariat organize a workshop on the countries’ submissions during the 39th session of the SBSTA (November 2013) and prepare a report on the workshop for the consideration of the SBSTA at its 40th session (June 2014).

Seventeen countries in the Americas responded to the request for submissions:4 Bolivia, Dominica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Venezuela (in a joint position with the Like-Minded Developing

Countries (LMDC) negotiating group); Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama and Peru (in a joint position with the Association of Independent Latin American and Caribbean States [AILAC] negotiating group); and Haiti (in a joint position with the Least Developed Countries [LDC] negotiating group). Brazil, the United States, Uruguay and Argentina sent in individual submissions. The following is a summary of the common points raised in the positions submitted by the countries.

Core arguments

The countries set forth the principal arguments regarding the importance of, and key linkages between, agriculture and climate change in their submissions. The points highlighted most frequently were:

• The need for production systems to be capable of feeding a growing population, hence the importance of focusing on strategies that would enable the possibility of not only maintaining, but increasing food production in order to meet future needs in the face of climate change.

• Agriculture is closely linked to food security, thus measures should focus on guaranteeing the availability of and access to food.

• Adaptation options designed to support smallholders and the most vulnerable populations, including women and indigenous peoples, are required.

4 The submissions of all the countries that responded to the request can be found at the following link: http://unfccc.int/documentation/submissions_from_parties/items/5901.php

The SBSTA and Agriculture

2011 (COP 17, South Africa) The Ad hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (AGW-LCA) requested the SBSTA to consider the possibility of establishing a work program on agriculture and asked countries for their views on the matter.

2012 (COP 18, Qatar) The SBSTA reviewed the countries’ submissions and postponed a decision until the 38th session, in June 2013.

2013 (38th session of the SBSTA, Germany) The countries were again asked for submissions on the current state of scientific knowledge on how to enhance the adaptation of agriculture to climate change impacts.


• Actions to adapt agriculture are extremely necessary as a large percentage of the population of developing countries depends on agriculture for its subsistence and agriculture is a very important sector from a socioeconomic standpoint. It is a tool for achieving sustainable development and reducing poverty.

• Natural resources are critical for agriculture. Large-scale implementation of sustainable agricultural practices that contribute to soil, water and biodiversity conservation will be important for the successful adaptation of agriculture to climate change.

In addition to the common arguments set forth in the submissions, only AILAC’s position emphasizes the importance of taking mitigation into account as an adaptation co-benefit. It suggests incorporating the subject into an integrated landscape management approach. In their specific

request to the SBSTA working group, the AILAC countries also included the development of capacity for emissions monitoring, reporting and verification systems.

The United States’ submission followed a logic that was substantially different from the rest. The position presented described the technological interventions used and lessons learned from reducing the crop losses caused by the 2012 drought.

Specific actionsThe countries also suggested several principal activities for the SBSTA working group. The requests made by the countries can be grouped under four general headings, which are listed below along with and the specific actions mentioned most frequently in the submissions from the Americas:


Evaluate the potential impacts of climate change on agriculture and improve the availability of regional models

• Quantify impacts on crop yields under different production systems and pastures, and with the spread of pests and diseases.

• Incorporate socioeconomic variables into impact assessments; differentiate impacts by gender and among the most vulnerable populations.

• Take the increase in extreme weather events into account when analyzing impacts.• Regionalize and better downscale climate models.

Strengthen research to evaluate the vulnerability of agriculture to climate change and the best technologies for agricultural adaptation

• Take into account practices and technologies focused on the conservation of natural resources (water, soil, biodiversity).

• Identify the factors that contribute to sensitivity and adaptive capacity, particularly for the most vulnerable populations.

• Integrate traditional and indigenous knowledge into the technology development and implementation process.


Develop and improve climate information systems and their linkage to decision-making processes in agriculture

• Include tools for compiling and interpreting climate information; use this information to assess risk and develop early warning systems.

• Design mechanisms for analyzing, interpreting and disseminating climate information to farmers and decision-makers.

Enhance the capacity for both technology transfer to farmers and knowledge for the adaptation of agriculture to climate change

• Identify the barriers (technical and financial) that prevent farmers from accessing and implementing technologies.

• Design plans and networks for technology development and transfer. • Create mechanisms for the management and exchange of knowledge in order to harmonize

the different efforts and initiatives.

A call to intensify efforts to promote action

The process aimed at consolidating a SBSTA working group on agriculture is ongoing and it is essential that the countries of the Americas, particularly their ministries of agriculture, work closely with the national delegations that participate in the Conferences of the Parties to the UNFCCC. They should be aware of the windows of opportunity and take advantage of the spaces available to improve agriculture’s positioning within the different mechanisms of the Convention.

International climate negotiations are not the only place where efforts should be made to generate concrete action related to agriculture and climate change. Many country-level initiatives are already underway. However, the negotiations afford a

key opportunity to define the most important ways to channel he knowledge, research, technical cooperation and the financing that countries require for strengthening the actions they take to address climate change.

Concrete proposals fully supported by many countries are needed to more convincingly and forcefully raise the profile of agriculture in the UNFCCC. The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) stands ready to serve as a platform for dialogue, to support the consolidation of joint country positions, and to strengthen the capacity of the ministries of agriculture and the national delegations to better position agriculture in the international climate change negotiations.


IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). 2013. Working Group I Contribution to the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis Summary for Policymakers (on line), n.p. 36 pp. Consulted on Oct. 3, 2013. Available at http://www.climatechange2013.org/images/uploads/WGIAR5-SPM_Approved27Sep2013.pdf

Smith, P; et al. 2007. Agriculture in Climate Change 2007: Mitigation. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (on line). New York. Cambridge University Press. 540 pp. Consulted on Oct. 3, 2013. Available at http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg3/en/ch8.html

Thornton, P. 2012. Recalibrating Food Production in the Developing World: Global Warming Will Change More Than Just the Climate (on line), n.p. CCAFS Policy Brief no. 6. CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). 16 pp. Consulted on Oct. 3, 2013. Available at http://cgspace.cgiar.org/bitstream/handle/10568/24696/CCAFS_PB06-Recalibrating%20Food%20Production.pdf?sequence=6

UN (United Nations). 1992. United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change (on line), n.p. 50 pp. Consulted on Oct. 3, 2013. Available at http://unfccc.int/files/essential_background/

background_publications_htmlpdf/application/pdf/conveng.pdf

UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice. 2013. Issues relating to agriculture: Draft conclusions proposed by the Chair (on line). Bonn. 1 p. Consulted on Oct. 3, 2013. Available at: http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2013/sbsta/eng/l20.pdf

Agriculture, Natural Resources and Climate Change Program

Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on AgricultureTechnical Cooperation DirectorateAgriculture, Natural Resources and Climate Change Program

P.O. Box 55-2200 San José, Vázquez de Coronado, San Isidro 11101 – Costa RicaTelephone: (+506) 2216 0341Fax: (+506) 2216 0233 / E-mail: [email protected] Web page: www.iica.int

Literature Cited


Change Program

systematization of the technical forum

July 2013


Estimating the water footprint: Applications for the agriculture sector of Latin America

Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Water Resources Centre for Central America and the Caribbean (HIDROCEC-UNA) held a technical forum on the calculation of the water footprint in agriculture on May 21, 2013 in San Jose, Costa Rica. The key points highlighted in the expert presentations are summarized below.


Water and Food Security and the Protection of Nature in Latin America and Spain1 Maite Aldaya and Alberto Garrido, Fundación Botín Water Observatory, Spain

• The water footprint (WF) is an indicator of water use that looks at both the direct and indirect use of a consumer or producer. It measures the volume of water consumed (water that evaporates or does not return) and/or polluted by unit of time.

• The components that comprise the WF concept are green water (volume of rainwater that evaporates or is incorporated into a product), blue water (volume of surface or groundwater incorporated into a product or returned to a different catchment area, the sea or a body of saltwater) and grey water (volume of polluted water).

• The rise in agricultural exports in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is closely related to the increase in water consumption for agricultural production in the region. Most agricultural products are produced on rainfed land (87% of farmland is rainfed). Thus,

between 1996 and 2005, LAC’s agricultural products generated net exports of green virtual water totaling 141.5 Gm3/year, with net imports of blue virtual water put at 16.1 Gm3/year.

• Since LAC has sufficient water resources to meet the demand for food, integrated water resources management should not be viewed as an obstacle to development but rather as a means of striking a correct balance between the links and constraints resulting from the interaction among water resources, food production, food security and environmental protection.

• From the methodological standpoint, certain elements still need to be improved, such as those related to the calculation of the gray water footprint that is currently under development, so that more precise indicators can be provided.

1 The presentation of Maite Aldaya and Alberto Garrido is available at the following link:http://www.iica.int/Esp/organizacion/LTGC/ForosTecnicos/Documents/Foro4-2013/AlbertoGarrido-MaiteAldaya.pdf


Water footprint and the institutional framework for water in Latin America2 Patricia Phumpiu, Researcher at the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico.

• The WF concept is inherently related to institutional aspects linked to the generation of public structures and policies that facilitate correct water management and governance.

• The WF is an indicator of water use and management, the knowledge and implementation of which helps to achieve sustainable development by means of public policy, environmental regulations and planning. Therefore, the WF concept should be thought of in terms of the definition of sustainable development, and be used to support social, environmental-ecosystemic and economic mechanisms.

• Development entails striking the right balance between the allocation and use of water resources for production and conservation, underpinned by public policies whose primary purpose is to bolster and guarantee fundamental human rights.

• In LAC, progress has been made in incorporating the social component into the policy framework governing integrated water

and soil management mechanisms. LAC has also moved ahead with the development of institutional arrangements for integrated water resources management that have made it possible to recognize water as a human right, with the decentralization of water management being given priority.

