Enabling climate change adaption and improved resource-use efficiency by promoting conservation agriculture to achieve sustainable intensification.
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Watch this short video to learn more about Climate-Resilient Agriculture in the Pacific
[Image appears of a farm in Fiji with a tractor driving down a road, energetic music is heard and this continues throughout the whole video, and text appears: Agriculture in the Pacific is particularly vulnerable to climate change]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: Agriculture in the Pacific is particularly vulnerable to climate change
[Image changes to tractor ploughing a grassy field in Fiji, and text appears: through changes in rainfall patterns]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: through changes in rainfall patterns,
[Image changes to show Dr. Diogenes Antille talking to the camera and text appears in the middle of the right-hand side of the screen: Dr. Diogenes Antille, Project leader, CSIRO. Text appears below: changes in temperature and more unpredictable weather.
Dr. Diogenes Antille: changes in temperature and more unpredictable weather.
[Image changes to tractor moving through sugarcane field in Fiji and text appears: That makes it difficult for farmers to plan out]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: That makes it difficult for farmers to plan out
[Image changes to farmers loading sugarcane onto the back of a trailer connected to a tractor, and text appears: and to have a continuous supply of food. Text changes to: Conservation agriculture]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: and to have a continuous supply of food. Conservation agriculture
[Image changes to show a close-up of sugarcane growing in a field and text appears: is a system by which we try to increase productivity,]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: is a system by which we try to increase productivity,
[Image changes to show Dr. Diogenes Antille talking to the camera and text appears: protecting the environment and importantly,]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: protecting the environment and importantly,
[Image changes to show three people who look like researchers, one from CSIRO and the other two from Fiji in a recently ploughed field with one scientist holding a clod of soil and the other two looking at the soil, and text appears: protecting the soil.]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: protecting the soil.
[Image changes to show close-up of a person holding the clod of soil in their hands, and text appears: To achieve that, we manage crop rotations,]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: To achieve that, we manage crop rotations,
[Image changes to show two people walking through a field that is growing taro, one who looks like a scientist, and text appears: we maintain the soil cover all year round]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: we maintain the soil cover all year round
[Image changes to show three people who look like researchers, one from CSRIO and two others from Fiji in a field. One person is pulling up a taro plant to harvest the taro root, and text appears: and we improve the nutrition of the soil.]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: and we improve the nutrition of the soil.
[Image changes to show the three people in the field with one person holding the harvested taro plant, and energetic music can be heard slightly louder.]
[Image changes to show Dr. Diogenes Antille talking to the camera and text appears: CSIRO is working here in Fiji and also in Samoa]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: CSIRO is working here in Fiji and also in Samoa
[Image changes to show a close-up of a person’s hands holding the harvested taro root and text appears: with a number of partners that include the]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: with a number of partners that include the
[Image changes to show a person who looks like a farmer in a field, and text appears: Ministry of Agriculture of Fiji, the Samoan Farmers Organisation,]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: Ministry of Agriculture of Fiji, the Samoan Farmers Organisation,
[Image changes to show four people standing in a field growing taro. One person is from CSIRO and the other three are from Fiji, two who look like researchers and one who looks like a farmer, and text appears: and other local organisations such as the universities,]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: and other local organisations such as the universities,
[Image changes to show Dr. Diogenes Antille talking to the camera and text appears: both in Fiji and Samoa, trying to design. Image changes to be inside a laboratory in Fiji with four students with bottles of soil and other things on the lab bench, looking at a person from CSIRO explaining something.]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: both in Fiji and Samoa, trying to design
[Image changes to show a person from CSIRO explaining something next to a whiteboard that has a drawing of a plant on it and a graph with numbers, and text appears: agricultural systems that are more productive]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: agricultural systems that are more productive
[Image changes to show four students from Fiji in a laboratory with containers of soil. The students are picking up small soil clods with their hands, and text appears: and as well are more sustainable into the future,]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: and as well are more sustainable into the future,
[Image changes to show Dr. Diogenes Antille talking to the camera and text appears: but also able to cope with climate change.
Dr. Diogenes Antille: but also able to cope with climate change.
[Image changes to show three people in a field growing taro, two wearing CSIRO hats and one person from Fiji. All of the people are bending down to look at the soil, and text appears: The importance of field experiments is to test and select]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: The importance of field experiments is to test and select
[Image changes to show a person in a field growing taro, holding a taro plant, and text appears: candidate practices that can be transferred to farmers. Image changes to a person in a field who looks like a farmer from Fiji chopping a recently harvested taro root in half.]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: candidate practices that can be transferred to farmers.
[Image changes to a close-up of the person who looks like a farmer from Fiji, continuing to cut off skin of the taro root, and text appears: The system that we are testing here,]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: The system that we are testing here,
[Image changes to show Dr. Diogenes Antille talking to the camera and text appears: and behind me is our taro crop that we are testing,]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: and behind me is our taro crop that we are testing,
[Image changes to show a field research site growing different varieties of taro, and text appears: are things such as intercropping,]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: are things such as intercropping,
[Image changes to an aerial view of a number of different paddocks in Fiji, with three people walking through the paddocks, and text appears: crop rotation and better management of fertility. We are complementing that information,]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: crop rotation and better management of fertility. We are complementing that information,
[Image changes to show a close-up of taro leaves, and text appears: from experimental work with modelling work that allows us to test]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: from experimental work with modelling work that allows us to test
[Image changes to show Dr. Diogenes Antille talking to the camera and text appears: the performance of those practices in hypothetical scenarios]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: the performance of those practices in hypothetical scenarios
[Image changes to a freshly ploughed field with three people walking through it, two wearing CSIRO hats and another person from Fiji, and text appears: of climate change.]
