The impacts of climate change in Cabo Verde are evident with drought and pests hurting the productivity and incomes of the country’s farmers, like Elisabeth Da Conceiçao.
With the changes in climate, Cabo Verde like many other countries, has not only seen a decrease in rain but has also seen an increase in agricultural pests. In 2017, fall armyworm arrived in the country decimating much of the corn crops, and not only. But there has been an increase in many other pests as well.
Elisabeth recounts, “The biggest challenge from 2016 until now has been pests, such as the corn earworm, the green stink bug, insects… It is worrying because in Rui Vaz, agriculture is a source of income; it's sustenance for families.”
It is these types of concerns that a training offered by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as part of the FAO-China South-South Cooperation (SSC) Programme, is addressing.
Experts from China are passing on expertise to fight these challenges. Through hands-on trainings, Zhiqi Li, an expert in livestock production and Yanhua Zeng, an expert in horticulture, are showing ways of dealing with various issues, such as saving water through proper irrigation techniques or producing organic fertilizer made from manure and other readily available materials.
They have also shown farmers how to implement better pest control through pheromone traps and other innovative, non-chemical solutions. With these and more tips, Elizabeth and other farmers in Cabo Verde are seeing an increase in production, despite the erratic rainfall and the pest invasions. Cabo Verde is certainly not alone in these climate challenges, but it is a unique country, one made up of 10 islands, nine of which are inhabited. It is part of the arid Sahelian belt of mainland Africa, despite being situated approximately 500 kilometres off the coast and into the Atlantic Ocean. Cabo Verde is part of a group of countries known as Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that face a set of challenges apart from other developing countries and distinct from mainland countries. Continue reading
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