We’ve all noticed confused spring blossoms popping up in February. Or the occasional storm that is stronger than usual. But in many places around the world, climate change is more than a curiosity: those who depend on the land in order to live are the most vulnerable to it. Shifting weather patterns, shorter growing seasons, droughts and pests can make it nearly impossible for rural smallholder farmers to earn a living – and could eventually make some of your favorite foods disappear.
That’s why the Rainforest Alliance works with communities to address these challenges. Climate-smart agriculture uses farming techniques that maintain and nourish arable land and decrease greenhouse emissions. Successfully implementing the methods described below can help make farms more resilient and prepared for adverse events.
Composting
Soil management techniques like composting can help keep the dirt rich in nutrients and better able to bounce back from less than ideal conditions, such as droughts. Compost can be made from organic materials including food waste and plants, which means it can help farmers reduce rubbish. Healthy soil is critical for producing abundant crop yields; some Rainforest Alliance Certified farms have achieved yields that are one and a half to two times higher than their noncertified counterparts.
Manual weed removal
Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty. Pulling weeds by hand instead of using chemical plant killers might be time consuming, but it’s better for the health of the soil and could ultimately lower a farmer’s operation costs. Sri Lanka-based tea farmer Mahendra Peiris has found this to be true. After participating in Rainforest Alliance training workshops supported by the Global Environmental Facility, Peiris used new integrated weed management methods. Manual pulling of weeds got rid of the expense of weed killers, and because the soil became healthier, Peiris noticed bigger and better crop yields without the added expense of clearing more land. And that helps to reduce climate change, since converting forest to cropland produces greenhouse gases.
Organic fertilizer
Organic fertilizers encourage crop growth without introducing potentially harmful chemicals to farmers, soil, plants, wildlife and water. Rainforest Alliance trainers in the Lampung province of Sumatra, Indonesia, teach local coffee farmers how to make an organic liquid fertilizer out of compost, animal manure and other organic materials. As with composting, ingredients in organic fertilizers can utilize matter that would otherwise be considered waste.
Soil erosion reduction
Soil conservation leads to greater access to arable land and therefore reduces the need to clear forests. Planting on contours, such as hills or natural terraces, is one way to cut down erosion and maintain clean water sources – and also happens to look like highbrow landscape architecture. The Rainforest Alliance incorporates this practice in its trainings in Rwanda and other countries.
Water conservation
Access to clean water is important for the health and vitality of any agricultural operation. Given the droughts induced by climate change and the fact that agriculture is responsible for approximately 70% of freshwater use globally, water conservation is a top priority. Common conservation practices include rainwater storage and water harvesting.
Integrated pest management
When, because of climate change, unchecked pests wreak havoc on crops, they can destroy the habitats of many creatures and disrupt the food chain at large. Instead of using harsh agrochemicals that threaten the health of the entire ecosystem, integrated pest management uses as many preventative and natural methods as possible, like introducing natural enemies to the targeted pest. Agrochemicals are used in small quantities, and only as a last resort.
Agroforestry
Activities like cattle farming and agricultural expansion are major producers of the greenhouse gases that drive climate change. The Rainforest Alliance’s CO₂ Coffee project addresses the issue in the Mexican state Oaxaca, by working with more than 250 smallholder coffee farmers in the Chatina and Zapoteca regions. Because of the local community’s work, the project has achieved a Verified Carbon Standard validation. The center of the project is agroforestry, which is a land use management system that involves simultaneously cultivating crops and trees. The reforestation efforts are expected to remove 130,000 tons of emissions from the atmosphere over a 30-year period. Once again, trees are our heroes – protecting crops and reducing emissions to the benefit of farmers worldwide.
This content is paid for by AMResorts in association with the Rainforest Alliance