Dr. Diogenes Antille: of climate change.
[Image changes to two people looking out over a field, and text appears: By using a systems approach, we combine bioeconomic modelling. Image changes to a field in Fiji with a tractor ploughing a field.]
Dr. Marta Monjardino: By using a systems approach, we combine bioeconomic modelling,
[Image changes to show Dr. Marta Monjardino talking to the camera and text appears in the middle of the left-hand side of the screen: Dr. Marta Monjardino, Agricultural Systems Economist, CSIRO, and texted appears at the bottom of the screen: risk analysis, adoption theory and impact assessment to assess the relative advantage and value]
Dr. Marta Monjardino: risk analysis, adoption theory and impact assessment to assess the relative advantage and value
[Image changes to show Marta Monjardino working on her computer, and text appears: of farmer innovations over time.]
Dr. Marta Monjardino: of farmer innovations over time.
[Image changes to show a different angle of Marta Monjardino working on her computer, and text appears: By doing this, we will be able to better evaluate]
Dr. Marta Monjardino: By doing this, we will be able to better evaluate
[Image changes to show Dr. Marta Monjardino talking to the camera and text appears: the complex risks, trade-offs and drivers of food systems]
Dr. Marta Monjardino: the complex risks, trade-offs and drivers of food systems
[Image changes to an aerial view of three people walking through fields in Fiji, and text appears: and will better understand the multiple impacts and opportunities to inform smallholder transition to sustainable farming.]
Dr. Marta Monjardino: and will better understand the multiple impacts and opportunities to inform smallholder transition to sustainable farming.
[Image changes to a different aerial view of agriculture in rural Fiji. Energetic music is slightly louder.]
[Image changes to show taro plants growing in pots in a greenhouse, and text appears: I like the concept of conservation agriculture because it is the way forward.
Ami Chand Sharma: I like the concept of conservation agriculture because it is the way forward.
[Image changes to show a person from Fiji holding taro plants growing in pots in a greenhouse, and text appears: Fiji is very prone to cyclones]
Ami Chand Sharma: Fiji is very prone to cyclones
[Image changes to show Ami Chand Sharma talking to the camera and text appears in the middle of the on the left-hand side of the screen: Ami Chand Sharma, Ministry of Agriculture Fiji. Text appears below: and adverse conditions and I think]
Ami Chand Sharma: and adverse conditions and I think
[Image changes to show Dr. Diogenes Antille and Ami Chand Sharma standing next to mobile soil testing laboratory, and text appears: conservation agriculture is going to help us]
Ami Chand Sharma: conservation agriculture is going to help us
Image changes to show a close-up of Dr. Diogenes Antille and Ami Chand Sharma standing next to mobile soil testing laboratory, and text appears: in terms of sustainability,]
Ami Chand Sharma: in terms of sustainability,
[Image changes to show Ami Chand Sharma talking to the camera and text appears: sustainability of our soil, sustainability of our production and we will be able to produce more food during the adverse conditions.]
Ami Chand Sharma: sustainability of our soil, sustainability of our production and we will be able to produce more food during the adverse conditions.
[Image changes to show Dr. Diogenes Antille and Ami Chand Sharma in a laboratory. Ami Chand Sharma is holding a piece of taro root, and text appears: And it is not only that -]
Ami Chand Sharma: And it is not only that –
[Image changes to show a taro root being weighed on scales in a laboratory, and text appears: we are going to build resilience in the soil in terms of soil fertility,]
Ami Chand Sharma: we are going to build resilience in the soil in terms of soil fertility,
[Image changes to show a close-up of Ami Chand Sharma holding a piece of taro root, and text appears: in terms of organic matter build up. Image changes to show Ami Chand Sharma talking to the camera]
Ami Chand Sharma: in terms of organic matter build up,
[Image changes to show close-up of a ploughed field and text appears: in terms of avoiding soil erosion and compaction and perhaps. Image changes to show Ami Chand Sharma and another person from Fiji standing in a field that is growing taro]
Ami Chand Sharma: in terms of avoiding soil erosion and compaction and perhaps,
[Image changes to show a close-up of a taro leaf in a field, with three people standing close to it, and text appears, we can also increase the surface carbon and organic matter on the soil.]
Ami Chand Sharma: we can also increase the surface carbon and organic matter on the soil.
[Image changes to a person holding a clot of soil with some roots in it, and another person from Fiji pointing to the roots, and text appears: The project that we are doing here will bring a lot of benefits]
Ami Chand Sharma: The project that we are doing here will bring a lot of benefits
[Image changes to show an aerial view of a rural area next to a town in Fiji, and text appears: to the farmers in terms of package of practice so they can build more resilience and produce more food,
Ami Chand Sharma: to the farmers in terms of package of practice so they can build more resilience and produce more food,
[Image changes to show a different aerial view of a rural area next to a town in Fiji, and text appears: for now and our future generations.
Ami Chand Sharma: for now and our future generations.
White screen appears with text: Visit our website https://research.csiro.au/pcra/ to find out more about climate resilient agriculture in the Pacific.
White screen appears showing logos for: CSIRO, Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Aid, Fiji and Agriculture and Waterways, Fiji National University, and Samoan Farmers Association.
White screen appears and text appears: Acknowledgement of funding: this project has been supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Disclaimer: The material reported in this article may include the views or recommendations of third parties and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government or indicate a commitment to a particular course of action.