Agricultural engineering techniques and climate smart farming practices as tools in combating climate change and food insecurity.

Abstract

The effects of global warming are already bringing harm to human communities and the natural world. Human activities can also change the earth's climate and are presently driving climate change through global warming. Due to the high levels of adaptation and mitigation, which makes farmers more vulnerable, climate change affects agriculture in many ways, directly impacting food production and unpredictable yields. A growing global population and changing diets are driving up the demand for food. Production is struggling to keep up as crop yields level off in many parts of the world, ocean health declines, and natural resources including soils, water and biodiversity are stretched dangerously. The world's population is estimated to be at 9.7 Billion persons by the year 2050. Therefore, agriculture must change according to the present situation to meet the need for food security and withstanding under changing climatic situation. Climate change's effects are already felt in reduced yields and more frequent extreme weather events, affecting crops and livestock alike. Annual greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) originating in "Agriculture, Forestry, and other Land Use" (AFOLU) are caused mainly by deforestation, rice cultivation practices, livestock production, soil and nutrient management. Climate change is emerging as a significant threat to agriculture, food security and means of livelihood of people worldwide. With the increased rate of human-made activities such as construction, soil disturbances which release trapped carbon in the soil to the atmosphere, stringent measures from the use of climate-smart farming practices and agricultural engineering techniques need to be looked at to combat further degradation of the soil and in turn, increase food production.