SmartSOIL at the CLIMATE-SMART Agriculture 2015 Global Science Conference
Ana Iglesias, Berta Sánchez, UPM, Spain participated in this event and presented their work about " Exploring strategic management of agricultural systems to link mitigation and adaptation to climate change"
Very brief Summary of the presentation
There are increasing research efforts to define the optimal mix of mitigation and adaptation. From the technical point of view, a portfolio of agricultural mitigation and adaptation measures now exist and many of these practices are based on well tested agronomic and technical know-how, with proven benefits for farmers and the environment. However these measures have not been evaluated from the practical point of view, and the social, economic and policy barriers are not known.
Our research aims to contribute to shape realistic co-benefits of the mitigation and adaptation options at regional level and therefore provide information to climate change and agricultural policies. Our framework for definition of measures is summarised in the following figure.
In order to define a portfolio of smart measures practical examples are necesary.
We have screened some smart measures that capture carbon in the soil and at the same time contribute to adaptation to water scarcity in arid lands, for example in Mediterranean agriculture. The following figure represents an example of our analysis.
To us, regional barriers define the real choices. These barriers are derived from: (a) the different time scales of implementation; (b) the different stakeholders that will affect the decisions; (c) the insufficient opportunities for demonstrating the value of technical measures; and (d) the very few financial instruments to invest in innovation. In the European Union, policy may overcome some constraints, however the current sectoral agenda may need urgent revisions.