The Paris Agreement and agriculture in Grenada

 

The Paris Agreement was adopted by 196 Parties on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016 - so this is the 5th anniversary of the Agreement. The Agreement aims to limit the increase in global average temperatures to well below 2°C, preferably to less than 1.5°C. 

The Agreement also recognises 

• safeguarding food security and ending hunger 

• vulnerabilities of food production systems and protecting food production.

Grenada signed on the Paris Agreement in April 2016. Grenada’s food security, including fruit and vegetable production, will be affected by projected future climate change. 

According to a 2018 report by an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, if temperatures rise to 1.5°C, 122 million additional people could experience extreme poverty by 2030 mainly due to higher food prices and declining health. So, keeping rises in temperature below 1.5°C, should see fewer climate extremes which is good news for farmers in the tropics, and in Grenada, who already face the impacts of heat, drought and hurricanes. 

Grenada’s food security depends on over 10,000 farmers and fisherfolk. It also depends on all of us in the tri-state doing our part to safeguard Grenada’s food production. 

• Farmers, speak with your agricultural extension officers to get information on management options that can reduce emissions and hold more soil carbon. For example, keep green cover on the ground as long as possible, and grow cover crops in between harvests. Use less tilling or no till practices, because tilling releases soil carbon. Feed your soil through better use of organic fertilisers (animal manure, composting and nutmeg moss) and less use of chemical fertilisers, which impacts our water quality and, by running off into the sea, affects our fisheries sector. Think about integrating trees and animals into agricultural landscapes to increase crop yields and promote water retention. All of these practices end up benefitting soil health and crop yields, and promote food security. 

• Fisherfolk, speak with your fisheries officers to find out how this agreement can lead to controlling rise in sea levels, protection our fish stock and marine life so as to gain the best harvest in a sustainable manner and improve your livelihood and our economy. 

• Agro-processors, please liaise with our farmers and fisherfolk to get access to fresh produce to add value to what we grow, and to fill your end products with more local content. 

• Consumers, eat more of what our farmers grow and more of what our fishers catch. Modifying your diet to include more local produce helps to maintain a healthy lifestyle and reduces the nation’s food import bill. Reducing the food import bill also helps reduce emissions generated by the systems to get that food here. 

A more responsive agriculture practice helps Grenada achieve its obligations to the nation’s food security and to the Paris Agreement. 

Further readings: http://sdg.iisd.org/commentary/policy-briefs/grenadas-second-ndc-confirms-40-emission-reduction-target-investment-law-under-scrutiny-for-hampering-energy-transition/