2 The presentation of Patricia Phumpiu is available at the following link: http://www.iica.int/Esp/organizacion/LTGC/ForosTecnicos/Documents/Foro4-2013/PatriciaPhumpiu.pdf

http://www.iica.int/Esp/organizacion/LTGC/ForosTecnicos/Documents/Foro4-2013/PatriciaPhumpiu.pdf


Mexico’s experience in calculating the water footprint and virtual water3 Rosario Pérez, Researcher of the Universidad Autónoma de México.

3 The presentation of Rosario Pérez is available at the following link: http://www.iica.int/Esp/organizacion/LTGC/ForosTecnicos/Documents/Foro4-2013/RosarioPerez.pdf

• The efforts to calculate the WF in Mexico show that the data obtained can vary significantly because of the different methodologies used (Cropwat, Driego and Hoekstra). It is important to bear these differences in mind when analyzing the data, and to try to identify the key values responsible.

• The quantity and quality of the core data that is available and accessible are important constraints in efforts to estimate the WF. This suggests that an essential aspect in improving

integrated water resources management and in creating policy and monitoring instruments is the management of information related to water availability and use, crop yields, and the use of other production inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides.

• The WF is a tool that, when combined with other instruments, can be very useful–for example, in designing public policies to limit the production of crops that require large volumes of water in areas where water is scarce.

http://www.iica.int/Esp/organizacion/LTGC/ForosTecnicos/Documents/Foro4-2013/RosarioPerez.pdf


Study of the water footprint in Colombia and evaluation of the water footprint in the Río Porce watershed4

Diego Arévalo, Consultant specializing in the water footprint. Science and Technology Center of Antioquia, Colombia.

• In conducting studies to calculate the WF in Colombia, efforts were made to integrate a large number of stakeholders, including research centers, universities, national institutions and cooperation agencies. This facilitated the conducting of broad, multi-sectoral studies with a deeper level of analysis and an assessment of the interactions in the competition for resources between sectors such as agriculture and mining.

• The methodology used to calculate the WF in the Río Porce watershed was divided into four parts: the definition of the scope of the data and elements to be considered in the study, the quantification of the WF by production unit and the total per unit of time and region, the evaluation of sustainability (incorporating economic, social and environmental variables that make it possible to identify critical places) and the formulation of actions to respond to the situation identified.

• It is important that WF studies go beyond the quantification phases to include the evaluation of sustainable development strategies, so that concrete actions can be proposed to facilitate correct water resources management at the territorial level.

4 The presentation of Diego Arévalo is available at the following link: http://www.iica.int/Esp/organizacion/LTGC/ForosTecnicos/Documents/Foro4-2013/DiegoArevalo.pdf

http://www.iica.int/Esp/organizacion/LTGC/ForosTecnicos/Documents/Foro4-2013/DiegoArevalo.pdf


Application of the calculation of the water footprint in coffee, banana and rice-growing areas of Costa Rica5

Christian Golcher, Researcher at HIDROCEC-UNA, Costa Rica.

• For centuries, Costa Rica’s abundant precipitation has meant that the country has not had to concern itself with the need to plan the management of its water resources, despite the fact that agriculture is the biggest consumer of water.

• The study focused on three crops (coffee, bananas and rice) that account for 44.3% of the total surface area under cultivation in Costa Rica (2011). These crops were selected because of their economic and cultural importance, and the availability of the core data needed for the calculations.

• Crop requirements, soil and climate, and applications of agrochemicals all contribute to the water footprint, but yields are an especially important factor in the construction of the indicator.

• The calculation of the gray water footprint is based on the volume of water required to assimilate the pollution generated by nitrogen fertilization. Nitrogen is relatively mobile and is used extensively in agricultural production all over the world, but other active ingredients need to be incorporated that are applied in various crops in large quantities, such as fungicides, herbicides, nematicides, insecticides, and non-nitrogen fertilizers.

• For the indicator to have a real social value and be used to orient public policies for integrated water resources management, it is necessary to take the analysis beyond the first link in the value chain (production) and incorporate industrial processing, collection, distribution and marketing, as well as other post-harvest and food processing activities.

5 The presentation of Christian Golcher is available at the following link: http://www.iica.int/Esp/organizacion/LTGC/ForosTecnicos/Documents/Foro4-2013/ChristianGolcher.pdf

http://www.iica.int/Esp/organizacion/LTGC/ForosTecnicos/Documents/Foro4-2013/ChristianGolcher.pdf


In general, Latin America and the Caribbean has an abundance of water resources; the problems associated with water have more to do with access and the deterioration of water quality. Therefore, a major issue continues to be the incorporation of mechanisms to orient water management actions in the context of sustainable development, combining the appropriate development of agricultural production with food security and environmental protection.

The calculation of the WF still has methodological limitations that must be overcome if the resulting values are to be more reliable and offer more accurate information about water’s different interactions at both the ecosystem level and throughout the value chains. The application of the calculations also highlights the need for the countries to improve their information management systems in order to provide input for the models used to analyze and monitor water resources.

When combined with other instruments, the calculation of the WF can be a valuable tool to guide public policies and generate concrete activities designed to improve integrated water management at both the territorial and national levels.

Main conclusions of the Technical Forum

Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on AgricultreTechnical Cooperation DirectorateAgriculture, Natural Resources and Climate Change Program


Implications of climate change for maize and bean

production in Central America

Systematization • Technical Forum

Venue: Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture(IICA).SanJose,CostaRica

Date: September6,2012

Objective of the Forum:To increase knowledge related to the interpretation ofmodelsforestimatingtheimpactofclimatechangeonmaizeandbeanproductioninCentralAmerica,thesocioeconomicimplications,andtheselectionofadaptationoptions.

Implications of climate change for maize and bean production in Central America2

1. ImpactofclimatechangeonthebeanandmaizesysteminCentralAmerica

Researcher Peter Läderach, leader of the climatechangegroupoftheInternationalCenterforTropicalAgriculture(CIAT),provideddetailsoftheworkcarriedout by CIAT, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and theInternationalMaize and Wheat Improvement Center(CIMMYT)usingtheIPPC’sglobalcirculationmodelsand DSSAT crop simulation models to determinethe possible impact on maize and bean productionsystemsat the local level inCentralAmerica,withaviewtoidentifyingspecificadaptationmeasures.

ThefactthatmorethanonemillionsmallholdersinCentralAmericadependonmaizeandbeanproductionfortheirsubsistenceunderscorestheimportanceoftheresearch.Italsomeansthattheseproductionsystemsand food security and livelihoods in the region arecloselylinked.

Thestudysetouttogaugeandclassifytheimpactinthreekindsofareas:

• Adaptation points:wheremeasuresdesignedto adapt production systems will be needed,since25%ofproductionisexpectedtobelost.

• Critical points:wheremore than50%ofpro-ductionwillbelostandtheeffortsshouldfo-cusonthediversificationoflivelihoods.

• Pressure points:whereproductionisexpectedto increase more than 25%.Agriculture couldmigratetotheseareas,makingthemsuscepti-bletodeforestationduetotheexpansionoftheagriculturalfrontier.

Socioeconomicvariableswereincorporatedintotheimpact analysis to make it possible to assess systemvulnerability. The variation in impact, depending onthelocalconditions,suggeststhatadaptationstrategiesneedtobespecificforeachplaceandtakeintoaccounttheadaptabilityofproducersineachregion.

Oneofthestudy’smoregeneralconclusionsisthatitisimportanttofocusonthesustainableintensificationof production, the diversification of farm income,andthe increaseof“lifecapital,” toguaranteeviableadaptationstrategies.

Key points made in the presentations

The speakers at the technical forum were Peter Läderach of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT); David Williams, Manager of IICA’s Agriculture, Natural Resources and Climate Change Program; Francisco Enciso, Executive Secretary of SICTA; and IICA consultant Jonathan Castro.

The forum took place at IICA Headquarters in San Jose, Costa Rica, and was webcast to a number of Latin American and Caribbean countries.

During the technical forum, Läderach explained that, in Central America, the high vulnerability of some crops to climate change could pose a threat to the food security of small farmers and their families.

Implications of climate change for maize and bean production in Central America 3

2. AdaptationofmaizeandbeanstoclimatechangeinCentralAmerica:Jointactionstrategy.SICTA/NAIIs-IICA

JonathanCastro,aconsultant in theareaof tech-nologyandinnovationwiththeIICAOfficeinCostaRica, spoke about the progress of the regional pro-jectontheadaptationofmaizeandbeanstoclimatechangeinCentralAmericaandtheDominicanRepu-blic.Theprojectaimstoidentify,assess,develop,anddistribute improved and adapted maize and beangermplasmtocounteractthedirecteffectsofclimatechange,andtheirimpactonfoodsecurity.

In the presentation, emphasis was placed on theworkbeingperformedwiththenetworksofbeanandmaizespecialistsoftheSICTANetwork,andthetaskof validating genetic material that is being carriedout in a participatory manner with producers, andthroughtheevaluationoffieldtests.

AcaseinpointwasthepiloteffortinSanMartíndeElÁguila,PérezZeledón,CostaRica,where20va-rietiesofmaizeand25differentbeanmaterialsweredistributedforthefieldtestsandtrials.

Key points of the discussions

During the Q&A session, the questionwasraisedwithrespecttotheunreliabilityofglobalcirculationmodelswhentheyarescaleddown.Thismeansthat,ideally,theregionalizedmodelsshouldbeused.Thesearenotyetavailablefortheentireregion,however, so it is very important thatefforts be made to improve the baselineinformation with data available from theweatherstationsinthecountries.

Given that the models become lessreliable as their scale decreases, theinformation presented should be usedas a decision-making tool at the regionaland local levels, taking into account thesocioeconomic variables that increase thevulnerabilityofproductionsystems.

Itwasalsostressedthatbeanswouldbeaffected more than maize, since they aremore sensitive to temperature increases.Alsomentionedwas theneed tobroadenthe study with information about thebehavior of pests and diseases underdifferentclimaticscenarios.

The participants also discussed theimportance of coordinating with expertsandnetworksofprofessionalsinvolvedinconservationandREDD+issues,sincethestudy had shown that some areas wouldbe susceptible to deforestation if farmerswere forced to migrate to places wherethe conditions were more suitable forgrowingcrops.

