Climate-smart agriculture
Growing the food of tomorrow will require ever greater technological support. From sensors and the internet of things to robotics and novel ways of analyzing data, climate-smart agriculture is emerging as a key solution to producing more with less in a rapidly changing world.
As population growth continues, research indicates that there could be up to 10 billion mouths to feed by 2050, the food system will have to match its pace and increase productivity by around 70% from current levels .
Even more concerning, is the fact that agricultural land availability per capita is also expected to plummet by 66% in 2050 compared to 1970, due to the impact of both climate change and rapid urbanization.
Against this troubled backdrop which is raising concerns about our ability to meet future food demand, climate-smart agriculture is staking its claim as an integrated solution to managing landscapes — cropland, livestock, forests and fisheries — whilst confronting the interlinked challenges of food security and accelerating climate change.
In fact, smart agriculture is rooted in the practice of leveraging data and technology to optimize crop management, enhance resilience and minimize resource use by harnessing the power of data and technology to produce more with less.
In some cases a departure and in others an addition to traditional farming methods, climate-smart agriculture can help replace broad-spectrum practices with targeted, data-informed solutions that reduce waste, enhance productivity, and safeguard the environment.
Although there are numerous subsets of climate-smart agriculture, which include common terms such as precision farming, which focuses primarily on resource management and achieving precision in resource application, the term actually encompasses a broad range of technology-driven practices and solutions for overall farm management and sustainability.
The underlying goal of climate-smart agriculture is to enhance agricultural productivity, minimize waste, and promote sustainability, ultimately addressing the growing challenges in food production and resource conservation.
Numerous international organizations, research institutes and policymakers have been quick to include climate-smart agriculture in their strategies. For example, in its Climate Change Action Plans The World Bank Group, has committed to working with countries to deliver climate-smart agriculture that achieves the triple win of increased productivity, enhanced resilience, and reduced emissions by financing projects all around the world.
Similarly, the FAO Strategic Framework 2022–2031 also relies on climate-smart agriculture to achieve what they call the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all, leaving no one behind.
Furthermore, on the Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security website there is a comprehensive list of country profiles and how they are implementing climate-smart agriculture practices on home soil.
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