Have you ever heard of the term Food Security? The definition of food security is the review of one's capacity to access adequate and nutritious food. The food must be the individual's diet preferences and promote a healthy lifestyle. Should there be a shortage of food, how do you survive? What are your malnutrition prevention strategies? Some food items such as sugar, condensed milk, and rice might be tough to provide for yourself, and if they are not available, this poses a struggle if you are not satisfied with a substitution, stacking your pantry will help but just for a time. A more sustainable approach should be implemented, food security goes deeper than the stacking of pantries, it has to do with the availability of several resources such as land, water, markets, supplies, and seeds. Natural disasters and climate change play a big part in food security.
Changing Phenology
Phenology is studying the cycles of plants and animals, it can be referred to as nature’s calendar, the annual cycle. It usually takes observation of these cycles for years to determine that changes are taking place. The US Department of Agriculture stated that the last leaf frost began earlier than thirty years ago, therefore Spring is arriving earlier. So, when do we harvest and plant? How do we manage pests and start taking our pumps with us for those persons who are affected by allergies?Phenology is shifting due to Climate Change, air temperature causes trees to leaf out and the warm temperature in the spring causes this to happen, however, this is not happening based on the phenological chart. While some species appear to be adapting to changing climates this severely affects crop production. Farmers and gardeners use the flowering of different plants as an indicator to do certain things such as putting seeds in the earth or looking out for certain insects that would be hatching, this helps with pest management. Observation is that there is a mismatch between the flowering of plants and the hatching of insects.
Agriculture
Climate change influences weather norms causing rising sea levels, flooding, and drought. Rising sea levels are eroding agricultural land in many countries, this disrupts food availability through access, increased prices, and food quality. Some environmentalists think that the global food system is responsible for a third of greenhouse gas emissions. Usually, poorer countries that depend on farming to feed their families and as a livelihood suffer significantly from the effects of climate change. Plants need water to survive, however, prolonged rainfall causes crop damage as nutrients can be drained from the soil, and soil erosion can occur. Rising temperatures cause heat damage to plants. Excess rainfall and rising temperatures make crops more susceptible to numerous pests and diseases.
Climate change influences weather norms in many countries causing rising sea levels
Crops are usually planted based on areas where they grow best. It is not always easy for farmers to switch crops that they grow because not all plants prosper everywhere and under all climatic conditions. Rice requires moisture and is usually grown in areas where lots of water is available. Educating farmers about more sustainable climate-smart agriculture practices would be ideal to help mitigate climate change however, poorer countries lack the funding to facilitate these projects. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) assisted farmers in Jamaica with water harvesting and provided several large tanks to store rainwater. The irrigation system assists farmers with watering and fertilizing their crops.
According to the European Environment Agency, Climate Change continues to affect agriculture production in Europe. Higher temperatures are causing heat waves and drought which distresses livestock and causes cattle to produce less milk. Farms produce smaller yields because of excess heat on crops and lack of adequate water.
Rainy seasons have become unpredictable, a popular farming practice is that farmers would use the rainy season as their planting season. It is becoming risky to do so if the rain comes it might be shorter or sometimes it is heavier and cause flooding and damage to crops.
I still believe there are so many mechanisms that farmers can put in place to mitigate dependence on the rainy season. There is a lot of mismanagement of water usage in agriculture there is too much dependence on ground and piped water.
Farmers need to educate themselves on how climate change will affect their land and do things differently.
However sustainable or climate-smart agriculture requires funds and not all farmers can afford to implement rainwater irrigation systems. Research shows that farming contributes significantly to global warming. Can we continue to clear large lands just to plant and shower the land with fertilizer, definitely not. According to the Permaculture Research Institute, in Costa Rica farmers started to combine crops with livestock and other natural habitats this model proved to be successful and beneficial.
Gardening in small spaces
What can we do for ourselves? We can implement a food security solution. Not everyone has a large backyard space some persons live in apartments and townhouses but don’t be discouraged you can plant your vegetables and ground provisions such as potatoes and even grow bananas and plantains. Balcony gardens can be relaxing and the perfect place to spend some time.
A table or ladder can be used for placing biodegradable bags to plant your produce, just erect it on your balcony or patio. If you prefer to use just containers placed on the floor, this is also all right. I always recommend the eco-friendly way by using biodegradable bags instead of plastic containers. If you plant potatoes I recommend using a biodegradable bag with a window so you can see when the potato is mature and it is easy to open the area and harvest.
Become self-sufficient so you don’t have to rely on anyone for your supply of vegetables and ground provisions, it’s so satisfying. Plus, sometimes you can’t get what you need at the supermarket. Tomatoes. lettuce and peppers are easy to grow and convenient to harvest from your garden. It is easier to manage pests when planting in containers.
Practice food waste reduction, only grow what you and your family eat not too much and not too little. Only grow what will survive based on your climatic conditions. Growing in a raised bed is better to fit a lot more than in the ground and has much better drainage and nutrients. If the property doesn’t belong to you use containers for your planting, moving rather than planting in the ground is easier, and forced to leave your hard work behind. You can also fit smaller vegetables and herbs between your ornaments along the walkway. Do your food security assessment and implement your food security strategies, the time to start is now.
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