More generally, reference was madeto the importance of the informationgeneratedbythestudiesbeing integratedinto public policy frameworks, planningprocesses, and national strategies foragriculture sector development. Anotherfactormentionedwastheneedtoguaranteeadequate knowledge management andtechnologytransfermechanisms,toensurethat the different stakeholders had theinformationtheyneededtotakedecisionsandproducerspossessedthetoolsrequiredto adapt their production systems to theexpectedimpact.

Implications of climate change for maize and bean production in Central America4

• The models for gauging the impact of climate change on crops, along with the regionalized studies of vulnerability, are useful tools for decision-making and for prioritizing the actions required to adapt production systems to climate change.

• The two methodological approaches presented – the development of impact models and the validation of adaptation options in the field – are complementary and should be integrated into the design of public policies and local adaptation plans.

Mainconclusionsoftheforum

Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on AgricultureTechnical Cooperation Directorate

Agriculture, Natural Resources and Climate Change ProgramP.O. Box 55-2200 / San Jose, Vazquez de Coronado, San Isidro 11101 – Costa Rica

Telephone: (+506) 2216 0341 / Fax. (+506) 2216 0233e-mail: [email protected] / Web page: www.iica.int

Sourcesofinformation:

- Presentation by Peter Läderach http://www.iica.int/esp/organizacion/LTGC/ForosTecnicos/Documents/Foro6_2012/PPT01.pdf

- Presentation by Jonathan Castro http://www.iica.int/esp/organizacion/LTGC/ForosTecnicos/Documents/Foro6_2012/PPT02.pdf

- Red SICTA website http://www.redsicta.org/

In an attempt to foster dialogue on the impact of climate change on the agricultural sector, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agricul-ture (IICA) organized a technical forum to discuss the implications of the agree-ments reached at the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) of the United Na-tions Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The forum, held on March 6, 2010, and organized by the IICA Agriculture, Natural Resources Management and Climate Change Program, afforded an opportunity to learn more about the challenges climate change poses for countries, and the strategies Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic have de-veloped to adapt their agricultural sec-tors to climate change and reduce the volume of greenhouse gases (GHG) that the sector emits.

Participants in the forum included the Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, Christina Figueres, who stressed the need for the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to make their posi-tions known on the role of agriculture in negotiations on the Convention. Given the unique nature of production in agri-culture, the sector must adopt measures aimed at adapting to and becoming less vulnerable to climate change and assume responsibility in lowering its emissions of GHG.

Because of its dual role, agricultural can play an important part both in lowering GHG emissions and in adapting to climate change. It was with this vision in mind that IICA responded to the appeal from the Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC.

Background

In 1992, the nations of the world adopted the UNFCCC in an effort to protect the climate system for present and future generations, in recognition of the fact that changes in climate, and their adverse effects, are a matter of concern to all of hu-manity.

The UNFCCC took effect in 1994, but it was not until the COP17 held in Durban, South Africa, in December 2011, that the topic of agriculture was formally discussed. At the COP17, participants extended the Kyoto Protocol for a second com-mitment period; reaffirmed the need to develop monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) systems for the voluntary carbon markets; and proposed the Durban Platform, which, by 2015, will define mandatory global commitments that will take effect in 2020.

Furthermore, the Parties agreed to establish a framework for exchanging views on issues related to agriculture under the Subsidiary Body on Scientific and Technical Advice (SBSTA). Parties to the negotiations are expected to make submissions to SBSTA no later than March 5, 2012.

For purposes of the UNFCCC discussions, climate-smart agriculture is agriculture that increases productivity and the capacity to resist environmental pressures, while reducing the gases that produce the greenhouse effect or eliminating them from the atmosphere (FAO, 2010); and sustainable in-tensification of production refers to increasing production per unit of area, while reducing negative effects on the en-vironment and increasing the contribution to natural capital and the flow of environmental services (FAO, 2011).

Agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean:

Challenges and opportunities created by climate change

These concepts need to be researched and documented to show how:

• they maintain and increase the pro-ductivity of food and contribute to improving the quality of life;

• their mechanisms interact to contribute to the protection of natural resources and ecosystems;

• they enable agricultural systems to adapt to climatic conditions today and in the future; and

• they sequester carbon or reduce emissions of GHG.

Priority topics related to agriculture recommended for consideration by the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technical Advice

In response to the request from the Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, IICA suggested priority topics in which agri-culture must be considered for future agreements and nego-tiations, in terms of funding, technical advice and regulatory frameworks.

Institutional framework • Strengthening of synergies involving the Ministries of

Environment, Agriculture, Economy, Health and others, and to ensure that they are represented on national delegations to the Convention.

• Strengthening of intergovernmental cooperation in the hemisphere.

• Strengthening of national and regional policies and strategies for adapting to climate change and lowering GHG emissions.

• Strengthening of intersectoral and multilevel territorial management in order to facilitate articulation of the agendas of the different summits and multilateral actions of the inter-national coordination and cooperation bodies.

Development of capabilities to adapt agriculture to climate change• Recovery of degraded soils and efficient management of

agricultural lands.• Efficient use of water for irrigation and other agricultural

production systems.


Experiences of the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica

• In the agricultural sector of the Do-minican Republic, the subsectors thathave the greatest impact in terms ofemissions are livestock (enteric fer-mentation and use of manure) andrice cultivation (flooded rice paddies,scheduled burning of savannas andburning of agriculture residues in thefield).

• InCostaRica,theagriculturalsectorisresponsiblefor37%ofGHGemissions,including46%ofallmethaneand54%of nitrous oxide, from the livestock,coffeeandsugarcanesubsectors.

• The representatives of the Ministriesof Agriculture underscored the needto focus on the issues of funding andthe strengthening of technical capaci-ties, and on the work ahead to pre-paretheMinistriesofEnvironmentandAgriculture for their participation intheConferencesoftheParties(COP).

Source: Presentations made by the Ministries of Agricul-ture and Environment during the technical forum.

Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, via videoconference; David Williams, Manager of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Climate Change Program; Tania Lopez, Depu-ty Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of Costa Rica; Victor M. Villalobos, Director General of IICA; Carolina Flores, Directorate of Climate Change, Ministry of Environment, Energy and Telecommunications of Costa Rica, and James French, Director of Technical Cooperation of IICA.

• Strengthening of the conservation and use of agricultural biodiversity.

• Promoting the concept of climate-smart agriculture, considering agro-ecosystems with capacity to adapt to extreme production conditions, sil-vopastoral and agroforestry systems, integrated pest management, family agriculture, organic agriculture and development of biotechnology.

• Development of local, national and regional strategies for adapting to climate change, including all the relevant sectors of the value chain of the agricultural sector; of early warning systems for natural disasters; and of agricultural insurance.

• Strengthening of national adaptation funds in order to channel international contributions to the countries.

• Creation of articulation and coordina-tion mechanisms in order to achieve greater integration and empower-ment of the organizations responsible for climate change in agriculture (for example, ministries and research and extension organizations) and to im-prove the ways in which they work with other relevant organizations (such as ministries of environment, meteorology).

• Strengthening of research, informa-tion, innovation and knowledge, to take advantage of existing opportuni-ties.

• Mobilization of public and private funding, within the framework of a green economy, to ensure sustainable transition to a smart agriculture that is adapted to climate change, taking into consideration mechanisms and incentives such as insurance markets and other investments.

• Development of capabilities in public and territorial actors and greater tech-nical and institutional capacities to formulate and implement public poli-cies needed to manage the adaptation of rural territories and agriculture to the effects of climate change.

• Infrastructure for adaptation that will make it possible to ensure the continued use of irrigation systems, while making such systems less


wasteful and more modern, and to improve post-harvest and agricultural product conservation processes.

Development of capacities to mitigate the effects of climate change• Technical and financial support for the preparation and im-

plementation of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA) in agriculture.

• Technical and financial support in defining MRV mecha-nisms for the agricultural sector.

• Support in formulating and implementing certification stan-dards.

• Prioritization of the agricultural sectors that generate the most GHG.1

• Development of capacities in producers and public and territorial actors to learn more about methodologies for miti-gating the effects of agriculture on climate change.

IICA’sAgriculture,NaturalResourcesManagementandClimateChangeProgram wishes to thank Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary ofthe UNFCCC;Tania Lopez, Deputy Minister ofAgriculture and Live-stockFarmingofCostaRica;CarolinaFlores,fromtheClimateChangeOfficeof theMinistryofEnvironment,EnergyandTelecommunicationsofCostaRica;JuanMancebo,AdvisorintheMinistryofAgricultureoftheDominicanRepublic;andVictorViñas,AdvisorintheMinistryoftheEnvi-ronmentoftheDominicanRepublic,fortheirparticipationintheForum.

Wealsowish to thank the IntergovernmentalProgram forCoopera-tiononClimateChange:OpportunitiesandChallenges inAgriculture(PRICA-ADO)foritvaluablecontributiontoadocumentsenttotheUNFCCC.

Participants in the technical forum


Telephone: (+506) 2216 0341 / Fax. (+506) 2216 0233e-mail: [email protected] | Web page: http://www.iica.int/Esp/Programas/RecursosNaturales

1.Inparticular,carbondioxide,CO2,methane,CH4,nitrousoxide,N2O,perfluorocarbons,PFCs,hydrofluorocarbons,HFCsandsulfurhexafluoride(SF6).

What is the connection between agriculture and Rio+20?

Agriculture, though not an item on the agenda, is closely linked to most of the sub-topics to be addressed at the United Nations

Conference on Sustainable Development.

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), to be held from June 20-22 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,

will focus on two main themes: the green economy for the eradication of poverty, and the institutional framework for sustainable development. These themes have been divided into seven sub-topics: jobs, energy, cities, food security, disasters, water and oceans.

