The way we produce food must adapt to a variable and changing climate. And key to achieving this is to improve the link between climate information and agricultural practices, especially those of smallholder farmers in developing countries. ‘Agro-climate tools’ do just that and some are introduced here.
Marsabit County is situated in the northern part of Kenya, bordering the Republic of Ethiopia to the north and Lake Turkana to the west. With approximately 66,000 square kilometres of which 4,956 km2 are covered by Lake Turkana, the foremost part of Marsabit County is an extensive plain which lies between 300m and 900m above sea level. It is characterized by a population density averaging 2 persons per km2 and a distribution varying between 1 person up to 22 persons per km2, depending on the scarcity of water as well as the amount of permanent and semi-permanent settlements.
Reforestation measures for degraded lands, strategies for the sustainable management of forest resources, and agroforestry practices that incorporate trees into farming systems are increasingly demonstrating their promise for producing commercialized tree products. Although the level of investment so far has remained modest, the challenge is to find ways to scale up promising investments in a way that will have a clear impact at the landscape level.
In November 2011 the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) held its first Independent Science Panel meeting in Colombia.
The impact of land use and cover change on soil quality and pasture production was investigated
in the rangelands of Nakasongola District, Uganda, Landsat (TM) images of 1986 and 1990 and
Landsat (ETM+) of 2000 and 2004 for Nakasongola District were used to determine the extent
and patterns of land use and cover change using the Integrated Land and Water Information
Systems (ILWIS) 3.6 software. A modified-Whittaker sampling design was used to collect soil
and pasture samples in three land cover types (bare, herbaceous and woody) under three
Being able to access, control, and own productive assets such as land, labor, finance, and social capital enables people to create stable and productive lives. Yet relatively little is known about how agricultural development programs can most effectively deliver these outcomes of well-being, empowerment, and higher income in a way that acknowledges differential access to and control over assets by men and women.
Land is defined as a system engaged in generating biological productivity. It is the earth’s infrastructure for life. The rate and quality of production generated from the land depends on its major components, soil and its fertility. Soil organic matter, derived from the vegetation supported by a particular soil, is the major component that controls soil fertility.
Les terres3 peutvent se définir comme un système destiné à générer de la productivité biologique. C’est l’infrastructure naturelle qui supporte la vie sur la planète. La quantité et la qualité de cette production dépendent du principal composant de la terre : le sol et sa fertilité. La matière organique du sol, qui provient de la végétation portée par ce dernier, est le principal composant influençant la fertilité du sol.
La tierra se define como un sistema bioproductivo. Es la infraestructura terrestre para la vida. La tasa y la calidad de la producción generada por la tierra dependen de sus principales componentes, de los suelos y de su fertilidad. La materia orgánica del suelo, derivada de la vegetación que crece en un suelo determinado, es el principal componente que controla la fertilidad de éste.
