Page 28 - Climate Conference - EBook 2023: Al-Qasemi Academy

Impact of climate change food production and
solutions for climate-smart agriculture
Dr. Gidon Toperoff

Subject Matter Specialist for Sustainable Agriculture and Adaptation
to Climate Change at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs

ABSTRACT
Agro-ecology unit in the Agriculture Extension Service, Ministry of Agriculture
Background: Our local agriculture has found a way to prosper in arid to semi-arid conditions, through
increased water-use efficiency, increased land-production efficiency, using protected plant crops, and
climate-controlled livestock husbandry. However, the escalating nature of climate change is expected to
introduce exceptional challenges and requires adaptation. Identification of the present and future threats
and opportunities is a strategic need to allow food security and the preservation of agriculture. The main
emphasis is on adaptation, rather than on the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.
In the Ministry of Agriculture, adaptation to climate change is an ongoing process over decades involving
many different ministry units:
• Research & development – continued development in various fields including efficient use of irrigation
water, improved efficiency from each hectare of land, breading for climate-resilient crop cultivars and
animal breeds, plant and ani
• mal-protection strategies, efficient energy use, climate-controlled measures for protected agricultural
production and more.
• Soil conservation management – promotion of sustainable soil management practices for crops, use of
cover crops in horticulture, via support for farmer investments and funding research and extension
services.
• Insurance fund for natural risks in agriculture – KANAT – the ministry subsidizes farmers' fund
payments towards insurance against product loss due to natural causes.
• Israel Plant Gene Bank – conservation of plant species indigenous to Israel. This genetic resource is an
essential infrastructure to allow future breeding of cultivars resilient to climate change
• Agriculture-focused climate change indices a joint effort with the Israel meteorological service (IMS).
Mapping agricultural risks resulting from climate change requires relevant spatial and temporal
resolution. It also requires an understanding of the specific sensitivities of each agricultural
industry/sector to climate change. In collaboration with climate experts, growers, researchers and
extension officers we defined more than 50 climate change indices relevant to Israel agriculture. For
example, the annual number of warm days above 34oC, the highest annual number of consecutive dry
days, etc.
First, IMS underwent extensive data correction and homogenization of past measurements, as well as
careful examination and assembly of relevant climate models.
Next, they are quantitatively assessing climate changes both past (1950-2016) and future projections
from models (2005-2050) using agriculture-relevant indices. This is an ongoing effort that began during
2017 and is expected to culminate during 2020.
• Risk and opportunity assessment – based on climatic assessments, we are using models to quantify
the physical and economic impacts for various agricultural products.
• National climate change adaptation committee the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development takes
part in the inter-government committee for climate change adaptation. Our roles in the government are
defined as:
o Assessing climate change risks and opportunities for agriculture.
o Promoting current and future measures used to build climate-resilient agriculture including
climate-smart practices in plant and animal production, preservation of water, soil and environment
resources, integrative management of water runoff, preservation and conservation of genetic variation
and biodiversity, and response to new plant and animal pests and diseases’ challenges arising from
climate change
o Continued promotion of research and development of climate-smart agriculture
o Adaptation of forest management practices to a changing climate and extreme weather. Promoting
ecological grazing to reduce the risks of forest fires, and urban forests to mitigate the effects of climate
change on the urban population