Agriculture, despite being closely related to the use of natural resources and the economic and social development of countries, is not one of the sub-topics proposed by the Conference. Nonetheless, most of the sub-topics are directly related to the agriculture sector. Rio+20 provides an opportunity to analyze the current role of the agriculture sector and to ensure that future trends within the sector contribute to sustainable development worldwide.

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The strategic importance of the agriculture sector and its contribution to sustainable development should be considered during the discussions and conclusions of the Conference.

What is the connection between agriculture and Rio+20?2

Rio+20 and agricultureAgriculture must contribute significantly to the

sustainable development of national economies in three important areas:

A) Sustainable agriculture, natural resources and green economy

B) Agriculture and climate changeC) Food security and family agriculture

A) Sustainable agriculture, natural resources and green economy

Sustainable agriculture is an integrated approach that has emerged as a response to growing concern over the degradation of natural resources (air, water, soil, biodiversity) caused by commercial agriculture and the inefficient or improper use of these resources in agricultural production.

A fundamental feature of sustainable agriculture is the adoption of practices that are in harmony with the environment and guarantee the stability and profitability of production in the long term, without deteriorating the natural resource base on which it depends.

The predominant production models in place today depend on the intensive use of chemicals, energy and water, and do not take into consideration the associated environmental and social variables. Sustainable agriculture calls for supporting the development and well-being of rural communities,

and the sustainable management of natural resources, to minimize the negative impacts on the environment.

In a society increasingly aware of the need to promote social inclusion and reduce CO2 emissions generated by the current production system, the green economy is a term being heard more and more in global discussion fora. In contrast with the traditional economy, known as the “brown economy”, because it is based on the use of fossil fuels and the accelerated extraction of natural resources, the green economy is based on the use of renewable energy.

The key actions that must be taken in connection with sustainable agriculture, natural resources and the green economy are:

• Promote public investment in common environmental goods associated with sustainable agriculture, to ensure the conservation and rational use of water, soil, biodiversity and energy for agricultural production activities.

• Strengthen technical capacities in the countries regarding the use of alternative financial mechanisms that identify, quantify, validate and pay for the environmental services generated by sustainable agriculture.

• Provide technical support to the countries in developing agricultural and economic policies that consider the social and environmental benefits associated with sustainable agriculture.

Natural resources –air, water, soil, biodiversity– are essential for food production.

What is the connection between agriculture and Rio+20? 3

Agriculture and natural resources

Natural resources – air, water, soil, biodiversity – are essential for food production, which means that they can be heavily impacted by agricultural activities.

The unwanted impacts of modern-day commercial agriculture include: soil erosion and degradation, contamination and excessive use of water, deforestation, loss of genetic resources, etc.

Sustainable agriculture

Sustainable agriculture refers to the capacity of agriculture to contribute to overall well-being over time, by providing sufficient food and other products and services in ways that are economically efficient and profitable, socially responsible and environmentally friendly.

Green economy

The green economy is defined as an economy that improves the well-being of human beings and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological damage. In its most basic form, a green economy is one that emits low levels of carbon, uses resources efficiently and is socially inclusive. In a green economy, the increase in incomes and the creation of jobs are the result of public and private investment aimed at reducing carbon emissions and pollution, promoting energy efficiency as well as the rational use of natural resources and the conservation of biological diversity (UNEP, 2011).

B) Agriculture and climate change

The increase in the frequency and intensity of variations in climate is already having an impact on many human activities, and the effects of climate change on the agricultural sector can have serious consequences for all of humanity. However, in global fora and international agreements dealing with climate change, the topic of agriculture per se has only recently been included, as in the case of the COP-17. 1

1 Seventh Conference of Parties of the Framework Convention on Climate Change, Durban, December 2011.

Climate Change

“Climate change” means a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods.*

* United Nations, 1992. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.


In the preparatory meetings for Rio+20,2 most of the governments of the Americas have expressed interest in the topic of climate change, especially with respect to the management of risks associated with the frequency and intensity of natural phenomena. In particular, the countries of the Caribbean have repeatedly called attention to their vulnerability to extreme weather events and rising sea levels.

Agriculture, as a sector, has not received the same attention despite being an essential element of sustainable development, where the pillars of food security, green economy and climate change converge.

Climate change will make itself felt in many ways in the agricultural sector:

Adapting agriculture to climate change

• Efficient management of agricultural lands and recovery of degraded soils.

• Efficient use of water for irrigation and other agricultural production activities.

• Conservation and use of agricultural biodiversity.

• Promotion of climate smart agriculture, taking into consideration agro-ecosystems that are resilient to climate change, silvopastoral and agroforestry systems, integrated pest management, family agriculture, conservation agriculture, organic agriculture and development of agrobiotechnology.

• Development of local, national and regional strategies for adaptation to climate change, including all relevant actors in the value chain of the agricultural sector, as well as early warning systems and agricultural insurance.

• Strengthening of the national adaptation funds to channel international contributions to the countries.

• Creation of articulation and coordination mechanisms to achieve greater integration and empowerment of the organizations responsible for matters related to climate change in agriculture (e.g., ministries and research, teaching and extension agencies) and to improve the ways in which they coordinate with other relevant organizations (e.g., ministries of the environment, meteorology).

• Strengthening of research, innovation and the management of information and knowledge, to take advantage of existing opportunities.

• Restructuring of public and private funding within the framework of a green economy, to ensure the transition to sustainable and intelligent agriculture adapted to climate change, considering necessary mechanisms and incentives such as an insurance market and other investments.

• Development of capacities for stakeholders in the public sector and in rural territories, increasing technical and institutional capacities for the formulation and implementation of the public policies needed for rural territories and agriculture to adapt to the effects of climate change.

• Creation and/or strengthening of the infrastructure required for adaptation, to ensure the availability of water and to modernize its use, as well as to improve the post-harvest handling, storage and distribution of agricultural products.

A fundamental feature of sustainable agriculture is the adoption of practices that are in harmony with

the environment and guarantee the stability and profitability of production in the long term.

2 Subregional and Regional Meetings: Southern Region, 28-29 March 2011, in Quito, Ecuador; Caribbean Region, 20 June 2011, in Georgetown, Guyana; Central Region, 27-29 June 2011, in Guatemala City, Guatemala; and LAC Region, 7-9 September 2011, in Santiago, Chile.


The impact of climate change on the agricultural sector can have serious consequences for all of humanity.

Mitigation of climate change

• Technical and financial support for the formulation and implementation of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA) in agriculture.

• Technical and financial support for developing a Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system for the agricultural sector, and for developing and implementing standards for certification.

• Attaching priority to the agricultural subsectors with the greatest impact on the generation of greenhouse gases (GHG).

• Providing producers and public-sector actors with the knowledge they need to apply methods for lowering GHG emissions from agriculture.

Institutional capacity

• Strengthening of the synergies among the ministries of agriculture, environment, economy and health to address the issues of the agricultural sector.

• Strengthening of intergovernmental cooperation throughout the hemisphere.

• Strengthening of national and regional strategies aimed at adapting to climate change and reducing GHG emissions.

• Strengthening of intersectoral and multilevel territorial management, facilitating articulation of the agendas of the different summits and multilateral actions in which international coordination and/or cooperation bodies are involved.


C) Food security and family agriculture

Food security has become of topic of increasing importance in recent years. The food crisis of 2006-2008 forced decision-makers to address the issue as it pertains to the volatility of and increases in prices, the ability of the most vulnerable segments to acquire food, alternative local production systems as a means of guaranteeing food supply, etc.

Family agriculture is a key sector in strengthening food security in our region. In Latin America, some 20% of the population lives in rural areas, where some 14 million family agriculture units exist,3 most of which are small- and medium-scale farms. In most of the countries, family agriculture is responsible for producing more than 50% of the food consumed.

For this reason, it is imperative that development in rural territories be done in such a way as to ensure more effective management of natural resources, by promoting efficient practices that will increase the quantity and sustainability of family farms. The strengthening of family agriculture can contribute to rural well-being by creating better economic, educational and health opportunities, slowing

urban migration, and promoting the sustainable development of rural communities.

The principal actions needed to strengthen food security and family agriculture are as follows:

• Support appropriate innovations, with a view to increasing production through the implementation of efficient practices in the rational use of natural resources.

• Promote the improved use and conservation of agricultural biodiversity in situ by farmers, in order to increase the sustainability of rural production systems and their adaptability to variations in climate.

• Strengthen the technological development and diversification of family agriculture, for the purpose of increasing the supply of fresh and healthy food, improving rural nutrition and reducing contamination of the environment by agricultural chemicals.

• Promote the adoption of policies aimed at placing the output of family agriculture on national markets in order to create jobs and increase food security.

In most of the countries, family agriculture is responsible for producing more than 50% of the food consumed.

3 Alcances sobre la agricultura familiar in América Latina (Alexander Schejtman, 2008).

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Food Security

“Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” (FAO, 2011)

Food security depends on the existence of four inter-related “dimensions”: availability, access, use and stability.

Family agriculture

Family agriculture is an agricultural system based on domestic production-consumption units in which family members provide most of the labor and most of what is needed is produced on the family farm or acquired by sale or barter (IICA, 2009).

The participation of women in the agricultural workforce has held steady for the last 30 years at 20% (FAO, 2011), which indicates that rural women in Latin America play a predominant role not only in the administration of the household, watching out for nutrition, health and well-being of the family, but also in the direct production of food.

Technological development and diversification of family agriculture must be strengthened in an effort to increase the supply of fresh, healthy food.





The Rio+20 Conference affords an excellent opportunity to focus attention on the fundamental contribution that agriculture makes to sustainable development and to ensure that it is addressed in the discussions and decisions taken at this important forum.

The lines of actions spelled out in the Conference Declaration (draft zero) will serve as support for effecting the important changes in practices and policies that will have to be implemented at the national level if the agricultural sector is to contribute more fully to the sustainable development of countries and mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.

In the draft zero of the Declaration, which will serve as the basis for the conclusions and recommendations of Rio+20, it will be important for the delegations to propose texts that call attention to the key role of the agricultural sector.

