effects of climate change | California Climate & Agriculture Network

Climate Change Impacts on Vineyards, Wildlife Habitat & Natural Resources

April 29, 2013 by Renata Brillinger Leave a Comment

A study entitled Climate Change, Wine, and Conservation published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences predicts that by 2050 the climate change impacts on the viability of wine grape production will be substantial and varied by geographic region.

While many such projections focus primarily on the impacts on farming and agricultural economies, this study is unusual and important because it also takes into account the effects that shifting agricultural production will have on ecosystems and natural resources. As the authors conclude, “goals of maintaining sustainable development and allowing ecosystems to adapt naturally can be achieved only if adaptation includes consideration of secondary impacts of agricultural change on ecosystems and biodiversity.”

Predictions for California show an average decrease of about 60 percent in the net area suitable for grape growing as production shifts north and upland. As production regions shift upslope, California grape production is expected increase the impact on natural habitats by 10 percent. Freshwater use — already a scarce resource — is expected to increase as vineyards use more water to cool grapes in a hotter climate.

Though the study is global in scope, the authors acknowledge that significant regional variation will play out depending on soil types, topography, microclimates, the adaptive responses of wildlife to climate change and more.

The report makes mention of agronomic adaptive strategies to climate change such as altered trellising and efficient micro-misters. They also mention “managed retreat” to new varieties in an attempt to reduce water use and upland habitat loss and call for increased investments in new varieties.

Beyond individual actions such as these that growers can take, the authors also recommend larger regional planning efforts to balance production and natural resources/conservation priorities. They give an example from South Africa where wine producers and environmentalists have formed the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative to carry out activities such as joint planning of vineyard expansion to avoid areas of high conservation importance, a marketing campaign with an environmental theme, and resources for producers on management practices to reduce the environmental footprint of vineyards.

This study highlights both the consequences of unchecked climate change and also the need for planning and preparation at both the vineyard and regional level — something needed in all sectors of California agriculture as it prepares for farming in an uncertain climate future.

Filed Under: Climate & Ag Research, Featured - Sidebar, Impacts of Climate Change Tagged With: climate adaptation, climate change, climate models, ecosystems, effects of climate change, grape growing, habitat, natural resources, vineyard

USDA Report On Climate Change and Agriculture Promotes Sustainable Agriculture Practices

February 18, 2013 by Hui Qian Leave a Comment

On Feb. 4^th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a report titled “Climate Change and Agriculture in the United States: Effects and Adaptation,” concluding that a changing climate would pose unprecedented challenges to U.S. agriculture that require immediate adaptive actions and further scientific research. The report opens with this strong statement: “The vulnerability of agriculture to climate change is strongly dependent on the responses taken by humans to moderate the effects of climate change.”

Combining professional input and scientific research from the government, universities, non-governmental organizations, industry, and private sectors, this peer-reviewed study provides an extensive overview of the climate change effects on U.S. agricultural production, suggesting that while farmers and ranchers have a long history of successful adaptation to climate variability, the accelerating pace and intensity of projected climate change effects over the next century requires major adjustments—simply put, we need to take action to moderate those effects in the United States, and worldwide.

“Climate change poses unprecedented challenges to U.S. agriculture because of the sensitivity of agriculture productivity and costs to changing climate conditions,” the report says. Through direct (e.g., rising temperature) and indirect (e.g., increased pest pressure) effects, climatic change affect crop and livestock productivity, as well as soil and water quality—resources of key importance to agricultural production. For regions of the country that are already climate stressed (like the drought-stricken Midwest in 2012), their agricultural systems will likely need more adaptive changes to remain productive and profitable in the face of climate change.

What is especially noteworthy about this report is that it goes beyond simply providing a generic framework to look at the impact of climate change on agriculture. Importantly, it emphasizes the merits of sustainable agriculture practices and their strategic roles in mitigating and adapting to climate change. By “developing drought pest, and heat stress resistance in crops and animals, diversifying crop rotations, integrating livestock with crop production systems, improving soil quality, minimizing off-farm flow of nutrients and pesticides,” sustainable agriculture practices help farmers cope with extreme weather events and increase the overall resilience of agricultural systems under a changing climate. “Enhancing the resilience of agriculture to climate change through adaptation strategies that promote the development of sustainable agriculture is a common multiple benefit recommendation for agricultural adaptation planning,” the report concludes.

Finally, the report calls for a coherent climate policy framework that highlights the synergy between mitigation and adaptation. We couldn’t agree more. As a member of a climate change consortium recently convened by the California Department of Food and Agriculture to make recommendations on strategies for climate change adaptation, we bring a sustainable agriculture perspective to the discussion, seeking state-level policy tools to support California producers in responding to climate-related challenges.

