"http://www.fao.org/europe/events/detail-events/en/c/429132/ Presentation of Ram Sharma, from the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) in Uzbekistan, on environmental challenges to food security in Central Asia and how agroecology can be a solution. The presentation was prepared and delivered in occasion of the Regional Symposium on Agroecology in Europe and Central Asia, held in Budapest, Hungary on 23-25 November 2016. FAO, United Nations, Agroecology, Symposium, Central Asia, environmental challenges, food security, climate change

1. Environmental challenges to food
security in Central Asia:
agroecology as an answer

2. Environmental challenges to food security in Central
Asia: agroecology as an answer
Ram Sharma
24 November 2016
FAO Regional Symposium on
Agroecology for Sustainable
Agriculture and Food Systems in
Europe and Central Asia
Budapest, Hungary
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas,
Regional Program for Central Asia and the Caucasus
Tashkent, Uzbekistan

3. The Eco-Regional Program for
Sustainable Agricultural
Development in Central Asia
and the Caucasus (CAC)
… aims to achieve
 overall food security
 enhanced productivity
 environmental sustainability
 economic growth
 poverty alleviation

4. 4
Scope of presentation
• Lessons learned from recent environmental influences on
food security
• Wheat as a model food crop for discussion
• What have been done or are being done on the ground
• Agroecology as a solution: those food production
innovations that,
• make sustainable use of natural resources, and
• are good for environment

5. 5
Major environmental constraints to food security in Central Asia
• Soil degradation and erosion,
– Soil nutrient depletion,
• Water depletion,
– Dwindling sources
– Contamination
• Loss of biodiversity:
– Plant genetic resources
– Animal genetic resources
– Soil microbes
– Wild biodiversity (pollinators)
• Climate change.
– Extreme climatic events
– Warming
– Diseases and pest outbreaks
•
Key driver: climate change
Key resources: land, water and biodiversity

6. 6
Constraints to food production in Central Asia – Wheat as an example
Soil health
Insects
Diseases
Socio-economy Policy
Weeds

7. 7
Climatic events from recent past – constraint to wheat production
• 2008 - drought
• 2009 - wet (disease)
• 2010 - heat
• 2011-2012 - autumn and spring drought
• 2012-2013 - winter cold/frost (crop death)
• 2014-2015 - warm winter (disease), and spring frost
• 2015-2016 - historically warm winter (disease)
• 2009 to 2016 - 6 epidemics of yellow rust, 100s of million dollars spent on chemicals

8. 8
Constraints to food production in Central Asia under climate change – An example in wheat
WinterAutumn Spring
Drought
Wet
Heat
Dry
Wet
Dry
Mild
Wet
Dry
Salinity

9. 9
Solution to yellow rust problem – new varieties with resistance
Shumon
Gozgon
Tajikistan
Uzbekistan
Commercial Variety New Variety
Cost of fungicide spray:
1-3 sprays ( 70 to 210 USD/ha)
Saving from 20% area
200,000 ha = USD 14 – 42 million
Environment friendly
2016 case: epidemic lasted for 4
months
1 to 3 fungicide sprays
Approx. 500,000 ha sprayed
Fungicide cost, 2 sprays: $140/ha
USD 70 million

10. 10
Integrated pest management in wheat - Tajikistan
Source: M. El-Bouhssini

11. 11
Integrated Pest Management in Wheat - Tajikistan
Number of sunn pest and cereal
leaf beetle under farmer’s practice
and IPM
Grain weight and yield of wheat
under farmer’s practice and IPM
Source: M. El-Bouhssini

12. 12
Some solutions to prevent erosion and improve soils fertility
Direct seeding Soil mulching Crop rotation
Source:
A. Nurbekov,
ICARDA

13. 13
Land use efficiency with different crop rotations
Farm 1
2011 2012 2013
M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D
1 Corn (Zea Mays) Winter wheat (Triticum
aestivum)
Mung bean
(Vigna radiata)
Field pea (Pisum
sativum)
Corn (Zea
Mays)
Winter wheat
(Triticum
aestivum)
Farm 2 farmers’ practice
2011 2012 2013
M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D
2 Soy bean
(Glycine max.)
winter wheat
(Triticum aestivum)
Fallow Sorghum
(Sorghum
bicolor)
Fallow
Farm 3
2011 2012 2013
M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D
3 Sorghum (Sorghum
bicolor)
Winter wheat (Triticum
aestivum)
Bersim
(Trifolium)
Winter barley (Hordeum
vulgare L.)
Soy bean
(Glycine
max)
Field pea (Pisum
sativum)
Source:
A. Nurbekov
4 cereals
2 legumes
2 cereals
1 legumes
3 cereals
3 legumes

14. Rehabilitation of degraded lands
Shifting from livestock to horticulture using local drought and frost
resistant apple varieties in Uzbekistan (farmer Norkushakov) Source: M.
Turdieva

15. After
Before
Rehabilitation of degraded lands
Local varieties of apricot adapted to drought in summer and frosts in winter are used
by farmer Mrs. Gulmira Sharsheeva in Kyrgyzstan to restore degraded lands in North
Kyrgyzstan
Source: M.
Turdieva

