Environmental challenges to food security in Central Asia:

agroecology as an answer

Environmental challenges to food security in Central

Asia: agroecology as an answer

Ram Sharma24 November 2016

FAO Regional Symposium on

Agroecology for Sustainable

Agriculture and Food Systems in

Europe and Central AsiaBudapest, Hungary

International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, Regional Program for Central Asia and the Caucasus

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

The Eco-Regional Program for Sustainable Agricultural Development in Central Asia and the Caucasus (CAC)

… aims to achieve

overall food security

enhanced productivity

environmental sustainability

economic growth

poverty alleviation

4

Scope of presentation

• Lessons learned from recent environmental influences on food security

• Wheat as a model food crop for discussion

• What have been done or are being done on the ground

• Agroecology as a solution: those food production innovations that,

• make sustainable use of natural resources, and

• are good for environment

5

Major environmental constraints to food security in Central Asia

• Soil degradation and erosion, – Soil nutrient depletion,

• Water depletion, – Dwindling sources– Contamination

• Loss of biodiversity:– Plant genetic resources– Animal genetic resources– Soil microbes– Wild biodiversity (pollinators)

• Climate change.– Extreme climatic events – Warming – Diseases and pest outbreaks

•

Key driver: climate changeKey resources: land, water and biodiversity

6

Constraints to food production in Central Asia – Wheat as an example

Soil health

Insects

Diseases

Socio-economy Policy

Weeds

7

Climatic events from recent past – constraint to wheat production

• 2008 - drought

• 2009 - wet (disease)

• 2010 - heat

• 2011-2012 - autumn and spring drought

• 2012-2013 - winter cold/frost (crop death)

• 2014-2015 - warm winter (disease), and spring frost

• 2015-2016 - historically warm winter (disease)

• 2009 to 2016 - 6 epidemics of yellow rust, 100s of million dollars spent on chemicals

8

Constraints to food production in Central Asia under climate change – An example in wheat

WinterAutumn Spring

Drought

Wet

Heat

Dry

Wet

Dry

Mild

Wet

Dry

Salinity

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Solution to yellow rust problem – new varieties with resistance

Shumon

Gozgon

Tajikistan

Uzbekistan

Commercial Variety New Variety

Cost of fungicide spray:1-3 sprays ( 70 to 210 USD/ha)Saving from 20% area200,000 ha = USD 14 – 42 millionEnvironment friendly

2016 case: epidemic lasted for 4 months1 to 3 fungicide sprays

Approx. 500,000 ha sprayedFungicide cost, 2 sprays: $140/ha

USD 70 million

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Integrated pest management in wheat - Tajikistan

Source: M. El-Bouhssini

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Integrated Pest Management in Wheat - Tajikistan

Number of sunn pest and cereal leaf beetle under farmer’s practice and IPM

Grain weight and yield of wheat under farmer’s practice and IPM

Source: M. El-Bouhssini

12

Some solutions to prevent erosion and improve soils fertility

Direct seeding Soil mulching Crop rotation

Source:A. Nurbekov, ICARDA

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Land use efficiency with different crop rotations

Farm 1

2011 2012 2013

M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D

1 Corn (Zea Mays) Winter wheat (Triticum

aestivum)

Mung bean

(Vigna radiata)

Field pea (Pisum

sativum)

Corn (Zea

Mays)

Winter wheat

(Triticum

aestivum)

Farm 2 farmers’ practice

2011 2012 2013

M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D

2 Soy bean

(Glycine max.)

winter wheat

(Triticum aestivum)

Fallow Sorghum

(Sorghum

bicolor)

Fallow

Farm 3

2011 2012 2013

M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D

3 Sorghum (Sorghum

bicolor)

Winter wheat (Triticum

aestivum)

Bersim

(Trifolium)

Winter barley (Hordeum

vulgare L.)

Soy bean

(Glycine

max)

Field pea (Pisum

sativum)

Source:A. Nurbekov

4 cereals 2 legumes

2 cereals 1 legumes

3 cereals 3 legumes

Rehabilitation of degraded lands

Shifting from livestock to horticulture using local drought and frost

resistant apple varieties in Uzbekistan (farmer Norkushakov) Source: M.

Turdieva

After

Before

Rehabilitation of degraded lands

Local varieties of apricot adapted to drought in summer and frosts in winter are used

by farmer Mrs. Gulmira Sharsheeva in Kyrgyzstan to restore degraded lands in North

Kyrgyzstan

Source: M.