IICA, following on the priorities and directives agreed upon at the Meeting of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas, held in San Jose, Costa Rica, in October 2011, has prepared this Fact Sheet as input for the delegations to Rio+20 on the topic of agriculture and its role in sustainable development.

What actions need to be taken with regard to agriculture at Rio+20?

Agriculture is much more than an indispensable process of food production; it is the main livelihood of at least 20% of the population and is at the heart of the human-environment relationship.

Therefore, the essential role that agriculture plays in the sustainable

development of the planet deserves the attention of the national delegations, so

that the commitments assumed at Rio+20 can be translated into informed decisions

and effective solutions for the great challenges that the countries, the world, and the humanity as a whole are facing.

The commitments assumed at Rio+20 related to sustainable agriculture and the

implications for IICA he United Nations Conference on Sustainable

Development held in Rio de Janeiro from July 20-22, 2012 came twenty years after the Earth Summit, where the participating countries approved Agenda 21, a document that summarized their intentions and underscored the urgent need for the world to re-think the concept of sustainable development and the means of achieving it.

Two decades on, humanity continues to grapple with the need to attain a kind of development that integrates and creates synergy among the economic, social, and environmental dimensions.

The principal, albeit incipient, concept adopted at Rio+20 was that of the Green Economy, proposed as a means of ensuring sustainable development and eradicating poverty.

In addition, participants reaffirmed their commit-ment to achieve goals set in the past, such as the Mil-lennium Development Goals and those contained in the United Nations Framework Convention on Cli-mate Change, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Convention to Combat De-sertification.

T

The commitments assumed at Rio+20 related to sustainable agriculture and the implications for IICA2

One of the major challenges facing humanity is the fact that one of every five persons on earth lives in extreme poverty, and one of every seven is un-dernourished, a situation exacerbated by growing food insecurity in the poorest and most vulnerable countries. Another challenge is the alarming level of unemployment and underemployment, especially among young people.

Climate change is likely to exacerbate these so-cial problems even further, given the scope and se-riousness of its expected impact and the fact that its effects will be felt across many sectors. It will under-mine the capacity of the countries to undertake any initiative aimed at sustainable development, and threaten the very survival of the human race.

The participants also reaffirmed their belief that the survival of humanity depends directly on the Earth’s ecosystems, and issued an urgent call for the adoption of methods and practices that will slow the deterioration of the natural resource base, on which important livelihoods such as fishing, agri-culture, forestry, and livestock ranching depend.

Recognition of Priority Challenges

The Climate change It will undermine the capacity of the countries to undertake any initiative aimed at sustainable development, and threaten the very survival of the human race.

Millennium Development

Goals

1. To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.2. To achieve universal primary education.3. To promote gender equality and empower

women.4. To reduce child mortality rates.5. To improve maternal health.6. To combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other

diseases.7. To ensure environmental sustainability8. To develop a global partnership for

development.

The commitments assumed at Rio+20 related to sustainable agriculture and the implications for IICA 3

In addition to the commitments and goals established in Agenda 21 and other global agreements, the follow-ing was accomplished at Rio+20:

As regards efforts to improve the institutional framework for sustainable development, a propos-al was put forth to establish an intergovernmental High-level Political Forum and task it with ensur-ing the implementation of plans for sustainable de-velopment and avoiding the duplication of efforts by different structures.

The strengthening of the role of the United Na-tions Environmental Programme (UNEP), allo-cating financial resources for the development of capacities focused on accountability and the attain-ment of goals.

An acknowledgement of the need to use some measurement other than the gross domestic product (GDP) as a yardstick of economic devel-opment, by establishing a work program based on existing initiatives aimed at the development of alternate indicators of the well-being of the population.

An acknowledgement of the need to include in the goals, objectives and indicators of sustainable de-velopment aspects such as gender equity, respect for the identity of indigenous people and the in-clusion of different generations, especially the vi-sion and needs of young people.

The implications for IICA’s mandate of the commitments

“The Future We Want,” the final document of Rio+20, sums up the agreements reached at the Confer-ence and underscores the importance of agriculture as a driver of sustainable development and a livelihood that is essential to the survival of humankind.

The section on food security, nutrition, and sustain-able agriculture lists a number of agreements on how agriculture can contribute to sustainable development

and to a green economy, and tackle the challenge of guaranteeing food security in the face of the threats posed by climate change.

These issues are the challenges that the work of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agricul-ture (IICA) is designed to address, in order to promote competitive and sustainable agriculture in the Ameri-cas. This highlights the similarity between the focus of the Institute’s technical cooperation and the contents of “The Future We Want.”

Below is a summary of the principal guidelines con-tained in the document “The Future We Want” as they apply to each of the thematic areas covered by IICA’s technical cooperation programs:

Food Security

Reaffirmation of the commitment to increase food security and the access to adequate, safe, and nutritious food for present and future gen-erations in line with the Five Rome1 Principles for Sustainable Global Food Security approved in 2009.

The establishment of food and nutritional secu-rity strategies at the national, regional, and global levels.

Natural Resources and Climate Change

The sound management of water resources by ensuring that farmers have access to efficient ir-rigation systems, technologies for reusing treated wastewater and methods for harvesting and stor-ing water.

The recognition of sustainable traditional practices such as the use and conservation of genetic re-sources, especially by indigenous peoples and local communities.

The promotion of biological diversity in the agro-ecosystem, to build resilience to climate change,

The new and most important commitments assumed at Rio+20

1. http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/wsfs/Summit/Docs/Final_Declaration/WSFS09_Declaration.pdf

The commitments assumed at Rio+20 related to sustainable agriculture and the implications for IICA4

that is, the capacity to adapt to climate change and to the impact of extreme natural phenomena.

The coordination and broadening of strategies aimed at lowering the risks posed by extreme nat-ural phenomena and at adapting to climate change.

The coordination of international actions aimed at speeding up the reduction of greenhouse gases worldwide.

The development and application of methods and indicators for monitoring and assessing the level of soil degradation, in addition to promoting research and the application of measures for addressing desertification and drought.

Agribusiness and Commercialization

Guaranteed access for small-scale farmers and in-digenous peoples to loans, other financial services and agricultural markets and insurance.

Improvement of the operation of markets and mar-keting systems.

The promotion of cooperatives and the strengthen-ing of value chains.

The adoption of national, regional, and interna-tional strategies that will promote the participa-tion of farmers, especially small-scale farmers, in community, national, regional and international markets.

Territories and Rural Well-being

The recognition of the role of rural communities in economic development.

The empowerment of women in rural terri-tories in agricultural and rural development processes.

Innovation for Productivity and Competitiveness

Investment in research on sustainable agricultural technologies.

Improvements in agricultural research, extension services, and training focused on increasing pro-ductivity through the exchange of knowledge and good practices.

Greater access to specialized information and knowledge.

Increased use of new information and communi-cation technologies in the promotion of sustain-able practices.

Agricultural Health and Food Safety

Improvement of livestock production systems via the adoption of measures designed to eradicate and prevent diseases, given the close relationship that exists between farmers’ livelihoods and ani-mal health.




Agriculture in the climate change negotiations

At the 18th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 18) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),

for the first time the national delegations will have a say inthe decisions taken on agriculture and climate change

As the specialized agency of the Inter-American System for agriculture, IICA collaborates with the institutions of

its member countries, especially the ministries of agriculture, in the design of public policies, the elaboration and implementation of sectoral

strategies, and the provision of timely information. As part of those efforts, it has prepared this technical note as input for the delegations that will be taking part in the 18th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 18).

Agriculture in the climate change negotiations2

Recent progress on agricultural issues under the UNFCCC

Despite agriculture’s importance for human development (food production, income generation, and social well-being are only three of the areas to which it contributes), the sector has been addressed only in a limited way in the global negotiations on climate change. At the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Durban, South Africa, in December 2011, space was created for the discussions on agriculture. Especially significant was the issue’s inclusion in the remit of the Special Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action, which was asked to study the possibility of establishing a work program on agriculture.

In Durban, the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) was asked to consider agriculture-related issues, in order to exchange opinions on the subject with a view to the Conference of the Parties adopting a decision on the matter at COP 18. For the first time in the COP negotiations, 24 countries responded to that request and submitted to the SBSTA their opinions and arguments concerning the incorporation of agriculture into the climate change negotiations, and the establishment of a working group via which future agreements on agriculture and climate change could be strengthened.

Five countries in the Americas (Canada, the USA, Costa Rica, Bolivia, and Uruguay) submitted views on the subject, plus six from Asia (China, Iran, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh and Japan), and nine from Africa (Burundi, Gambia on behalf of the least developed countries, Malawi, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland on behalf of the Group of African States, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia). Denmark also made a submission on behalf of the members of the European Community, supported by Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, and Turkey. Switzerland submitted a document on behalf of the Environmental Integrity Group, which includes Korea, Mexico, Liechtenstein, and Monaco; and Australia and New Zealand also made their views known.

A comparative analysis of 23 of the submissions, carried out by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD),1 identified eight key points of convergence:

1. The work program should include adaptation and mitigation of climate change, and the synergy between the two (16 countries).

2. Recognition of the importance of food security (15 countries).

3. The need to enhance international cooperation and build on the work of the other groups, both inside and outside the UNFCCC (12 countries).

4. The importance of prioritizing adaptation to climate change (10 countries).

5. Financial support is a priority for the least developed countries, to enable them to promote adaptation actions (9 countries).

6. The importance of the links between agriculture, poverty reduction, and livelihoods (7 countries).

7. Recognition of the importance of small farmers

(6 countries).

8. The importance of financing to mobilize investment in the sector (4 countries).

In the documents presented to support their arguments, most of the countries highlighted the links between agriculture, climate change, and food security. The role played by agriculture in poverty reduction and rural well-being was also underscored in most of the documents.

Another point of agreement is the need to address agriculture with an approach that takes into account both climate change adaptation and mitigation, and the relationship between the two. Although some countries place emphasis on one or the other, according to their particular circumstances, most believe that in agriculture there is an intrinsic relationship between adaptation and mitigation that makes it necessary to advance on both fronts simultaneously.

