|
 |
Adaptation for Smallholders to Climate Change |
 |
|
|
 |
|
| ||||||||||||
|
|
|
Because of climate change Mexican Coffee producers are experiencing drastic changes in temperature and rainfall, which increase, for example, plagues and diseases causing a change in the development of the cultivation. This affects the yield, increases the production costs and reduces quality, which minimizes drastically the producers' income, especially taking into account that coffee represents 70% of the families' income in the region. Implementing a strategy for adaptation to climate change with Más CaféBetween July and August 2008 AdapCC carried out the Risk and Opportunity Analysis (ROA) together with the Mexican pilot group Más Café. Therefore, different meetings and workshops with main actors were carried out. As result of local ROA workshops, held with the coffee producers of Más Café, the following risks, threatening their agricultural cycles, were identified:
While heavy rainfalls are closely linked with changing climate conditions, deforestation, old plants and poor soils are factors increasing farmers' vulnerability against climate change, resulting in water scarcity and an increase in pests and diseases. As results of the analysis process links between activities of public and private politics in this sector were identified. Moreover the following five working areas for exemplary adaptation to climate change in the coffee sector of Chiapas were defined and are already partly implemented: 1.) Maintain and extend the forest coverDeforestation represents a major risk to the local environment and to the sustainability of future coffee production, as shade trees secure the regional coffee quality and enhance the resilience of the coffee ecosystem against climate impacts. The local producers have signed two agreements to ban burning practices in their area. In addition, Más Cafés nursery has been extended and technified to provide various communities with different types of native seedlings, enabling them to maintain and extend the surrounding forests. Another implemented measure to reduce the deforestation rate is a project between the Mexican Environmental and Natural Resource Secretariat (SEMARNAT), Más Café and the cooperatives to minimize wood consumption for construction. This has led to two sensitization meetings with producers, two capacity building sessions and an additional reforestation project proposal. Moreover 40 women have been trained how to use energy-saving stoves, of which 300 have been made available to the communities. A training module on environmental awareness for the communities has also been developed and will be implemented in the second half of the year. 2.) Pest ManagementAnother concern for coffee producers is the increasing pest problem triggered by the changes of temperature and rainfall patterns, jeopardizing the level of quality and quantity of the coffee each year. The use of toxic agrochemicals to try to cope with this problem creates even more problems, such as the contamination of the local environment and the health risk for those living in the area. Consequently, an alternative solution had to be devised and implemented. First, a common agreement has been put in place, regulating the use of toxic pesticides and replacing them with biological ones. Two cooperatives work now with "beauveria bassiana" - a fungus that grows naturally in soils and uses insects like the coffee berry borer as hosts leading to its death. Additionally, two collective vermi-composting units have been installed as well as over 800 on family level. This creates an essential source of organic fertilizer that is also important to prevent soil erosion. Further measures taken for pest management are the renovation of plants and plots, of which over 1000 hectares have already been renewed - 1ha per producer of 4 cooperatives. The planned training module on environmental awareness will reinforce also this component of the adaptation strategy. 3.) Carbon sequestration/ climate mitigationPart of the devised adaptation strategy is the analysis of the carbon sequestration potential as well as the training of farmers on the possible sequestration procedures. Seven promoter famers have now been trained and another 15 are expected to complete training in the near future. Besides, there is a search in progress for funding environmental services. SEMARNAT already supports financially and further options are being assessed. 4.) Use of renewable energiesThe use of renewable energies in Más Café's dry mill is being evaluated and a study on suitable sources of alternative energy is under way. A cost-benefit-analysis for the implementation of alternative energies following the identification of potential sources is also planned. 5.) Secure the coffee drying processThe process of coffee drying has been affected by the changing rainfall patterns that do not longer allow producers to sun-dry their coffee. Therefore, new techniques to make the process independent from weather conditions were identified through various national and international exchange visits. By now 20 solar driers have been installed at two cooperatives and a training module was put in place for improved wet processing at family level. Climate change scenarios for the focus region Chiapas / MexicoWithin Latin America Mexico is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. Especially for the region of Chiapas the climate change scenarios for the next decades of the present century are predicting the following:
The situation is especially alarming as the actual temperature and rainfall levels of the region are out of the optimal conditions for coffee production. This will lead to less harvest and less quality. In addition changes in weather patterns, especially the distribution of precipitation and shifts of rainy seasons opposed to the coffee production cycle, will lead to even more drastic impacts in the production.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Home
Top |