Chiang Mai (TDI): The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has said that climate change poses a severe threat to agriculture in Southeast Asia, jeopardizing the livelihoods of over 100 million smallholder farmers.
Rising temperatures, extreme weather, and shifting rainfall patterns threaten food security, underlining the urgency for collective action, it said.
The situation emphasizes the need for regional cooperation and increased climate finance for agrifood systems transformation, it said in a statement.
While climate-related finance hit $130 billion in 2022, only $29 billion or 23 percent was allotted to agrifood systems, a decline from 37% in 2000-2010, according to FAO.
This highlights the critical need for more investment in climate-resilient agriculture.
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It is estimated that smallholder financing needs in Southeast Asia amount to 100 billion dollars annually, yet current financial flows meet less than a third of this demand.
FAO, in collaboration with its partners, has been advancing climate-smart agriculture initiatives to boost productivity, build resilience, and reduce emissions.
These initiatives focus on managing crops, farms, livestock, aquaculture, and fisheries; conserving ecosystem services; providing support to assist farmers manage climate risks; and improving the food system through demand-side initiatives and value chain interventions.
Together, these efforts assist farmers adapt to climate change while advancing sustainability in agriculture.
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With the support from the Green Climate Fund, nations are launching new innovative projects, including climate-resilient fisheries and aquaculture in Cambodia and the Philippines, sustainable low-emission rice production in Malaysia and Viet Nam, and climate-smart agriculture projects in Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Thailand.
FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, Robert Simpson, said at the 10th Anniversary of ASEAN Climate Resilience Network (ASEAN-CRN) that meeting ambitious climate action targets through climate-smart agriculture need resources beyond what any single entity can provide.
He said that success depends on sustained partnerships, knowledge sharing, and mutual support among all stakeholders in Southeast Asia.
FAO Drives Climate-Smart Farming Efforts
FAO has been spearheading regional collaboration in climate-smart agriculture by backing knowledge exchange platforms and partnerships.
At a regional gathering this week, marking 10 years of climate cooperation, the ASEAN-CRN Members and partners underscored shared priorities for advancing climate-smart technologies, expanding capacity-building initiatives, facilitating greater access to climate finance, and boosting regional coordination for climate action.
“This network is a testament to what we can achieve through committed regional collaboration and FAO is proud to have been a part of this effort”, FAO’s Robert Simpson said.
He said that FAO is committed to supporting these efforts and the ASEAN-CRN as part of its shared vision for sustainable agrifood systems transformation.
In line with the FAO Strategy on Climate Change 2022-2031, this collaboration works towards better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life – leaving no one behind, he added.
