Page 26 - AWA Vol.41-No.5. 1

HArVeStiNG & StorAGe

data shows that crops could lose half of the best land

for growing them by 2100

he Food and Agriculture Organi-
Tzation of the United Nations (FAO)
has upgraded its innovative ABC-Map
geospatial app with a new indicator
which shows that several major crops
including wheat, coffee, beans, cas-
sava, and plantain could lose half their
best or optimally suitable land by 2100.
Designed for policymakers, techni-
cians, and project designers, the Ad-
aptation, Biodiversity and Carbon Map-
ping Tool (“ABC-Map”) offers an initial
screening of the climate-related risks,
essential biodiversity indicators, and
the carbon reduction potential of a se-
lected project. It is an open-source sat-
ellite imagery app, based on Google
Earth Engine, with information from
global datasets.
Following its upgrade, ABC Map now and cash crops—including wheat, cof- narios. Also planned for this year is an
features a new indicator, providing in- fee, beans, cassava, and plantain—are indicator with information on livestock
formation on the suitability of major already losing optimal growing condi- heat stress and another for crop water
crops in evolving climate scenarios tions, and some could lose half their op- requirements, which would estimate
to the end of the century. FAO Senior timal suitable land by 2100.
Natural Resources (Climate Change) expected rainfall and potential irriga-
Officer Martial Bernoux says the new In particular, the study’s researchers tion needs.
information could help ensure our ca- suggest that coffee production in some Strengthening national capacity
pacity to cope with climate change and of the major coffee-growing region-
its impacts in the long term. scould decline sharply by 2100. They ABC-Map, launched in 2024, is one
say beans and wheat could experience of the technical tools in the COP28 Ag-
“Given the increasingly erratic significant losses, especially in regions riculture, Food and Climate National
weather and extreme events, includ- such as North America and Europe. Action Toolkit, helping governments
ing droughts, extreme heat and floods, Maize and rice, however, could initially to develop and implement policy mea-
farmers, policymakers, and technicians find more suitable areas for cultiva- sures on climate action and agrifood
need to know if the crops, investments tion, the researchers suggest, but this system transformation. It was launched
or projects they are considering will situation could reverse by the end of last year during an expert panel on the
work or if they need to adjust and con- the century under high-emission sce-
sider other crops or more adaptation narios. Food and Agriculture for Sustainable
measures instead,” Bernoux says. “Our Transformation (FAST) Partnership, at
ABC-Map tool can now better assist How does it work? the Global Forum for Food and Agricul-
them with these considerations, further The ABC-Map geospatial app features ture in Berlin, Germany.
reinforcing climate resilience.”
indicators in three sections: adapta- The tool helps users better understand
Concerning data tion, biodiversity, and carbon. This new the synergies and trade-offs among the
indicator expands the scope of the ad- three pressing and interlinked chal-
The new indicator, developed by
FAO, incorporates data from a study aptation section, which previously dis- lenges of climate change mitigation,
played only information on past trends
adaptation and countering biodiversity
by French fintech start-up Finres, com- in a given area, including past tempera-
missioned by the International Fund ture and rainfall. Now, the new indicator loss in the context of safeguarding ag-
for Agricultural Development (IFAD) also adds information on future trends. riculture and food security. It promotes
and funded by the French Develop- holistic environmental actions in ag-
ment Agency (AFD). The study, “Have A user inputs a location, then selects a riculture and with its latest upgrade,
crops already reached peak suitability: crop from 30 options, including coffee, ABC-Map will further boost FAO’s sup-
assessing global climatic suitability maize and wheat. The tool then displays port to countries to fulfill their obliga-
decreases for crop cultivation”, uses the suitability of the selected crops in tions under the three Rio Conventions
a new method to assess crop suitabil- that area, for time periods stretching to and strengthen their capacity to assess
ity in varied climate scenarios. It con- 2100, providing a crop suitability score and confront climate related shocks
cludes that five out of nine major staple for two different climate emission sce- and impacts. Circle 33 on enquiry card
24 Vol. 41 No. 5