Climate change impacts

To advance adaptation measures in the agricultural sector, it is essential to share information with farmers.

Adaptation activity

The California Ministry of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) in collaboration with international partners, organizes the Climate Smart Agriculture Webinar Series to address climate-change challenges in agriculture (see Figure). The webinars bring together key stakeholders, including the CDFA, U.S. Department of Agriculture California Climate Hub, academics, agricultural support services, and farmers, to discuss shared challenges and potential adaptation strategies. As of April 2018, ten webinars have taken place. Working with the Netherlands, Israel, Australia, and Chile, adaptation measures in various fields such as salt damage countermeasures, irrigation water management, dairy farming, and soil management were discussed. These webinars are livestreamed and later made available online, along with related materials on the CDFA website.

Outputs / Expected benefits

It is expected that the international collaboration between industry, academia and governmental bodies will be advanced through this platform. In addition, the platform should promote information dissemination and adaptation by providing an accessible environment for all participants regardless of time or location.

Fig. Landing page of Climate Smart Agriculture Webinar Series
(Source: California Department of Food and Agriculture. California Climate Smart Agriculture.)