1 IISD (International Institute for Sustainable Development). 2012. IISDFood Security and Climate Change Initiative.Agriculture and ClimateChange: Post-Durban issues for negotiators.Available at: http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2012/agriculture_climate_change_durban.pdf.

Agriculture in the climate change negotiations 3

Why are the COP meetings important for agriculture?

The objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), approved in 1992, and any related legal instruments that the Conference of the Parties may adopt is “to achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Such a level should be achieved within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner.”

This text shows that the basic purpose of the Convention is, therefore, to promote the global agreements and mechanisms, considering the vital role of agriculture and its importance in guaranteeing social well-being and food security.

The COP is the supreme body of the Convention, and tasked with keeping under regular review the implementation of the Convention and any related legal instruments that may be adopted. The COP meetings take the decisions necessary to promote the effective implementation of the Convention; hence, the importance of attending the annual general meetings and providing follow-up to the agreements reached.

The participation of representatives of agriculture and other critical sectors makes it possible to include measures aimed at mitigating GHG emissions in the formulation and implementation of national or regional programs, as well as those designed to facilitate adaptation to climate change.

Additional opportunities to address agriculture at COP 18

The submissions from the countries can be found on the UNFCCC’s Web page (http://unfccc.int). They will continue to be studied and discussed at the 37th session of the SBSTA, which will be taking place within the framework of COP 18.

For the first time, the delegations attending the COP will be able to take part in the decision-making process with regard to agriculture and climate change, make proposals and influence outcomes.

Agriculture has also been addressed by the UNFCCC under the Adaptation Framework, specifically as part of the following initiatives:

• The national adaptation plans• The Nairobi Work Programme• The Work Programme on Loss and Damage• The Adaptation Committee

Adaptation has an impact on various sectors, including agriculture. The importance of adapting agricultural systems, to guarantee production and, thereby, food security, has already been addressed, but a common position has yet to be developed that would make it possible to reach concrete agreements or put forward proposals for action in the short and medium terms.

Another opportunity to include agriculture in COP 18 is provided by the REDD+ mechanism and a decision taken at COP 16, under which the Parties were asked to address the drivers of deforestation by means of an SBSTA work program, and report on their findings to COP 18.

Finally, the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol has revisited the decision on land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF), making it possible to reactivate four work programs2 that existed previously and whose objectives are to:

• Explore more comprehensive LULUCF accounting, including through land-based approaches;

2 Stabinsky,D.2012.Agricultureandclimatechange.StateofplayintheUNFCCC:Decisions from theDurbanclimateconference.Availableathttp://www.twnside.org.sg/title2/briefing_papers/No63.pdf.

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Agriculture in the climate change negotiations4




• Consider, and possibly develop, modalities and procedures for additional LULUCF activities to be included in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM);

• Consider, and possibly develop, alternative approaches to address the risk of non-permanence under the CDM; and,

• Develop and recommend modalities and procedures for applying the concept of additionality.

From whichever perspective COP 18 considers the inclusion of agriculture in the climate change negotiations, greater importance has to be attached to the issue, given the urgent need to ensure food security and sustainable production. This absolute priority calls for the solid commitment of the parties, both with respect to the reduction of GHG emissions, and the establishment of mechanisms to facilitate the adaptation of agriculture to climate change.

Aspects for the delegations to consider

Understanding the dynamics of the main bodies and negotiating groups is no simple task. Awareness of the process involved in the previous negotiations is essential. One of the first actions could be to identify countries with similar interests and objectives.

The principal negotiating groups, which do not all act as a bloc,* include the G-77 plus China, the European Union, Economy in Transition, the Umbrella Group, the Alliance of Small Island States, the Least Developed Countries, the African Group, the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC), the Environmental Integrity Group, and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Other mechanisms have provided a more informal platform for communication; the Cartagena Group is a case in point.

Another key tool used to support the arguments in the negotiations are the assessment reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which make it possible to evaluate the state of scientific knowledge related to climate change and analyze the phenomenon’s potential environmental and socioeconomic impact, to provide advice for the design of public policies. The Fourth Report, published in 2007, contains conclusive evidence of the causes and potential impact of human-induced climate change. The Fifth Report is expected to be published between September 2013 and October 2014.

* Source: UNDP (United Nations Development Programme). 2011. Guía de apoyo para el Negociador Iberoamericano de Cambio Climático.

Implications of the COP 18 for Latin American and Caribbean agriculture


Change Program

March 20, 2013, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) held a Technical Forum in San Jose, Costa Rica on the implications of the UNFCCC COP 18 for Latin American and Caribbean agriculture. The key points of the presentations made during the event are summarized here.

systematization of the technical forum

may 2013


With regard to the international negotiations, the speakers were agreed that the countries had yet to achieve a political consensus and define a joint position setting out the points on which a work plan on the issue could be based.

Agriculture in the international climate change negotiations1

Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

• Thebiggestachievementtodateistheconsensusthatagricultureneedstobeincludedintheinternationalclimatechangenegotiations.Thechallengenowistodeterminehowtheissueshouldbeaddressedgoingforward,andhowaworkinggrouponagricultureandclimatechangecouldbeformedtocontributetotheprocess.

• Thedevelopingcountriesarenotinapositiontoassumeagriculturalemissionreductionobligations,butopportunitiescouldbeidentifiedthatreflectthecommonbutdifferentiatedresponsibilitiesof theindustrializedanddevelopingcountries.

• Agreatdealof potentialexistsinLatinAmericaandtheCaribbeantocapitalizeonthediversityof viewsandpositionsanddevelopaunified\regionalpositionthatcouldserveasanexampleforpromotingconsensusandencouragingotherregionstosupporttheinitiative,andthusfacilitatethepoliticalendorsementof theissuesinthenextroundof negotiations.

• Agricultureneedstobeaddressedintwowaysinthenegotiations:adaptationtotheeffectsof climatechangeandthesector’sgreatpotentialforimplementingactionstomitigategreenhousegas(GHG)emissions.

• Theprivatesectormusttobeinvolvedasithasakeyroletoplayinguaranteeingthesupportrequiredtoencourageinvestmentsandthedevelopmentof knowledgeandcapacity.

1 Watch Christiana Figueres’ complete presentation at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMfY43buYmQ&feature=youtu.be

ChristianaFigueres


Costa Rica’s experience with agriculture and climate change2 Tania López, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Costa Rica

• ThepoliticalandinstitutionalconditionsinCostaRicamadeitpossibletocoordinatetheeffortsofthepublicandprivatestakeholderstodeveloptheNationalClimateChangeStrategy,setthenation’sgoalofachievingcarbonneutralityby2021,andreachagreementonaStatePolicyfortheAgriculturalandRuralDevelopmentSectorfor2010-2021,whichincludestheissueofclimatechange.

• Theprivatesectorinvariouspartsofthecountryplayedaveryimportantroleintheimplementationoftheinitiativesthatarepresentedinthecasestudies3thattheGovernmentofCostaRicapresentedattheCOP18todemonstratetheimportanceofincludingagricultureinthenegotiations.Theexamplespresentedmetambitiousgoalsandhighlightthefactthat,despitebeingadevelopingcountry,CostaRicaiscommittedtopromotingactionsthatreduceemissionsintheagriculturalsector.

• Thecaseshighlightedfromtheprivatesectorfocusedonemissionreductionsinproduction

systemsaswellasprocessingandtransportationforthesugarcane,dairy,andbananasubsectors.Themitigationmeasuresalsoprovidedaseriesofeconomicandenvironmentalco-benefits.

• Thepublicsectorcasestudiespresentedwere:1)carbonneutralcertificationofLosDiamantesExperimentalStation(thesitewillbecomeamodelspacefortrainingandthetransferofemissionreductiontechnologies;and,2)thedevelopmentofaNAMAforthecoffeesectorwhichwillscaleupemissionsreductioninitiativesproposedbytheprivatesectortothenationallevel.

• Acasestudywaspresentedontheimplementationofinitiativestofosterproductiononsmallsustainableandintegratedfarmsgearedtoemissionsreduction,enhancedresilienceofproductionsystems,andfinancialincentivesforproducerswhogenerateenvironmentalservicesthroughtheapplicationofgoodagriculturalpractices.

2 The text of Tania López’s presentation is available at: http://www.iica.int/esp/organizacion/ltgc/forostecnicos/Documents/Foro1-2013/TaniaPPT.pdf3 Full-text versions of the case studies are available at: http://www.mag.go.cr/cambio-climatico/cop18-indice.html

TaniaLópez


Uruguay and agriculture in the international climate change negotiations4

Magdalena Preve, Advisor to the Ministry of Housing, Land Management and Environment of Uruguay

• IthasbeenverydifficulttoachievepoliticalconsensusontheincorporationofagricultureintotheUNFCCC,althoughthetextoftheConventionalreadyunderscorestheimportanceofworkingontheissueofagriculturefromthestandpointoftheeffortstoreduceanthropogenicemissions,andtheneedtobalancemitigationagainsttheadaptationofagriculturetoclimatechangetoensurethatfoodsecurityisnotundermined.

• ThequestionofagriculturewasinitiallyconsideredbytheWorkingGrouponLong-termCooperativeAction,whichfocusedespeciallyonmitigationissues.ItwassuggestedthataWorkProgramonAgricultureneededtobecreatedundertheSubsidiaryBodyforScientificandTechnologicalAdvice(SBSTA).

• AttheCOP17,itwasdecidedthattheSBSTAshouldbeginholdingtechnicaldiscussionsonagriculturewithtothegoalofpreparinganagreementforthenextCOP.However,noconsensushasbeenreachedinsubsequentnegotiations,especiallysincethecountriesaredividedonthequestionofwhetherthefocusshouldbeonadaptationormitigation.

