From site-level to regional adaptation planning for tropical commodities: cocoa in West Africa

The production of tropical agricultural commodities, such as cocoa (Theobroma cacao) and coffee (Coffea spp.), the countries and communities engaged in it, and the industries dependent on these commodities, are vulnerable to climate change. This is especially so where a large percentage of the globa...

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Main Authors: Schroth, Götz, Läderach, Peter R.D., Martínez Valle, Armando Isaac, Bunn, Christian
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Springer 2017
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/72587
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author Schroth, Götz
Läderach, Peter R.D.
Martínez Valle, Armando Isaac
Bunn, Christian
author_browse Bunn, Christian
Läderach, Peter R.D.
Martínez Valle, Armando Isaac
Schroth, Götz
author_facet Schroth, Götz
Läderach, Peter R.D.
Martínez Valle, Armando Isaac
Bunn, Christian
author_sort Schroth, Götz
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description The production of tropical agricultural commodities, such as cocoa (Theobroma cacao) and coffee (Coffea spp.), the countries and communities engaged in it, and the industries dependent on these commodities, are vulnerable to climate change. This is especially so where a large percentage of the global supply is grown in a single geographical region. Fortunately, there is often considerable spatial heterogeneity in the vulnerability to climate change within affected regions, implying that local production losses could be compensated through intensification and expansion of production elsewhere. However, this requires that site-level actions are integrated into a regional approach to climate change adaptation. We discuss here such a regional approach for cocoa in West Africa, where 70 % of global cocoa supply originates. On the basis of a statistical model of relative climatic suitability calibrated on West African cocoa farming areas and average climate projections for the 2030s and 2050s of, respectively, 15 and 19 Global Circulation Models, we divide the region into three adaptation zones: (i) a little affected zone permitting intensification and/or expansion of cocoa farming; (ii) a moderately affected zone requiring diversification and agronomic adjustments of farming practices; and (iii) a severely affected zone with need for progressive crop change. We argue that for tropical agricultural commodities, larger-scale adaptation planning that attempts to balance production trends across countries and regions could help reduce negative impacts of climate change on regional economies and global commodity supplies, despite the institutional challenges that this integration may pose.
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spelling CGSpace725872025-12-08T09:54:28Z From site-level to regional adaptation planning for tropical commodities: cocoa in West Africa Schroth, Götz Läderach, Peter R.D. Martínez Valle, Armando Isaac Bunn, Christian climate change theobroma cacao cropping systems diversification intensification arabica coffee climate change mitigation cambio climático temperatura sistemas de cultivo diversificación intensificación café arábica mitigación del cambio climático ecology The production of tropical agricultural commodities, such as cocoa (Theobroma cacao) and coffee (Coffea spp.), the countries and communities engaged in it, and the industries dependent on these commodities, are vulnerable to climate change. This is especially so where a large percentage of the global supply is grown in a single geographical region. Fortunately, there is often considerable spatial heterogeneity in the vulnerability to climate change within affected regions, implying that local production losses could be compensated through intensification and expansion of production elsewhere. However, this requires that site-level actions are integrated into a regional approach to climate change adaptation. We discuss here such a regional approach for cocoa in West Africa, where 70 % of global cocoa supply originates. On the basis of a statistical model of relative climatic suitability calibrated on West African cocoa farming areas and average climate projections for the 2030s and 2050s of, respectively, 15 and 19 Global Circulation Models, we divide the region into three adaptation zones: (i) a little affected zone permitting intensification and/or expansion of cocoa farming; (ii) a moderately affected zone requiring diversification and agronomic adjustments of farming practices; and (iii) a severely affected zone with need for progressive crop change. We argue that for tropical agricultural commodities, larger-scale adaptation planning that attempts to balance production trends across countries and regions could help reduce negative impacts of climate change on regional economies and global commodity supplies, despite the institutional challenges that this integration may pose. 2017-08 2016-03-11T17:51:57Z 2016-03-11T17:51:57Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/72587 en Open Access Springer Schroth, Götz; Läderach, Peter; Martinez-Valle, Armando Isaac; Bunn, Christian. 2016. From site-level to regional adaptation planning for tropical commodities: cocoa in West Africa . Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change 25 p.
spellingShingle climate change
theobroma cacao
cropping systems
diversification
intensification
arabica coffee
climate change mitigation
cambio climático
temperatura
sistemas de cultivo
diversificación
intensificación
café arábica
mitigación del cambio climático
ecology
Schroth, Götz
Läderach, Peter R.D.
Martínez Valle, Armando Isaac
Bunn, Christian
From site-level to regional adaptation planning for tropical commodities: cocoa in West Africa
title From site-level to regional adaptation planning for tropical commodities: cocoa in West Africa
title_full From site-level to regional adaptation planning for tropical commodities: cocoa in West Africa
title_fullStr From site-level to regional adaptation planning for tropical commodities: cocoa in West Africa
title_full_unstemmed From site-level to regional adaptation planning for tropical commodities: cocoa in West Africa
title_short From site-level to regional adaptation planning for tropical commodities: cocoa in West Africa
title_sort from site level to regional adaptation planning for tropical commodities cocoa in west africa
topic climate change
theobroma cacao
cropping systems
diversification
intensification
arabica coffee
climate change mitigation
cambio climático
temperatura
sistemas de cultivo
diversificación
intensificación
café arábica
mitigación del cambio climático
ecology
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/72587
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AT martinezvallearmandoisaac fromsiteleveltoregionaladaptationplanningfortropicalcommoditiescocoainwestafrica
AT bunnchristian fromsiteleveltoregionaladaptationplanningfortropicalcommoditiescocoainwestafrica