International agreements relating to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and implications for Dutch policy

Policy issues related to plant genetic resources are socially, technically and scientifically complex. This report summarises the international agreements and relevant bodies con-cerning plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), FAO Global Plan of Action on Plant Genetic Resources (GPA), the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (IT-PGRFA), the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and the International Con-vention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). The various obligations arising from these conventions and treaties are reviewed. In so doing, this report concen-trates exclusively on implications for plant genetic resources for food and agriculture while most of the agreements concern other resources and/or issues. The relationship between the agreements is analysed with reference to the evolution of policy priorities from promoting use of genetic resources to supporting conservation, in part through the sharing of benefits arising from use. In addition, the implications for genetic resources policy in the Nether-lands are outlined and existing initiatives to fulfill these obligations are highlighte

Modelling farm-level adaptation of temperate, pasture-based dairy farms to climate change

© 2017 Elsevier LtdProjections indicate that climate change may exacerbate existing challenges to the productivity of New Zealand dairy farming systems. To assess the importance of these projections and understand adaptation challenges at farm level, detailed farm-scale model simulations of climate change impacts were undertaken for six representative pasture-based dairy farms located in the major dairying regions of New Zealand. The analysis suggested that without adaptation, climate change is likely to have a negative impact in most of the study locations. However, the level and type of impact depends to a large degree on regional climate variability as well as on the management practices of each farm. Under current management, responses to projected climate changes ranged from no change to an 18% decrease in average annual pasture production. A number of modelled adaptations demonstrated the potential to reduce climate change impacts under current management. The modelling work, together with farmers' responses, showed the adaptations' potential to provide both benefits and management challenges across different regions and climate conditions. In particular, it highlighted the need for the results of farm systems modelling under climate change scenarios to be considered in the context of their specific and localised climatic and management challenges

Adaptation options for marine industries and coastal communities using community structure and dynamics

Identifying effective adaptation strategies for coastal communities dependent on marine resources and impacted by climate change can be difficult due to the dynamic nature of marine ecosystems. The task is more difficult if current and predicted shifts in social and economic trends are considered. Information about social and economic change is often limited to qualitative data. A combination of qualitative and quantitative models provide the flexibility to allow the assessment of current and future ecological and socio-economic risks and can provide information on alternative adaptations. Here, we demonstrate how stakeholder input, qualitative models and Bayesian belief networks (BBNs) can provide semi-quantitative predictions, including uncertainty levels, for the assessment of climate and non-climate-driven change in a case study community. Issues are identified, including the need to increase the capacity of the community to cope with change. Adaptation strategies are identified that alter positive feedback cycles contributing to a continued decline in population, local employment and retail spending. For instance, the diversification of employment opportunities and the attraction of new residents of different ages would be beneficial in preventing further population decline. Some impacts of climate change can be combated through recreational bag or size limits and monitoring of popular range-shifted species that are currently unmanaged, to reduce the potential for excessive removal. Our results also demonstrate that combining BBNs and qualitative models can assist with the effective communication of information between stakeholders and researchers. Furthermore, the combination of techniques provides a dynamic, learning-based, semi-quantitative approach for the assessment of climate and socio-economic impacts and the identification of potential adaptation strategies

Adapting to climate change in the mixed crop and livestock farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa

Mixed crop–livestock systems are the backbone of African agriculture, providing food security and livelihood options for hundreds of millions of people. Much is known about the impacts of climate change on the crop enterprises in the mixed systems, and some, although less, on the livestock enterprises. The interactions between crops and livestock can be managed to contribute to environmentally sustainable intensification, diversification and risk management. There is relatively little information on how these interactions may be affected by changes in climate and climate variability. This is a serious gap, because these interactions may offer some buffering capacity to help smallholders adapt to climate change