Filed Under: Climate & Ag Research, Farmer Resources, Farmland Protection, Federal Policy, General Information, Impacts of Climate Change Tagged With: agricultural economy, CalCAN's work, California agriculture, carbon sequestration, climate change, climate legislation, drought, economic impacts, effects of climate change, farmland preservation, greenhouse gas, livestock agriculture, organic agriculture, policy, sustainable agriculture, USDA

NOAA Announces 2012 As the Warmest Year on Record for Contiguous U.S.

January 10, 2013 by Hui Qian Leave a Comment

Although not the end of the world, the year 2012 remains unusual for its extreme weather events and natural disasters. According to the scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the average temperature for the contiguous United States in 2012 was 55.3 degrees, 3.2 degrees higher than the 20^th century average and one degree above the previous record from 1998. Even worse, other than being the record warmest year, 2012 is also one of the most extreme years for the nation based on the U.S. Climate Extremes Index, second only to 1998 in terms of extreme temperature and precipitation, and landfalling tropical cyclones.

In addition to record heat, a historic drought and several storms also happened last year, causing significant losses to agriculture and related industries. Economic damage inflicted by Hurricane Sandy alone is estimated to reach $50 billion, according to The New York Times.

Rising temperatures and related devastating climate events are not freak events but maybe just the beginning of a long term trend of climate deterioration. Researchers of the National Climatic Data Center at the NOAA said the higher temperatures are consistent with their observation and people are going to see more extreme weather with increasing frequency.

Later this year, the state of California will release its climate readiness report that lays out what actions our communities and industries will need to take to prepare for a changing climate. CalCAN will continue to advocate for resources for agriculture to better prepare for more extreme weather events which will challenge one of our most basic needs – food production.

Filed Under: California Policy, Climate & Ag Research, Federal Policy, General Information, Impacts of Climate Change Tagged With: agricultural economy, agriculture, CalCAN's work, California agriculture, CARB, climate change, climate legislation, climate models, drought, economic impacts, effects of climate change, greenhouse gas, organic agriculture, sustainable agriculture

CalCAN Summit 2013 Registration Has Opened!

January 7, 2013 by Hui Qian Leave a Comment

Registration is now open for CalCAN’s “Farming for the Future: California Climate & Agriculture Summit” on Feb. 20th & 21st, 2013 at the UC Davis Conference Center. Space is limited so register today at http://bit.ly/UFE7DP.

Registration fees:

Registration fees include full access to the event, lunch and refreshments

General — $85 (before Jan. 20th); $110 (after Jan. 20th)
Students, farmers and ranchers, RCD/NRCS/Extension staff — $45
Farm field day on Feb. 20th — $40

The Summit includes presentations, a poster session, wine & cheese reception and an optional farm tour on Feb. 20th. It brings together farmers and ranchers, agency staff, farm advisors, policymakers and advocates concerned with climate change challenges and opportunities for California agriculture. For a complete list of summit programs and more details about the tour, please see:

http://calclimateag.org/calcan-summit-2013/

Filed Under: Climate & Ag Research, Featured - Sidebar, Uncategorized Tagged With: CalCAN's work, California agriculture, cap-and-trade, carbon sequestration, climate change, effects of climate change, farmer, organic agriculture, sustainable agriculture, technical assistance

Megastorms Could Flood Massive Portions of California

January 3, 2013 by Hui Qian Leave a Comment

Scientific American recently published an article on “megafloods”, warning that massive floods caused by atmospheric rivers will likely impact California if climate change continues unabated.

According to Michael D. Dettinger (researcher at U.S. Geological Survey) and B.Lynn Ingram (Earth and planetary science professor at Berkeley), atmospheric rivers—narrow bands of water vapor running a mile above the ocean and extending for thousands of kilometers—are responsible for most catastrophic floods that occur in California every 200 years or so. In 1861, a megastorm hit California after two decades of severe droughts and created a huge inland sea in Central Valley, leaving thousands of human lives and one quarter of the state’s economy destroyed.

The regions that are home to most people in California today were put underwater for several months, and boats became the only means of transportation (see photo).

William Brewer, the author of the book Up and Down California in 1860-1864 wrote, “The entire valley was a lake…. Nearly every house and farm over this immense region is gone.” Three months after the initial flooding, he visited Sacramento and described, “Most of the city is still under water, and has been there for three months…I don’t think the city will ever rise from the shock, I don’t see how it can.”

It is estimated that a comparable event in today’s California would force more than a million people to evacuate and cause $400 billion in lost property and agriculture. Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego and the San Francisco Bay Area would be especially susceptible to the negative impacts.

