Africa could be dealing with a potential crop crisis in the wake of climate change. The warming temperatures are harming the livelihood of f...
Africa could be dealing with a potential crop crisis in the wake of climate change. The warming temperatures are harming the livelihood of farmers, and may be severely damaging to the continent’s economy.- Researchers claim that Africa’s crops will be seriously affected by the turn of the century
- The preventive measures will have to be implemented by 2025 to give them the best chance of sustaining their agriculture
- Around 30% of maize growing areas will fail, along with 60% of the banana and beans regions
Researchers from the University of Leeds revealed that some major crops, including bananas, beans, and maize, commonly known as corn, are facing a serious risk of failure in the coming decades. If some parts of the sub-Saharan continent do not see a transformation in the form of an improvement, it will become a certainty. The study, however, offered a clear timeline and potential solutions to stop this particular consequence of global warming.
Six of the nine studies crops will remain stable under circumstances of mild or even extreme climate change. That means that cassava, groundnut, pearl millet, finger millet, sorghum, and yam, could be well adjusted to severe weather conditions. However, it does not mean that they will pass entirely unaffected.
On the other hand, the researchers warn that almost 40% of the agriculture areas growing maize will need a full transformation. Corn itself might become impossible to cultivate, but at the very least, the region could be replaced by sorghum and millet. At the very least, the crop area will not go completely to waste under warmer weather conditions. This is because both sorghum and millet have a high tolerance for extreme heat and drought.
However, for around 0.5% of maize-growing regions, there is nothing that could substitute it. That accounts for 2.7 million tons of corn, cultivated from 0.8 million hectares in South Africa. If changes are not set in place, around 30% of all regions growing maize will become unviable by 2100. Areas in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania are at severe risk if no action is taken by 2025.
Banana and beans growing lands fare even worse. According to the study, 60% of them could become useless by the turn of the century if actions are not taken in the upcoming years. This includes regions in western Africa, such as Ghana and Benin, which will become unsuitable for bananas in the next decade. According to a co-author of the study, Andy Challinor, banana imports from those regions have doubled since 2001. That means that the consequences will be felt by the farmers, Africa, and the entire world along with them.
However, some solutions could potentially aid these major crops of the African continent. Certain regions will need complete transformation, but better irrigation systems could also help. In extreme situations, though, farmers might need to remove all agriculture activity completely, so the ground itself could recover.
Most of these solutions need around 15 years to be well implemented, so the time to begin is now. Co-author of the study, Julian Ramirez-Villegas, from Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS), claimed that “if we don’t do anything now, farmers won’t be able to grow certain crops” on several sites.
Time is running out for Africa. To save their agriculture, they will require a supportive policy environment along with additional funding. Perhaps with the warning and severely needed capital, Africa’s food supply could be prevented from becoming even more tragic than it already is.
via apextribune
No comments