Climate-Smart Agriculture Practices and Technologies

I have to say that farmers' priorities for Climate-Smart Technologies (CSA) are linked with prevailing climatic conditions of a particular location, socio-economic characteristics and willingness to pay for available CSA technologies. Of course, they will evaluate the potential benefits and costs of the CSA technologies. Therefore, we have to consider and apply appropriate policies and programs that are site specific and relevant to the needs of the local farmers when we promote CSA technologies.

The climate-friendly agricultural technologies, practices and services are the adaptation options and they sustainably increase agricultural productivity, enhance resilience to climatic stresses, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

We have to consider many factors to achieve agricultural growth, ecosystem conservation, reducing carbon emission and increasing food safety and security. This is a complex process and it needs great experience and know-how. We have performed these practices in different rural locations of Turkey to create sustainable fruit, cereal, vegetables and livestock production from the field to the table according to the EU infant food regulations. These climate-friendly agribusiness and value chain development projects created new export markets such as Central East Europe, CIS, and MENA countries from Turkey. We have successfully managed capacity development and gender equity programs and improved the skills of the farmers, SMEs, Government Institutions and created collaboration between public-private organizations.

Supporting smallholder farmers is a crucial parameter to achieve food safety and security.

Now, let’s look the options of the CSA management practices and/or technologies to be applied at farm-level:

1. Smart Water Management

Ø Rainwater Harvesting

Ø Drip Irrigation

Ø Laser Land Levelling

Ø Furrow Irrigated Bed Planting

Ø Drainage Management

Ø Cover Crops Method

2. Smart Energy Management

Ø Zero Tillage/Minimum Tillage

3. Smart Nutrient Management

Ø Site Specific Integrated Nutrient Management

Ø Green Manuring

Ø Leaf Color Chart

Ø Intercropping with Legumes

4. Smart Carbon Management

Ø Agro Forestry

Ø Concentrate Feeding for Livestock

Ø Fodder Management

Ø Integrated Pest Management

5. Smart Whether Management

Ø Climate Smart Housing for Livestock

Ø Weather based Crop Agro-advisory

Ø Crop Insurance

6. Smart Knowledge Management

Ø Contingent Crop Planning