The stakes are high, and though action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is needed on a global scale, California is doing its part to avert these kinds of crises. The state’s cap-and-trade program will be fully implemented in 2013 and is responsible for meeting almost 20 percent of the GHG reduction target the state has set: returning to 1990 levels by the year 2020. At CalCAN, we will continue our efforts to assure that sustainable agriculture is part of the solution, advocating for resources for sustainable farming practices that help lower agriculture’s GHG emissions, help growers adapt to the coming changes, and protect farmland that can help buffer against flood risk.

Filed Under: California Policy, Climate & Ag Research, Impacts of Climate Change Tagged With: CalCAN's work, California agriculture, cap-and-trade, carbon sequestration, climate change, climate legislation, effects of climate change, greenhouse gas, sustainable agriculture, technical assistance

A Wake Up Call From “The Dust Bowl”

December 13, 2012 by Hui Qian Leave a Comment

Filmmaker Ken Burns’ latest documentary “The Dust Bowl” aired on PBS in November, serves as a reminder and wake-up call about the threats posed by climate change to agriculture.

The documentary, consisting of two 2-hour films “The Great Plow-Up” and “Reaping the Whirlwind”, brings to the audience a vivid picture of one of the darkest times of the 20^th century through a combination of survivor’s accounts, historian’s input, and dramatic movie footage. According to PBS, “The Dust Bowl chronicles the worst man-made ecological disaster in American history, in which the frenzied wheat boom of the ‘Great Plow-Up,’ followed by a decade-long drought during the 1930s nearly swept away the breadbasket of the nation… It is also a morality tale about our relationship to the land that sustains us—a lesson we ignore at our peril.”

“We were just too selfish and were trying to make more money off of the wheat, and it didn’t work out,” says one survivor. Resulted from both severe drought and unsustainable farming practices, the 1930s Dust Bowl left millions of acres of farmland ruined and hundreds of thousands of people dislocated, causing incalculable damage to the environment and economy.

“The next dust bowl” published in Nature, Joe Romm wrote, “Warming causes greater evaporation and, once the ground is dry, the Sun’s energy goes into baking the soil, leading to a further increase in air temperature. That is why, for instance, so many temperature records were set for the United States in the 1930s Dust Bowl; and why, in 2011, drought-stricken Texas saw the hottest summer ever recorded for a US state.”

So, are there any lessons from the 1930s Dust Bowl applicable to California agriculture? Certainly water issues top the list of concerns — at times flooding from early and rapid spring melting of the Sierra snow pack will challenge growers, and later in the dry season water scarcity will be the problem. With some notable exceptions in parts of the Central Valley, severe dust issues are not likely (though Romm argues that the risks have been underestimated).

Nonetheless, there are practices that California growers can adopt to buffer against the myriad of potential climate challenges. Investing in soil building tops the list. Practices such as cover cropping, applying compost and manure and conservation tillage increase the soil organic matter and provide many benefits — for example, increased water penetration and retention, reduced runoff and erosion, elevated carbon sequestration, enhanced fertility and productivity and economic gain. Investing in soil organic matter may be the best insurance policy a farmer can get to buffer against climate change and whatever version of a dust bowl disaster may California face.

Filed Under: California Policy, Climate & Ag Research, General Information, Impacts of Climate Change Tagged With: agricultural economy, California agriculture, climate change, drought, economic impacts, effects of climate change, farmer, farmland preservation, sustainable agriculture, water shortages

CalCAN Field Day at Paicines Ranch

November 6, 2012 by Hui Qian Leave a Comment

The dependence of ranching on water makes drought a severe hardship for livestock operations and ranchers in California. Climate change models predict greater variability in temperature and precipitation, and therefore forage and water availability. Managing rangelands for water scarcity and greater resilience becomes essential to ensure the viability of California’s ranching sector.

In view of this, on Oct.30^th CalCAN organized a field day at Paicines Ranch, south of Hollister, that was attended by 60 ranchers, farm advisors, land trust and open space organizations, and researchers.

The field day started with presentations by Dr. Ken Tate and Dr. Valerie Eviner from the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis. Considering that changes in annual precipitation and forage production in recent years have brought uncertainties to farm and ranch business, they discussed possible short- and long-term drought recovery strategies, considerations involved in fall versus spring calving and the use of carefully managed high production fields to buffer against lean years. Valerie also described a new project to develop a site-specific decision-making tool that will be developed with input from ranchers as well as scientific data.

