Building Resilient Agriculture in

the Pacific Communities: Experience from SPC

Gibson Susumu, Participatory Extension Officer, LRD, SPC

Outline

• Background Importance of Agriculture in the Pacific

Agriculture and Climate Change Challenges

• SPC Approach to Challenges and Issues SPC Community Vulnerability Assessment Approach (V&A)

V &A Results

• SPC Programmes to building resilient agriculture in the Pacific

• Impacts of Interventions

• Conclusions Lessons & Recommendations

Background

• Agriculture plays an important role in the Pacific Islands economies, providing food, income, employment and livelihoods for a significant proportion (80%) of the region’s population

• The performance of the sector has declined owing to many factors including, population pressures, soil fertility, P&D, low returns, narrow export based, and over reliance on imported foods

• Increasing productivity, competitiveness and sustainability of agricultural production to ensure ongoing food and livelihood security in the coming decades, a major challenge

• Climate change is already putting additional set of challenges for the sector

• There is limited research targeted on understanding climate change impacts on agriculture and resiliency of current production systems

• Knowledge gap

Bactrocera ochrosiae Bactrocera cucurbitae

Bactrocera ochrosiae Bactrocera cucurbitae

Bactrocera fraunfeldi Bactrocera fraunfeldi

Bactrocera fraunfeldi Bactrocera umbrosa

Bactrocera phillipinensis Bactrocera occipitalis Bactrocera calophyli

Bactrocera fraunfeldi Bactrocera cucurbitae

Bactrocera dorsalis Bactrocera xanthodes

Bactrocera atramentata Bactrocera atrosetosa Bactrocera bryoniae

Bactrocera cucurbitae Bactrocera curvifera Bactrocera decipiens Bactrocera fraunfeldi

Bactrocera lineata Bactrocera moluccensis

Bactrocera musae Bactrocera neohumeralis

Bactrocera obliqua Bactrocera papayae Bactrocera strigifinis Bactrocera trivialis

Bactrocera umbrosa Dacus axanus

Dacus solomonensis

Bactrocera tryoni Bactrocera psidii Bactrocera curvipennis Bactrocera umbrosa Bactrocera mucronis Bactrocera caledoniensis Bactrocera aneuvittata Bactrocera fulvifacies Bactrocera perpusilla Bactrocera ebenea Bactrocera paraxanthodes Bactrocera grandistylus

Bactrocera cucurbitae Bactrocera fraunfeldi

Bactrocera fraunfeldi Bactrocera umbrosa

Bactrocera cucurbitae Dacus solomonensis

Bactrocera near passiflorae

Bactrocera near passiflorae

Bactrocera facialis Bactrocera xanthodes

Bactrocera kirki Bactrocera distincta

Bactrocera passiflorae Bactrocera obscura

Bactrocera melanotus Bactrocera xanthodes

Bactrocera trilineola Bactrocera umbrosa

Bactrocera quadrisetosa

Bactrocera xanthodes Bactrocera distincta

Bactrocera passiflorae Bactrocera kirki

Bactrocera obscura Bactrocera gnetum

Bactrocera near passiflorae

Bactrocera passiflorae Bactrocera kirki

Bactrocera xanthodes Bactrocera obscura

Bactrocera xanthodes Bactrocera kirki

Bactrocera tryoni Bactrocera dorsalis Bactrocera luteola

Bactrocera atra Bactrocera perfusca

1/2

1/2

1/1 1/1

1/1

1/1

4/5 4/4

2/2

4/48

4/12

3/12

5/6

18/188

3/4

Bactrocera distincta Bactrocera kirki

Bactrocera xanthodes Bactrocera obscura

3/4

Bactrocera distincta Bactrocera kirki Bactrocera xanthodes Bactrocera obscura Bactrocera passiflorae

4/7

Pest and Disease Distribution

Bactrocera xanthodes Bactrocera kirki

Bactrocera distincta Bactrocera obscura

Bactrocera aenigmatica Bactrocera samoae

Bactrocera near paraxanthodes

2/7

4/7

2/3

3/5

No. of economically important species

Total no. of fruit flies in a country

1

2

SPC’s Response

SPC, is collaborating with Agriculture Ministries and a range of development partners (USAID, EU, ACIAR, FAO, SPREP, GIZ, IFAD, etc.) to evaluate and implement innovative techniques and management approaches to increase climate resilience of food production systems in the Pacific Islands communities.

Determinants of Vulnerability

• Building resilience starts with reducing vulnerabilities

• Vulnerability is a function of character, magnitude and rate of climate variation to which a system is exposed, its sensitivity, and its adaptive capacity (IPCC, 2007).

• Exposure is defined as the nature and degree to which a system is exposed to significant climatic variations. Climate variation includes average climate change and extreme climate variability (IPCC, 2007).

• Sensitivity is the degree to which a system is affected, either adversely or beneficially, by climate-related factors (IPCC, 2007).

• Adaptive capacity is defined as the ability of a system (the community) to adjust to climate change (including climate variability and extremes), to mitigate potential damages, to take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with the consequences (IPCC, 2007).

SPC Vulnerability Assessment Framework

• Using each of the PRA tools, E, S and A were assessed at LOW (1), MEDIUM (2), HIGH (3) and VERY HIGH (4) scales through assessment of their elements based on community perceptions.