• Uruguay’spositionontheissueisthattheSBSTAshouldconcentrateonanalyzingthe

scientificandtechnicalaspectsofactionstotackleclimatechangethatmaintainorimproveproductivityandfoodproduction.Recognizingthatagriculture,climatechange,andfoodsecurityarecloselyinterrelated,thecountrygivesthegreatestimportancetoactionsthatincreasetheresilienceofproductionsystemswhileatthesametimereducingtheintensityofthesector’sGHGemissions.

• Uruguayiscarryingoutspecificinitiativesaimedatreducingemissionsandvulnerability,mainlyinlivestocksystems,combinedwithsupportforthedesignofpoliciesthatunderpinthecountry’sactionontheseissues.

4 The text of Magdalena Preve’s presentation is available at: http://www.iica.int/esp/organizacion/ltgc/forostecnicos/Documents/Foro1-2013/MagdalenaPPT.pdf

MagdalenaPreve.


Irrigated agriculture and climate change in Mexico: progress made and future challenges5

Waldo Ojeda, Researcher of the Mexican Water Technology Institute

• TheenactmentofclimatechangelegislationinMexicohaslaidthefoundationfortheimplementationofeffectiveactionsinthecountry’sdifferentsectors.Itisveryimportanttoconductin-depthanalysesinordertodeterminebothcurrentandfuturevulnerabilityfacedbyagriculturalsystems.

• Mexicohasdevelopedanatlasofwatervulnerabilitytoclimatechange6thathasbeenusedasthebasisforstudiesonthevulnerabilityoftheagriculturalsectorandidentificationofregionswhereagriculturewillbemostaffectedbyclimatechange.

• Thosestudieswereimportanttoolstoinformdecision-makingandtheimplementeffectiveadaptationmeasuresthatwerecarefullyselectedandprioritized.Themeasureswereprioritizedbyestablishingcomplexindicatorsthatreflecttheimportance,urgency,noregret,co-benefit,andmitigationeffectsofadaptationoptions.

• Theindicatorsmadeitpossibletoidentify73viableadaptationmeasuresforagriculturethatwereclassifiedinfourgroups:technologicaladvances,governmentprograms,cropmanagement,andfinancialmanagement.Technicaldocumentswerethenproducedontheseadaptationmeasurestofacilitatetheirdisseminationandadoption.

5 The text of Waldo Ojeda’s presentation is available at: http://www.iica.int/esp/organizacion/ltgc/forostecnicos/Documents/Foro1-2013/WaldoPPT.pdf

6 Link to the atlas of water vulnerability: http://www.atl.org.mx/atlas-vulnerabilidad-hidrica-cc/

WaldoOjeda.


Launch of a knowledge platform on agriculture, natural resources, and climate change7

Daniela Medina, Knowledge Management Specialist, IICA

• AspartofIICA’seffortstoshareanddisseminatetargetedinformationonagriculture,naturalresources,andclimatechangeforLatinAmericaandtheCaribbean,theInstitutehascreatedavirtualknowledgemanagementplatformthatisadministeredasareferencecenterofup-to-dateinformation,andisintendedtopromotethedevelopmentofsustainableagricultureintheAmericas.

• Theplatformallowsuserstoregisterandshareinformationinthedifferentsections(news,events,linksanddigitallibrary),aswellasreceiveregularnewsletters.

• Theplatformoffersvariousinformationresources,including:

- Tools,casestudies,andreferencedocumentsonadaptation,mitigationofGHGemissions,andthesoundmanagementofnaturalresourcesinagriculture.

- Amappingofthemainframeworksforclimatechangeintheregionthatincludespolicies,programs,andstrategiesforthe

nationalandlocallevelsspecifictotheagriculturalsector.

- Asystemofgeo-referencingofprojectsthatallowsthecreationoffileswithinformationabouteachproject.

• Userscansignupandaccesstheinformationavailableontheplatformfreeofchargeat:http:/infoagro.net/programas/Ambiente/default.aspx

7 The text of Daniela Medina’s presentation on the virtual platform is available at: http://www.iica.int/esp/organizacion/ltgc/forostec-nicos/Documents/Foro1-2013/DanielaPPT.pdf

DanielaMedina



Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on AgricultreTechnical Cooperation DirectorateAgriculture, Natural Resources and Climate Change Program


AtthemostrecentCOPs,progresshasbeenmadeinpositioningagricultureintheinternationalclimatechangenegotiations,butpoliticalconsensusanddefiningajointpositionthatlaysoutconcreteideasonwhichtodevelopaworkplanontheissueisneeded.LatinAmericaisregardedasanidealcandidateforspearheadingsuchaninitiative.

Specificinitiativesexistthatthecountriesarecarryingoutonarangeoffronts,suchastheimplementationofbothpoliciesandresearch,aimedatpromotingatypeofagriculturecapableofadaptingtoclimatechangeandmitigatingGHGemissions.

Toguaranteerealprogressismadeontheissueofagricultureandclimatechange,itiscrucialthatallstakeholdersareengaged,includinggovernments,theprivatesector,internationalcooperationagenciesandNGOs.

Knowledgemanagementandthecreationofspacesfordialogueandsharingofexperiencesplayakeyroleinfacilitatingtheprocessesinvolvedandthearticulationofacommonpositionattheregionallevel.

Main conclusions of the Technical Forum:

Technical contributionsJune, 2014

International Initiatives for Collective Action to Confront Climate Change

in the Agricultural Sector

The challenge: Given the significant impacts that climate change and agriculture have on each other, it is critically important that this sector become engaged in the resolution of what is becoming a compounding problem of far-reaching consequences. The agricultural sector produces 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions (24% if emissions from the entire agriculture, forestry and other land use sector are considered)1 and is the largest emitter of methane. Agriculture is also extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which is decreasing the sector’s ability to provide

food security, reduce poverty and contribute to rural development goals, and comes at a time when global demands for food, fiber and fuel are all increasing. The challenge of addressing climate change facing the agricultural sector is daunting, and will require significant and sustained collective efforts to decrease risk, enhance resilience, and avoid severe negative consequences. Efforts made to both mitigate and adapt to climate change within the sector are increasingly critical, not only for food and nutrition security, but also for rural livelihoods, economic development, and poverty reduction.

1 IPCC, 2014: Summary for Policymakers, In: Climate Change 2014, Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.

International Initiatives for Collective Action to Confront Climate Change in the Agricultural Sector 2

“All aspects of food security are potentially affected by climate change, including food access, utilization, and price stability… Global temperature increases of ~4°C or more above late-20th-century levels, combined with

increasing food demand, would pose large risks to food security globally and

regionally (high confidence).”3

“Major future rural impacts are expected in the near-term and

beyond through impacts on water availability and supply, food security, and agricultural incomes, including

shifts in production areas of food and non-food crops across the world (high

confidence)” 4

The purpose of this brief is to provide the Ministries of Agriculture in the Western Hemisphere with up-to-date information

on the recent opportunities arising as a result of international efforts to address climate change, from the perspectives of adaptation, mitigation, and productivity. The initiatives presented here2

are all nascent efforts; all of them began within the last four years and each is growing in momentum.

The new Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture (ACSA) is the broadest effort as it promotes a balanced focus on mitigation, adaptation and productivity. Others, including the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), the Global Research Alliance (GRA), the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 (TFA 2020), and the Bonn Challenge focus their efforts on mitigation, with the latter two accomplishing this through reducing deforestation and restoring degraded lands, respectively. Two initiatives, the GRA and ACSA, are specific to the agricultural sector. All, however, look to promote synergies between adaptation and mitigation and co-benefits (e.g., improved natural resource management) where possible. Only one, the proposed Twenty by Twenty Initiative, is specific to the Americas; the rest are global in scope.

Benefits of Affiliation: Participation in these international initiatives can provide several benefits for member countries. These include increased awareness of how country-level commitments and actions will contribute to resolving this critical global challenge. They can also assist countries to identify like-minded allies, discover synergies, and increase the impact of their individual actions through linking with others. Uniting behind these initiatives will help countries to combine their collective expertise and resources and make the greatest progress possible in the shortest period of time. Some countries are already members of several such initiatives, but oftentimes the agricultural sector has not yet been included. If you would like more information about any of these initiatives, please feel free to contact IICA and/or visit the respective websites using the links provided.

2 The information on the initiatives described here has been collected from the websites cited in the text. 3 IPCC, 2014: Summary for policymakers. In: Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II

to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, p 18.4 Ibid, p. 19


Technical contributions

Alliance on Climate Smart-Agriculture (ACSA)

The ACSA will benefit governments, farmer’s organizations, scientists, businesses, and civil society, as well as regional unions and international organizations, as they seek to adjust agricultural practices, food systems and social policies in response to climate change impacts on food and nutrition security. Members of the ACSA are committed to supporting sustainable increases in the productivity of food systems through the responsable use of natural resources, the adaptation of people’s livelihoods that are threatened by climate change, and agricultural practices that contribute to reduced emissions and decreased deforestation as a result of agriculture. The Alliance will be a force for substantive transformation in ways that bridge traditional sectoral, organizational and public/private boundaries. As the ACSA pursues this vision, it will support and coordinate with other international endeavors that concern agriculture, food security and climate change.

Objetive: The ACSA recognizes the urgent need to act at scale and to contribute towards three aspirational outcomes:

• Sustainable and equitable increases in agricultural productivity and incomes;

• Greater resilience of food systems and farming livelihoods; and

• Reduction and/or removal of greenhouse gas emissions associated with agriculture (including the relationship between agriculture and ecosystems), wherever possible.

Constituency: Governments (from countries at all levels of development), businesses, civil society groups, producer organizations, research bodies and intergovernmental entities.

Participation: Voluntary, non-binding

Resource Provision: Collaborative consultation concerning technical knowledge, enabling environments, and investments.

Current Activities: Steps are ongoing to move this process forward, including building the partnership with in preparation for the launch the ACSA at the UN Secretary General’s Climate Summit on September 23, 2014 in New York.

There are currently three action groups, one focusing on investment (facilitated by the World Bank and IFAD), another on knowledge (facilitated by FAO and CCAFS), and a third on an enabling environment (facilitated by South Africa, Vietnam and The Netherlands). These groups are holding both virtual and face-to-face meetings to advance their work.