Turdieva

Agroforestry and afforestation of degraded lands affected by waterlogging and salinity (ICBA)

• Options for large-scale afforestation of degraded lands are available

• Multipurpose tree species with high adaptive potential, salt, drought and frost tolerance, and high utility value

• Re-introduction of desert and riparian trees and shrubs

• Rehabilitation and protection of natural wetlands;

• The optimal integrated agroforestry-farming system comprising 12% tree cover, 30% lucerne and 58% annual forage crops of virgin pastures with traditional agriculture practice provides satisfactory drainage control of saline environments preventing salt accumulation at the root zone area. Afforestation of highly saline land plot in

Yangiobod Tajikistan, Elaeagnus angustifolia, Acacia, Populus and fruit trees)

2006

2012

Source: K. Toderich

Using halophytic and non traditional salt tolerant crops to improve agricultural production and environmental quality in arid and semi-arid regions of Central Asia (ICBA)

• Feasibility of use of non-conventional water sources (hot artesian saline ground water and mineralized lake water) to grow halophytes and salt tolerant underutilized crops on marginal soils to produce biomass, tubers, edible roots, medicinal raw material; and oil crops;

• Livestock forage potential of halophytes and salt tolerant crops

• livestock feeding system & diets for small desert ruminants available;

• 8 legumes tolerant to salinity levels ranging from 8.0 to 23.2 dS/m high quality protein for multi-purpose use (diversification of human diets/ nutrition, commercial compounds & environmental quality)

Licorice

Source: K. Toderich

Knowledge Management in

Central Asian Countries

Initiative for Land Management

phase II

Multidisciplinary approach to

disseminate SLM through:

Component I – Knowledge Synthesis

Component II – Packaging and

dissemination

Component III – Socio-economic

assessment

S

L

M

R

K

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o

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e

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P

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The Global Initiative

“The Economics of Land Degradation”

(ELD)

Initiated in 2010 by:

• the United Nations Convention to Combat

Desertification,

• Government of Germany,

• Korean Forest Service, and

• European Commission.

Purpose: to provide economically sound

approaches to facilitate solutions for the

progressing problem of land degradation.

Country Ecosystem

Kyrgyzstan

–

highland

pastures

Tajikistan foothills

and low

mountains

Kazakhstan forestry and

rainfed

agriculture

Turkmenista

n

lowland

pastures

Uzbekistan Irrigated

agriculture

Source:N. Nishanov

Country Ecosystem

Kyrgyzstan

–

highland

pastures

Tajikistan foothills

and low

mountains

Kazakhstan forestry and

rainfed

agriculture

Turkmenista

n

lowland

pastures

Uzbekistan Irrigated

agriculture

Results / Interventions (Preliminary)

Introduction of sustainable rangeland utilization, mitigation of grazing

pressure and rehabilitation of pasturelands

Application of no-till in irrigated agriculture, improved land use (intensive

gardens), and rangeland improvement (+protection against natural disasters

Increased utilization of ecosystem services in desert forests

Development of year-round rangeland plant compositions

Introduction of perennial and annual grasses;

Pasture rotation.

Introduction of advanced crop production methods:

Leave mulch on fields; introduce crop rotation, plant forest belts around fields

Next event:INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ECONOMICS OF LAND DEGRADATION IN CENTRAL ASIA November 28-29, 2016 Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Source: N. Nishanov, ICARDA

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Roadmap for agroecology based farming systems in Central Asia

• Change in mindset• Enabling policy • National Action Plan on application of agroecology in food production and postharvest handling• Available technologies/innovations

– Indigenous knowledge – large scale demonstration, upscaling and out-scaling– Landraces– Crop diversification – large scale demonstration, upscaling and outscaling– Sustainable land management– Land rehabilitation– Participatory plant breeding– IPM – Reduced use of chemicals (pesticides/fungicides/herbicides)– Protecting pollinators– Conservation Agriculture– Farming system diversification – Green manures– Nutrient recycling–

–

Key factors: Scale and Speed

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Summary

• Climate change is a significant threat for the Central Asia region – it will become hotter and dryer

• Wheat as a model food crop face tremendous environmental challenges

• What have been done or are being done on the ground

• Agroecology as a solution: those food production technologies that,

• make sustainable use of natural resources (land, water and biodiversity), and

• are healthy for environment

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Total Solution?

Agroecology

Food for thought

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Acknowledgements

• Governments of Central Asian countries – national research institutions, NGOs, CBOs, Private Sector, Farmers’ organizations, Communities, Farmers, and Individuals

• CGIAR Centers – Bioversity, CIMMYT, ICARDA, ICRISAT, IWMI

• Non-CGIAR institutions: ICBA, WorldVeg, Michigan State University, Bonn University and others

• Donor organizations: ADB, IDB, BMZ/GIZ, EU, FAO, GEF, IFAD, Russian Federation, Turkish Government, UNDP, USAID, WB and others

• Others

Thank you!