Sheila Berry from the UC Cooperative Extension Alameda County talked about the need for good water quality to ensure adequate grazing time and livestock weight gain, as well as feed supplementation. Athena Pratt from Hollister’s NRDC office summarized the rangeland management practices that NRCS supports with its cost-share and grant programs such as fencing, water supplies and monitoring animal nutrition.

An afternoon tour of the 7,000 acre ranch was led by ranch manager Chris Ketcham and owner Sallie Calhoun. Using the tools of holistic management and rotational grazing, Paicines Ranch monitors its water resources strategically and strives to create as much healthy, diverse wetland habitats as possible, thus building an ecologically sustainable landscape where cattle and wildlife co-exist. Peter Donovan from the Soil Carbon Challenge described his efforts to measure soil carbon content on ranches across the country, including at Paicines Ranch, and encourage efforts to increase soil carbon sequestration.

“If you get up and tell your wife I’m going to look at the cattle, you are wrong. Grass is the priority. The grass is more important than the cattle,” one of the participants commented during the tour. “Soil micronutrients is the mother of all,” another responded.

The CalCAN Ranch Field Day was co-sponsored by San Benito Resource Conservation District, Community Foundation for San Benito County, California Rangeland Conservation Coalition, and Central Coast Rangeland Coalition.

“I liked the mix of research information and upcoming resource tools, along with practical range management practices, and hands-on look at what Paicines Ranch is doing on the land.”— Field day participant Sally Negroni, NRCS Soil Conservationist

Filed Under: Climate & Ag Research, Farmer Resources, Featured - Sidebar Tagged With: California agriculture, carbon sequestration, climate change, climate models, drought, effects of climate change, field day, livestock agriculture, on-farm renewable energy, organic agriculture, rangeland, sustainable agriculture, water shortages

Extreme Weather Due to Global Warming Leads to Food Price Spikes

October 16, 2012 by Hui Qian Leave a Comment

As the most severe and extensive drought to strike the U.S. in over half a century, the 2012 drought has already brought serious impacts on U.S. agriculture as well as a considerable increase in retail prices of numerous crops—corn in particular. According to the USDA, this season’s corn yield will fall 15.5% to its lowest level since 1995, causing its price to rise by as much as 39% ($8.90 a bushel).

As significant as this is, it may only be the beginning of future food price shocks. Titled “Extreme Weather, Extreme Prices”, a newly released briefing based on recent research commissioned by Oxfam makes conservative predictions that “the average price of staple foods such as maize could more than double in the next 20 years compared with 2010 trend prices – with up to half of the increase due to changes in average temperatures and rainfall patterns.”

How did all this happen? NOT all of a sudden. The report lists some weather extremes that occurred in the past year alone: for example, in July 2012 the U.S. survived the country’s hottest month on record and China experienced the heaviest recorded rainfall that hit Beijing in a 14-hour period. While previous research only considers the gradual effects of climate change, such as warming temperatures and changing rainfall patterns, Oxfam’s new research models “extreme weather event scenarios in 2030 for sub-Saharan Africa and for each of the main global export regions for rice, maize, and wheat.” By doing so, it examines the impact of extreme weather and thus directs attention to the combination of long-term climate impacts and extreme weather shocks.

“Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns hold back crop production and cause steady price rises,” Oxfam’s Climate Change Policy Adviser Tim Gore said. “But extreme weather events – like the current US drought – can wipe out entire harvests and trigger dramatic food price spikes.”

While food prices spikes in the developed world cause economic difficulties especially for low income residents, they are “a matter of life and death to many people in developing countries, who spend as much as 75 per cent of their income on food,” the report states. Because North America could remain the largest wheat and maize exporter by 2030, many developing countries in Central Asia, Central America, North Africa, and the Middle East would therefore be hit hard as they may have even higher dependence on food imports by then. “We will all feel the impact as prices spike but the poorest people will be hit hardest,” Gore commented.

The fact that this year’s price increase represents the third spike in the last four years further underscores the great urgency of this situation. As the Oxfam report says, the global food system should be fully “stress-tested” for how climate change will impact it.

Here in California, a significant food producer globally, our farms and ranches are at risk of increased water scarcity, unpredictable weather, deeper and more frequent droughts, spring floods, and more. Plans must be made and resources devoted to assuring the preparedness of the state’s farms to face climate change.

Higher Temperatures Bring Challenges to California’s Cherry Industry

October 2, 2012 by Hui Qian Leave a Comment

Being new to California, I find myself always amazed by the impressive variety of fruits and veggies available in the supermarket produce section here everyday. However, a newly released documentary co-produced by KQED and the Center for Investigative Reporting points out that things maybe changing. This half-hour documentary, titled Heat and Harvest, talks about the potentially profound threats brought by the climate crisis to California’s farm belt. Rising temperatures, reduced water resources, and increased pest and disease pressures are likely to negatively affect the prices and availability of local produce in California.