There will be a global meeting in The Hague, Netherlands, from July 9-11 to prepare for the September launch of the Alliance in New York.

How to Collaborate: To participate in this process and/or become a member of the ACSA, please contact the ACSA Interim Secretariat at: [email protected]

ACSA Web Site: http://www.fao.org/climate-smart-agriculture/85725/en/


Agriculture Initiative of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (CCAC)

Started in February of 2012, the CCAC provides a forum for tackling short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) and for mobilizing the resources necessary to speed up action. The CCAC works to support existing efforts and promote new actions to address climate change and the linked food, energy security, and environmental issues. The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) hosts the CCAC Secretariat. One of the key initiatives under the CCAC is to address SLCPs from agriculture.

Objective: Address short-lived climate pollutants by:

• Raising awareness of short-lived climate pollutant impacts and mitigation strategies

• Enhancing and developing new national and regional actions, including by identifying and overcoming barriers, increasing capacity, and mobilizing support

• Promoting best practices and showcasing successful efforts

• Improving scientific understanding of SLCPs impacts and mitigation strategies

Constituency: Governments, NGOs, regional/international organizations, private sector, civil society organizations

Participation: Voluntary, non-binding upon endorsement of the Coalition Framework and meaningful action to address SLPCs, and approval of participation by all current state partners.

Resource Provision: Expertize, high level fora of key committed stakeholders, technical and associated funding opportunities

Current Activities: The CCAC agriculture initiative has agreed to proceed with the following three activity areas:

Livestock and Manure Management: Increased awareness and improved stakeholder (farmers

and policymakers) capacity to implement best practices, introduction of policies enabling improved manure management, and active networks among practitioners and organizations to share experiences and generate partnerships that accelerate manure management adoption. Key near-term deliverables are a Global Information Kiosk, three regional centers (in Costa Rica, Ethiopia, and Thailand), and high-impact projects in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Paddy Rice Production: Identify (1) alternate wetting and drying (AWD) best management practices in irrigated paddy rice that achieve both mitigation and food security and (2) incentives, technical support mechanisms, and enabling conditions to overcome the barriers that men and women farmers face in using the new practices. The program will target one country as a regional hub in each of Southeast Asia (Vietnam), South Asia (Bangladesh), and Latin America (Colombia) to develop initiatives for up-scaling mitigation at the national level.

Open Agricultural Burning: Develop replicable and scalable open burning mitigation options in the Eastern Himalayas and Andes. These options will emerge from (a) determining the nature of open burning [who burns what, when, where and why]; (b) creation of regional open burning information sharing networks; and (c) the development of shovel-ready pilot mitigation projects with specific actions targeted to each region and crop type.

Current Regional Participation: Canada, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, United States of America

How to Collaborate: Send a letter to the Head of the Secretariat that includes an endorsement of the Coalition Framework and meaningful action to reduce SLCPs, identifies areas of interest related to SLCPs, any actions taken or planned to address them, and identifying a point of contact. More information can be found at http://www.unep.org/ccac/HowtoJoin/tabid/130305/language/en-US/Default.aspx.

CCAC Website: http://www.unep.org/ccac/Initiatives/AddressingSLCPsfromAgriculture/tabid/131773/language/en-US/Default.aspx



Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA)

Formally established in June of 2011, the Global Research Alliance (GRA) focuses on research on agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. It concentrates its efforts on livestock, paddy rice and cropland, and has two cross-cutting groups focused on soil carbon and nitrogen cycling, and inventory and measurement. The GRA now has over 40 member countries working together to determine how to increase productivity without increasing emissions. New Zealand currently hosts the rotating Secretariat.

Objective: Research, development, and extension of technologies and practices that will help deliver ways to grow more food (and more climate-resilient food systems) without increasing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.

Constituency: Governments and partner organizations

Participation: Voluntary, non-binding upon endorsement of the Charter.

Resource Provision: Financial (although there is no central funding mechanism) and technical.

Current Activities: Each of the five groups has developed work plans that bring countries and partners together to collaborate on research, knowledge sharing, the exchange of best practices, and capacity development - all with the goal of moving towards solutions that reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.

Current Regional Participation: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, United States of America, Uruguay

How to Collaborate: Membership is open to any State represented by its competent authority (e.g., the nominated lead government department or agency for involvement in the Alliance). Membership is obtained when a country formally endorses the Charter

Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 (TFA 2020)

The Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 (TFA 2020) will catalyze and coordinate actions by governments, the private sector, and civil society to reduce the tropical deforestation linked to key agricultural commodities (specifically palm oil, soy, beef and paper/pulp) by 2020. Launched in June of 2012, this initiative will help the Consumer Goods Forum5 achieve its goal of “zero net deforestation by 2020” from key primary products in their supply chains.

TFA 2020 is a public-private partnership in which partners take voluntary actions, both collectively and individually, to address the drivers of tropical deforestation using a range of market, policy, and communications approaches. The Meridian Institute serves as the Interim Secretariat.

5 A private sector organization that involves the CEOs of over 400 consumer goods manufacturers and retailers, including Coca-Cola, General Mills, Kraft, Kroger, Pepsi Co, Unilever and Walmart.

(governing document), and members freely determine the scope of their participation. For more information, contact: [email protected].

GRA Website: http://www.globalresearchalliance.org/


Objectives:

• Improve planning and management related to tropical forest conservation, agricultural land use, and land tenure.

• Share best practices for tropical forest and ecosystem conservation and commodity production, including working with smallholder farmers and other producers on sustainable agricultural intensification, promoting the use of degraded lands, and reforestation.

• Provide expertise and knowledge to assist with the development of commodity and processed-commodity markets that promote the conservation of tropical forests.

• Improve monitoring of tropical deforestation and forest degradation to measure progress.

Constituency: Governments, private sector, civil society.

Participation: Voluntary.

Resource Provision: None.

Current Activities: A meeting in Indonesia focusing on palm oil was held at the end of 2013. Meetings on beef and soy are being discussed for 2014, likely in Brazil or Colombia.

Current Regional Participation: United States of America

How to Collaborate: Those interested in becoming partners should send an email to the TFA Secretariat demonstrating their support for the TFA 2020 mission, goal and objectives; have active involvement in programs and initiatives to end commodity driven tropical deforestation; and are commitment to sharing knowledge and expertise with other Partners. Please also include an email address and telephone number for a primary point of contact. Letters of interest should be submitted to the Secretariat by email to [email protected].

TFA 2020 Website: http://www.tfa2020.com/

Bonn Challenge on Forests, Climate Change and Biodiversity (Bonn Challenge)

The Bonn Challenge is the largest restoration initiative in history, catalyzed by a core commitment to restore 150 million hectares of degraded and deforested land globally by 2020. It was launched in September 2011 at a ministerial conference in Germany and, if achieved, will be worth an estimated US$85 billion to the global economy per year. It will also sequester one billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually. To date, more than 20 million hectares of land have been pledged for restoration by various countries, with another 30 million hectares identified for possible pledges in 2014. This challenge serves as a vehicle to implement various international agreements such as the Rio+20 land degradation target and the Aichi Target 15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Bonn Challenge is supported by the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration (GPFLR), and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) serves as the secretariat.

Objective: Restore 150 million hectares of degraded and deforested land globally by 2020.

Constituency: Governments, private sector, individuals

Participation: Pledges to the Bonn Challenge are subject to a voluntary peer review by GPFLR members who may suggest modifications to the proposal. The pledges are registered and publicized on the GPFLR website and will be periodically monitored over the course of the Bonn Challenge.

Resource Provision: GPFLR responds to requests from individual countries for analysis, restoration assessment, and monitoring.

Current Activities: Accepting new pledges towards the target objective.

Current Regional Participation: Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, United States of America

How to Collaborate: Email [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.

Website: http://www.forestlandscaperestoration.org/topic/bonn-challenge



Twenty by Twenty Initiative (20x20)

It is now estimated that up to 200 million hectares of land are already degraded in LAC, which has led to a decline in the productive capacity of the land, loss of biodiversity, contributed to emissions of GHG and climate pollutants, and increased vulnerability to climate and other human-induced impacts. The majority of greenhouse gas emissions in the region are generated from land use, land use change, and forestry. LAC saw an additional 31 million hectares placed into agriculture between 2001 and 2011 (FAOSTAT, December 2013). The substantial increase came at the expense of a reduction of natural and cultivated pastures as well as an increase in deforestation. On the other hand, land-use activities play a key role in the economy and social fabric of LAC, contributing 5% of the region’s gross domestic product in 2012, accounting for 14% of employment during the period from 2008-2011 and 23% of the region’s exports.

To respond to the challenges described above and contribute to the Bonn Challenge, the Latin America and Caribbean-specific 20x20 Initiative seeks to obtain pledges to restore degraded lands into agricultural productivity, contributing to national, regional and global climate change adaptation, mitigation and global food security. Governments in the region, with the

support of the World Resources Institute (WRI), the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), and the Tropical Agriculture Research and Training Center (CATIE), in coordination with regional development Banks, will lead this initiative.

Objective: Contribute to global climate change mitigation, food security and land-restoration efforts, and support the Bonn Challenge through a commitment to effectively identify and target 20 million hectares of degraded land for recovery in the Latin America and the Caribbean region by 2020.

Constituency: Governments, private sector, individuals

Participation: Voluntary and non-binding

Resource Provision: None

Current Activities: The 20x20 Initiative will be launched in December 2014 at the COP20 in Lima. The goal is to have commitments from several countries in place by then as well as the confirmed availability of financial support from impact investment funds and other sources of finance.

How to Collaborate: Send an email expressing interest to Walter Vergara at [email protected].



P.O. Box 55-2200 San Jose, Vazquez de Coronado, San Isidro 11101 — Costa RicaPhone: (+506) 2216 0222Fax: (+506) 2216 0233Email: [email protected]

Web Page: www.iica.int