• Community perceptions were recorded and collated to determine the E Index, S Index and A Index

V = E X S/A

Elements of E, S, & A Exposure (local climate

change and variability)

Sensitivity (effects of changes

at local level)

Adaptive Capacity (livelihood

assets)

• Temperature

• Precipitation

• Plants/Animal behaviour

(Proxy)

• Hazards

• Agriculture and Food

Security

• Forest and biodiversity

• Settlement and

Infrastructure

• Water and energy

• Human Health

• Human resources

• Natural assets

• Social assets

• Financial assets

• Physical assets

Results: Exposure

1 – Low 2 – Medium 3 – High 4 – Very High

Exposure Indicators

Variables/Hazards Indicators Correlation with Scientific Studies and

Evaluation of farming systems

Temperature Number of hot days has increased; Number of cold days has

decreased

Extreme hot days to increase

Rainfall Rainfall season has shifted (longer) and increasingly unpredictable Seasonal rainfall to increase

Climate induced disasters

(Cyclones, Landslides,

Drought, Floods, Sea level

rise, P&D)

Occurrence of Landslides has increased

Occurrence of flooding has increased

Occurrence of drought

Cyclone and Tsunami intensity increased

Sea level rise and salt water inundation (atoll and coastal

communities)

Tropical cyclone frequency unchanged,

intensity increased

Mean Sea level to increase

Surface and sea surface temperature to

increase

Ocean acidification to increase

Livestock Behaviour (Pigs

and Chicken)

Reduced performance and productivity

Livestock diseases

Production and productivity

Behaviour of fruit crops Mango season ceased past 10 years (VT & SI) and shifted (SW, TO)

Productivity of banana has declined & pests and diseases (All)

BF season shifted and extended (VT&SI)

BF season is now all year round (KR, TO, SW)

Climatic factors – soil health issues; P&D

regime, production declines

Non climatic factors – unsustainable

farming practices (e.g. narrow genetic base

selection, etc.)

Behaviour of root crops Yam season is shorter with reduced tuber size and disease problems

Cassava productivity declined

Productivity of sweet potato reduced & pest and disease

Widespread of TLB has affected taro production (SI)

Soil Health in all countries

Climatic factors – soil health issues; P&D

regime, production declines

Non climatic factors – unsustainable

farming practices (e.g. narrow genetic base

selection)

Results: Sensitivity

1 – Low 2 – Medium 3 – High 4 – Very High

Sensitivity Indicators

Hazards/Variables Parameters/Sectors Impact Indicators

Cyclones

Landslides

Drought

Floods

Sea level rise

P&D

Agriculture and food security • Loss of productive lands due to soil erosion

• Loss of crop production and long recovery time

• Fruiting season has changed

• Soil fertility reduced

• Outbreak of plant P&D – decline or abandoned

• Production decline

• Loss of livestock/decline production

Forest and biodiversity • Loss of forest cover and livelihoods

• Loss of top soil

• Emergence of new plant species

Infrastructure • Trails damaged/flooded

• Damaged farm infrastructures

Water resources and energy • Loss of fresh water

• Reduced water quality

Human health • Emergence of waterborne diseases

Results: Adaptive Capacity of Communities

HHs Food Security

Access to Water

Land Access and Use

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Divers Bay Sepa Loimuni

Community Perceptions on the Quality of Farm Lands

Good (%) Average (%) Poor (%)

Adaptive Capacity Indicators

Human Assets Social Assets Financial Natural Physical

Skills

Labour

Limited

knowledge on

CC

Limited access

to advisory

services

Limited access

to basic services

Traditional

knowledge

Reliance on

imported food

Low income

levels of HHs

Limited diversity

of income based

Limited access

to markets

Topography

Access to

quality

agricultural

lands

Declining soil

fertility

Limited diversity

Water quality

Transportation

issues

Storage and

processing

facilities

Vulnerability Indices

SPC Programmes to BRA

• Implementation of programmes in an integrated and holistic approach (“whole of island ridge to reef approach”) – institutions, governance and farming communities

• Reducing exposure and Sensitivity

Diversification of food production systems Evaluation of existing and new Climate Resilient Crops (CePaCT) Small livestock support and conservation of indigenous breeds Supporting farmer manage seeds systems

Promotion of sustainable agriculture production technologies - soil health, traditional agroforestry systems, etc.

• Adaptive Capacity Income diversification and market access support Building capacity of research and extension services to respond to farmers

needs and strengthen adoption of technologies development and dissemination of improve technologies, practices and

processes related to agriculture to increase resilience of the production systems and improve livelihoods (PIRAS)

Impacts of Interventions

• Household diets improved

• HHs income diversified and increased

• Livestock contribution to HHs diets

• Crop production diversified

• Building resilient agriculture is a long term process – More time and work is needed to

understand systems responses and interactions to strategies and technologies

Conclusions

• CC impacts on Agriculture in the region is a big concern and addressing CC should be holistic

• CC is not the only driver of PI vulnerability – non – climatic factors, - population growth and rate of urbanisation, NCDs, and increasing reliance on imported food and unsustainable agriculture practices also contributes to vulnerability of communities

• There are a number of success stories in the region aiming at building resilient agriculture with some impacts already being realised at community levels

• PRA - Empowering communities is critical and as a bottom approach and thus resilient communities

• Building resilient agriculture is a long term process and must be factored into project designs

• Absorptive capacity of countries should be factored into programme designs targeting the region

THANK YOU

GibsonS@spc.int