For cherry lovers like me, nothing compares with biting into the sweet and juicy goodness of a fresh cherry. So, what if one day we can no longer do that? Uncool Cherries, the first one of the three stories featured in Heat and Harvest, focuses on the threats and challenges that facing cherry growers near Stockton. Similar to wine grapes, cherries need a certain number of “chilling hours” to form perfect fruit. Specifically, a November or December chill is essential for most of the highest-quality cherry varieties in California to slow down the metabolism of their nascent fruits and thus prolong the ripening process that comes with the onset of warmer temperatures.

The shortened chill, as well as a lack of typical fog hours, is impacting the state’s cherry crop. This is linked not only to a fifty percent yield drop last year, but also to shrinking sizes and abnormal appearances of the fruit. For example, “doubling,” in which two cherries are fused like conjoined twins is a result of overheating. In addition, its causing cherries to ripen over a longer time period, which means increased labor costs during harvest.

The video concludes by asking “And who paid for the estimated 22 million dollars in California’s cherry losses last year? We did. Tax payers paid for over a third of that and will likely do so again in 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).” In 1999, the USDA offered crop insurance for cherries for the first time. Last year, a record high of 22.5 million crop insurance was paid to California cherry growers.

If climate change is not addressed, more than cherries will be affected. In a 2010 report of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency, particular attention was paid to the vulnerabilities of California, which produces 95 percent of the country’s apricots, almonds, artichokes, figs, kiwis, raisin grapes, olives, cling peaches, dried plums, persimmons, pistachios and walnuts.

CalCAN will continue its work to secure resources and remove barriers to sustainable agriculture solutions to climate change and also to provide support for producers to adapt to the coming challenges.

To view the documentary or for more information:

http://science.kqed.org/quest/video/heat-and-harvest/ or http://cironline.org/heatandharvest

Filed Under: California Policy, Climate & Ag Research, Farm Bill 2012, Impacts of Climate Change Tagged With: agricultural economy, California agriculture, climate change, effects of climate change, farmer, Heat and Harvest, KQED, Pew Center on Global Climate Change, technical assistance, USDA

California Small Farm Conference Draws Enthusiastic Growers to Valencia

March 21, 2012 by Ted Quaday Leave a Comment

More than 400 small farm operators in California came together in southern California recently for the 25^th annual California Small Farm Conference. The event provided attendees with opportunities to learn the ins and outs of developing successful and sustainable farm businesses.

Bringing the next generation of growers into farming was an area of concern, as were means of protecting farms against invasive pests. Farmers also got a chance to learn more about evolving energy and carbon markets as the state of California implements its cap-and-trade program.

Dave Runsten (left) and Bob Corshen with the Community Alliance with Family Farmers in Davis, CA confer during tabling activities at the 2012 Small Farm Conference in Valencia.

As a presenter in the “Alternative Energy & Carbon Markets: Promises and Pitfalls” workshop, I briefed farmers on the challenges climate change will bring including the potential for increased flooding in winter and deeper droughts in summer. Erratic and extreme weather events already seem on the way to becoming the norm. Yield reductions, shifting crop patterns and increased and changing pest and disease pressures are also likely to occur. All of these changes leave California’s farmers economically vulnerable.

I also talked about steps farmers can take to adapt to the changing climate. Some ideas include working to increase soil fertility and water-holding capacity, increasing biodiversity, and on-farm water storage, as well as finding ways to minimize the use of fossil-fuel based inputs including motor fuels and synthetic nitrogen fertilizer.

On the policy front, I talked about the idea that the entire state needs to be looking for ways to invest in California’s agricultural future. One of the ways to do that is by directing some of the revenue generated by the new cap-and-trade program toward agricultural research, technical assistance and in support of on-farm practices that produce climate benefits.

Over the next few months, the state legislature will weigh in on areas where cap-and-trade revenue (estimated at between $500 million and $1 billion in 2012) should be invested. CalCAN continues to advocate that sustainable agricultural solutions be a part of the cap-and-trade investment plan.

Among folks at the Small Farm Conference, interest in ways to help farmers meet the challenges of climate change was strong. You can help CalCAN continue building statewide backing for this deeper investment in sustainable agriculture by contacting us at info@calclimateag.org.

Filed Under: AB 32 Implementation, Farmer Resources, Featured - Sidebar, Impacts of Climate Change, Uncategorized Tagged With: AB 32, California agriculture, cap-and-trade, climate change, climate legislation, effects of climate change, farmer, sustainable agriculture