SHARM EL SHEIKH, 11/18 (IPS) – Food is everything to the culture and identity of the Pacific island nations.
The impacts of climate change from rising sea levels and higher temperatures threaten the food security of the islanders, which are largely dependent on fisheries and subsistence agriculture. Nearly 70 percent of the islanders rely on agriculture for a living.
Pacific island nations at the COP27 summit, which took place in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, said agriculture was at the top of their agenda, with UNFCCC participants calling for a decision to protect food security. through mobilizing climate finance for adaptation.
At the COP negotiations, agriculture was covered at many levels, including in discussions of ongoing issues. Koronivia Agricultural Joint Work (KJWA) – a formal process established to highlight the potential of food and agriculture in tackling climate change. However, there was no progress in the countries that made commitments to include the agricultural and food systems in the final text.
The agricultural sector accounts for 37% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, of which land is considered a potential large carbon sink that can be considered to capture emissions.
Can agriculture be removed from the menu?
“Not yet,” said Karen Mapusua, Director of the Land Resources Division of the Pacific Community (SPC). “Unless the parties can come together and demonstrate through their work the value of the Koronivia work program and a clear direction for it, that is a risk.”
She explained that it is important to uphold the Koronivia plan and ensure a global strategy on agriculture and food systems that is seen as the solution to climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Mapusua, and President of IFOAM Organics International, a global organization dedicated to transforming the agricultural industry, said: “Agriculture contributes 30% of emissions and everyone has to eat, and if we don’t, we don’t. If we take this matter seriously, we will be in trouble.” custom.
The Pacific nations are very low toxic carbon emitters – with the exception of a few high input industries such as sugar production in Fiji and the commercial production of exotic crops for export. .
“We are losing productive land to sea level rise, flooding and desalination of lands near the coast,” she said. Farmers have experienced an increase in pests and diseases due to changes in temperature and weather conditions. For example, the islands have been attacked by the infestation of the coconut beetle, an invasive pest that can destroy coconut plantations.
Farmers are also experiencing changes in fruiting patterns for major crops. Farmers are relocating their vanilla plantations in Vanuatu because it is no longer flowering in the area that used to be the most productive.
Developing countries are also pushing for the establishment of a loss and damage facility where they can be compensated for damage caused by climate change, especially for infrastructure. However, no decision has been made on this request.
“There will be a lot of competition over what goes into the loss and damage fund, but I hope that because food is so essential it will be higher on the list of accessing finance through a such basis, if it were to be agreed upon,” Mapusua, told IPS.
Species that eat fish but fisheries are threatened
People on the island also depend on fisheries for food security. The field is also affected by rising sea levels and high temperatures, leading to the bleaching of coral reefs, which are the main habitat for fish.
Scientific research predicts a decline in coastal fisheries of up to 20% by 2050 in the western Pacific and up to 10% by 2050 in the eastern Pacific, which will severely affect the the diet of the islanders, who on average consume 58 kg of fish annually.
Mapusua said the island nations are building aquaculture at the local and poultry level to make up for the expected loss of fisheries.
In Vanuatu, the government is deploying fish lure devices (FADS), which are floating objects offshore to attract fish. The project has allowed farmers to harvest fish from locations where the equipment has been installed without having to travel far from the coast to fish. In addition, a fish pond system was promoted at the household level, encouraging families to build their own fish ponds to harvest fish.
Nelson Kalo, a senior mitigation official with the Department of Climate Change in Vanuatu, added there are other projects as well.
“Vanuatu is also promoting climate-resilient projects in partnership with the United Nations Development Program to reinvigorate climate-resilient root crops for communities as climate conditions change. .”
Report of the UN IPS Office
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