Advanced tools for food security research: web-based GIS mapping and synchrotron-based analysis for scaling up the MicroVeg agronomic innovations

This work was carried out with the aid of a grant from Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and with financial support from the Government of Canada, provided through Global Affairs Canada (GAC)The new WebGIS platform allows visualization of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data compiled from online sources as well project research. Part of the larger project “Synergizing fertilizer micro-dosing and indigenous vegetable production to enhance food and economic security of West African farmers (CIFSRF Phase 2)” it contains climate, topographical, infrastructure, soil data and all of MicroVeg agronomic data, adjusted into two seasons (wet vs. dry) three ecozones (rainforest, savannah, and sudano savannah) for the four vegetable crops of the project. This allows estimates of vegetable yields, water requirements, and microdose fertilizer rates anywhere in Benin Republic or Nigeria. See: http://webgis.usask.ca/microveg

Exploring the Nexus Between Food Security and Climate Change: The Case of Indigenous Vegetable Production in West Africa

Climate change and food security are complex global issues that require multi-disciplinary approaches to resolve. A nexus exists between both disciplines, but little prior research has successfully bridged the divide. Climate data is usually coarse, outdated and challenging to acquire and work with, especially for farmers of West Africa. For impoverished nations, alleviating food insecurity, the inability to have access to safe and nutritious food year-round is a necessity. Accessing food is a significant challenge, as there exist many disconnects between farmers, marketers and consumers. If this disconnect can be bridged, new strategies can be undertaken to alleviate further stresses caused by food insecurity. Combining the struggles of the Benin Republic and Nigeria, the MicroVeg project set to create innovative strategies to help the farmers, across the entire food chain. MicroVeg established 102 research sites, and with a desire to continue scaling-up the project, a new approach was needed. Geographic information system (GIS) offered the solution, as large-scale visualization could be achieved. Through visualization tools, scaling-up could be achieved based on successes in the field. This technique also allowed for gaps and shortcomings of the research design to be identified, at the regional level. To achieve the goals of the GIS database, a comprehensive dataset needed to be acquired. Many organizations collect data that is pertinent to a food security study, but no publicly known database has compiled all the necessary data. The GIS database combined factors such as precipitation, temperature, elevation, soil, and hydrology for the research area. The database was designed for farmers; thus, climate data had to be extremely high resolution. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and subsequent global climate models are very coarse datasets; although comparatively high in resolution, a regional climate model may still be to coarse in resolution for the farmers. Once the necessary data was obtained, analysis using GIS techniques could proceed. Through the visualization, combination, and calculations of data, the potential capacity of each crop within the research project could be observed. These results can be used as communication and research tools. Though controversial, climate change is going to have some effect on the agricultural systems of the world. Moreover, if a region is already facing food insecurity before any effects of climate iii change, this can exacerbate the challenges to food security. Therefore, an assessment of how climate change effects may impact the region was undertaken. By adding climate estimates from IPCC to the visualization method, a model known as Scaling Agronomic Vegetable Innovations to Nurture Growth Sustainably, SAVINGS, was developed. Through the use of this model, researchers can develop a management strategy for the crops of interest. Additional benefits of the model are for farmers to understand the risk they may need to take to continue farming a specific crop, or by using a specific method. SAVINGS was designed to be a dynamic model, with improvements being made as data becomes available. Associated with the SAVINGS model are a series of calculations and datasets, which have been combined into an online interactive database, known as WebGIS. By using these resources as communication and management tools the farmers of West Africa, not just the Benin Republic and Nigeria, have the potential to alleviate food insecurity within a lifespan

Application of a 1 km2 resolution model for climate change effects upon Benin and Nigeria vegetable agriculture

Climate change and food security are complex global issues that require multidisciplinary approaches to resolve. A nexus exists between both issues, especially in developing countries, but little prior research has successfully bridged the divide. Existing resolutions to climate change and food security are expensive and resource demanding. Climate modelling is at the forefront of climate change literature and development planning, whereas agronomy research is leading food security plans. The Benin Republic and Nigeria have grown and developed in recent years but may not have all the tools required to implement and sustain long-term food security in the face of climate change. The objective of this paper is to describe the development and outputs of a new model that bridges climate change and food security. Data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 5th Regional Assessment (IPCC AR5) were combined with a biodiversity database to develop the model to derive these outputs. The model was used to demonstrate what potential impacts climate change will have on the regional food security by incorporating agronomic data from four local underutilized indigenous vegetables (Amaranthus cruentus L., Solanum macrocarpon L., Telfairia occidentalis Hook f., and Ocimum gratissimum L.). The model shows that, by 2099, there is significant uncertainty within the optimal recommendations that originated from the MicroVeg project. This suggests that MicroVeg will not have long-term success for food security unless additional options (e.g., new field trials, shifts in vegetable grown) are considered, creating the need for need for more dissemination tools.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author