Rating B

The impact of climate change on the economy varies from sector to sector. Still, as a critical user of land, water, and other natural resources, the agricultural sector is significantly vulnerable.  Climate change in the United States has caused reduced crop growth and extended growing seasons that are detrimental to the ability of farmers to earn a living.  Heat exposure, caused by extreme weather conditions coupled with a lack of access to health care in remote areas, has also been detrimental to farmers’ well-being and financial stability.

Policy decisions meant to promote the ability of farmers to adapt to climate change and grow the crops necessary to feed the United States will require nuanced attention to factors such as the type of crop grown, the size of the farm on which a crop is grown, and the feasibility of using technological solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change.  There is a need for more study and focus on how modern technology and adaptive growing practices can prepare individual farmers to confront future disasters.  But in the meantime, several existing practices have shown promise in helping farmers to adapt to changing climate conditions:

1. Crop Diversification: Diversifying what crops are grown on a farm to include crops more adaptable to current weather conditions can help farmers become more resilient to climate change and drought.

2. Adaptive Pest Management: Changing weather conditions will require farmers to adapt to new pests confronting their crops to decrease disease risk and improve soil health.

3. Enhanced Irrigation Management: Improvements in irrigation efficiency to reduce water use and cope with expected droughts will be vital for sustainable farming in the future.

Although these adaptation methods to climate change can be helpful, they impose high initial costs and the burden of gaining technical expertise on the part of farmers responsible for implementing them.

Therefore, technical support should be provided by stakeholders and the government, such as having real-time access to accurate data about weather conditions and guidance on how to use this information for planning and monitoring harvest time. Additionally, policies and incentives should encourage and enable farmers to adopt climate-smart agriculture practices and access cost-effective technologies to comply with environmentally friendly rules and regulations. Finally, capacity-building and knowledge-sharing to build adaptive capacity are essential to help farmers be more resilient.

This Post was submitted by Climate Scorecard United States Country manager Shahrzad Majdameli

Learn More References:

1. https://www.epa.gov/climateimpacts/climate-change-impacts-agriculture-and-food-supply

2. https://www.usda.gov/oce/energy-and-environment/climate/adaptation

3. https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/california/topic/adaptation-resources-workbook-california-specialty-crops

4. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/climate-smart-agriculture