Protecting agriculture against climate change: What must be done
Premier of KwaZulu-Natal Thamasanqa Ntuli urged the newly established Climate Change Council and other stakeholders to be aware of the stark reality of climate change and its impact on various sectors, not only agriculture.
He said: 'The evidence presented here has demonstrated that, beyond doubt, that climate change intersects with every sector – from agriculture and water security, to energy, infrastructure, and human settlement patterns.'
He suggested the need for innovative solutions to safeguard the province against the negative impact of climate change.
These include: Partnerships between stakeholders to address climate change problems. Collaborators are: government, civil society, non-governmental organisations, private sector and traditional institutions.
Formulate a people centered approach in city planning aimed at improving the lives of people.
Implement measures to safeguard the ecology infrastructure in Durban and surrounds.
Put in place early warning systems and empower those in agriculture against risk of flood disaster.
From an economic perspective, take advantage of desalination, green hydrogen, brown hydrogen, forestation, waste beneficiation, carbon capture and biofuels, to name a few.
Earlier on at the workshop, the Premier reminded stakeholders of a few home truths about the agriculture sector's importance and challenges it faces.
'Agriculture is not simply another eco sector. It is the foundation of food security, a pillar of rural livelihoods and a strategic driver of KZN's strategic growth agenda,' said Ntuli.
According to Statistic South Africa figures this quarter the agriculture sector shed 24000 jobs nationally. This points to the largest decline in comparison to any other sector.
'Within primary agriculture there are 930000 jobs currently, well above the long term average of 799000. KZN experienced a contraction in agriculture employment, a trend we must reverse the decisively,' he said.
On the production front, KZN saw gains in the agriculture sector, in the first quarter by 15,8 %. Field crops, horticulture, wine and table grapes were the products that flourished. Livestock, on the other hand, came under strain due to diseases like foot and mouth, hampered exports, and eroded market confidence.
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