THE need to diversify the agriculture sector in Guyana to adapt to climate change was on Thursday discussed by stakeholders at the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) as part of World Food Day activities.Stakeholders spoke of the need for alternative crops and farming practices in order to adapt to climate change. The discussions were centred on the theme for World Food Day 2016: “Climate Change is changing; Food and agriculture must too.”

During his address, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, George Jervis, noted that “predictions for climate change are dire for Guyana.” He said that as a longstanding worker at the Agriculture Ministry, he can attest to local agriculture and agricultural practices being modified by the major flooding which took place in 2005. Those modifications include better drainage and irrigation systems, introduction of more than 200 more shade houses and the use of ‘high dams’ when managing livestock.

However, Jervis noted that climate change is an impending phenomenon and Guyana needs to adapt its agricultural practices to facilitate the resultant changes. With the exception of rice, he said, “no new varieties of crops and livestock are being developed.”

He also said there are pertinent needs for new varieties of crops and livestock to withstand the temperature changes and rainfall intensity that are associated with climate change.

Meanwhile, Food and Agriculture Organisation representative to Guyana, Reuben Robertson, stated that climate change is a major hindrance to achieving the Sustainable Developmental Goal of Zero Hunger.

“Guyana is food secure,” Robertson said, while noting that “we cannot feel that this will be so all the time.”

He urged that all farmers build resilience in the event of the striking of natural disasters, especially since Guyana’s Low Coastal Plain is below sea level.

The United Nations has declared 2016 the International Year of the Pulses (dried leguminous seeds). As such, focusing primarily but not entirely on pulses, the panellists at this forum discussed the alternative methods of farming that must be used, and the alternative crops that can be planted.

FAO (Guyana) Communications Consultant Alexis Stephens said, “We (the FAO) are encouraging the use of pulses and the planting of pulses, because (pulses do) less harm to the environment.” She also said that pulses happen to be protein-rich food, and though they have fancy names, these foods are common items in our society, like split peas and ‘black eye’ and red beans.