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Farming in the high Tropical Andes is dominated by
small-scale family farms in communities with few
other economic opportunities and limited adaptive
capacity (Wymann et al., 2013). Adaptation measures
in these areas must also address wider social factors,
such as poverty, education, and urbanization. Some
farmers could see diminishing crop yields, which
would negatively affect their nutrition and general
economic situation. This is due to the numerous
effects of climate change, including changes in
hydrology, temperature, precipitation, ecosystem
degradation and changing pests. However, certain
crops are positively affected by climate change,
which could improve the situation of other farmers.
Combining technical capacity with traditional
knowledge on climate change is necessary to ensure
that highland communities can adapt to these
changes and improve their economic situation.
Tropical Andean countries emphasize different
adaptation approaches to changes in agriculture.
However, in a general, the specific problems
facing highland farmers are not afforded attention.
Colombia combines the reduction of risk for crop
failure with strengthening competitiveness for
export: it is implementing adaptation policies
while investing in research and innovation.
Ecuador focuses on securing its food sovereignty.
An important component of sustainable food
sovereignty is the capacity for quick response when
crops are threatened by extreme climatic events.
Ecuador’s government institutions working on
agriculture stress the importance of food sovereignty
and extreme events. Policies on the latter reflect
a focus on short-term climatic variation, but
Food (agriculture)
lack a long-term perspective on climate change.
Similarly, Peru emphasizes preventing impacts of
extreme events and crop failure. Bolivian policies
stress the relationship between resilience and food
sovereignty. The country has developed and is
implementing an insurance scheme against climate
hazards for agricultural productions (National
Institute for Agricultural Assurance).
Policy gaps
• Lack of policies targeting climate change impacts
on mountain agriculture. For instance, upward
migration of crops and ecosystems, and its effects
on croplands, overlying pastures and high Andean
biodiversity.
• Lack of overarching programmes and a long-term
perspective on cross-sectoral coordination for
agricultural adaptation to climate change.
• Lack of efforts to improve the science-policy
interface in order to facilitate the formulation of
evidence-based policies.
• Inadequate coordination between national
and subnational levels: the interventions have
missed opportunities for constructive feedback,
experience sharing, and economies of scale.
• Inadequate
policy
coverage
addressing
the consequences for food production of
outmigration from rural mountain communities,
as well as potentially positive impacts onmountain
agricultural systems.
• Lack of efforts to strengthen knowledge about
climate change in mountain communities and
to integrate climate science with traditional and
local knowledge.
Opportunities
Ongoing concerns on climate change impacts
represent an opportunity for studies to generate
knowledge on impacts on agriculture and
mountain ecosystems. Moreover, this knowledge
would uncover the need for policies targeting
specific vulnerabilities, diminishing exposures and
increasing adaptive capacities. Mountains territories
have important resources for national economies
(e.g. minerals, water). Intersectoral dialogue may
bring the opportunity to include other resources (e.g.
agroecosystems, land, knowledge) in these studies.
Moreover, links with other sectors would allow a
more comprehensive understanding of mountain
ecosystem dynamics under climate change and
socioeconomic pressures.
Woman collecting dried potatoes, Peru