16. Agroforestry and afforestation of degraded lands affected by
waterlogging and salinity (ICBA)
• Options for large-scale afforestation of degraded lands
are available
• Multipurpose tree species with high adaptive potential,
salt, drought and frost tolerance, and high utility value
• Re-introduction of desert and riparian trees and shrubs
• Rehabilitation and protection of natural wetlands;
• The optimal integrated agroforestry-farming system
comprising 12% tree cover, 30% lucerne and 58% annual
forage crops of virgin pastures with traditional
agriculture practice provides satisfactory drainage
control of saline environments preventing salt
accumulation at the root zone area. Afforestation of highly saline land plot in
Yangiobod Tajikistan, Elaeagnus angustifolia,
Acacia, Populus and fruit trees)
2006
2012
Source: K. Toderich

17. Using halophytic and non traditional salt tolerant crops to
improve agricultural production and environmental quality in arid
and semi-arid regions of Central Asia (ICBA)
• Feasibility of use of non-conventional water sources (hot artesian
saline ground water and mineralized lake water) to grow
halophytes and salt tolerant underutilized crops on marginal soils
to produce biomass, tubers, edible roots, medicinal raw material;
and oil crops;
• Livestock forage potential of halophytes and salt tolerant crops
• livestock feeding system & diets for small desert ruminants
available;
• 8 legumes tolerant to salinity levels ranging from 8.0 to 23.2 dS/m
high quality protein for multi-purpose use (diversification of
human diets/ nutrition, commercial compounds & environmental
quality)
Licorice
Source: K. Toderich

18. Knowledge Management in
Central Asian Countries
Initiative for Land Management
phase II
Multidisciplinary approach to
disseminate SLM through:
Component I – Knowledge Synthesis
Component II – Packaging and
dissemination
Component III – Socio-economic
assessment

19. S
L
M
R
K
n
o
w
l
e
d
g
e
P
l
a
t
f
o
r
m

20. The Global Initiative
“The Economics of Land Degradation”
(ELD)
Initiated in 2010 by:
• the United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification,
• Government of Germany,
• Korean Forest Service, and
• European Commission.
Purpose: to provide economically sound
approaches to facilitate solutions for the
progressing problem of land degradation.
Country Ecosystem
Kyrgyzstan
–
highland
pastures
Tajikistan foothills
and low
mountains
Kazakhstan forestry and
rainfed
agriculture
Turkmenista
n
lowland
pastures
Uzbekistan Irrigated
agriculture
Source:
N. Nishanov

21. Country Ecosystem
Kyrgyzstan
–
highland
pastures
Tajikistan foothills
and low
mountains
Kazakhstan forestry and
rainfed
agriculture
Turkmenista
n
lowland
pastures
Uzbekistan Irrigated
agriculture
Results / Interventions (Preliminary)
Introduction of sustainable rangeland utilization, mitigation of grazing
pressure and rehabilitation of pasturelands
Application of no-till in irrigated agriculture, improved land use (intensive
gardens), and rangeland improvement (+protection against natural disasters
Increased utilization of ecosystem services in desert forests
Development of year-round rangeland plant compositions
Introduction of perennial and annual grasses;
Pasture rotation.
Introduction of advanced crop production methods:
Leave mulch on fields; introduce crop rotation, plant forest belts around fields
Next event:
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
ECONOMICS OF LAND
DEGRADATION IN CENTRAL ASIA
November 28-29, 2016
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Source: N. Nishanov, ICARDA

22. 22
Roadmap for agroecology based farming systems in Central Asia
• Change in mindset
• Enabling policy
• National Action Plan on application of agroecology in food production and postharvest handling
• Available technologies/innovations
– Indigenous knowledge – large scale demonstration, upscaling and out-scaling
– Landraces
– Crop diversification – large scale demonstration, upscaling and outscaling
– Sustainable land management
– Land rehabilitation
– Participatory plant breeding
– IPM
– Reduced use of chemicals (pesticides/fungicides/herbicides)
– Protecting pollinators
– Conservation Agriculture
– Farming system diversification
– Green manures
– Nutrient recycling
–
–
Key factors: Scale and Speed

23. 23
Summary
• Climate change is a significant threat for the Central Asia region – it will become
hotter and dryer
• Wheat as a model food crop face tremendous environmental challenges
• What have been done or are being done on the ground
• Agroecology as a solution: those food production technologies that,
• make sustainable use of natural resources (land, water and biodiversity), and
• are healthy for environment

24. 24
Total
Solution?
Agroecology
Food for thought

25. 25
Acknowledgements
• Governments of Central Asian countries – national research institutions, NGOs,
CBOs, Private Sector, Farmers’ organizations, Communities, Farmers, and Individuals
• CGIAR Centers – Bioversity, CIMMYT, ICARDA, ICRISAT, IWMI
• Non-CGIAR institutions: ICBA, WorldVeg, Michigan State University, Bonn University
and others
• Donor organizations: ADB, IDB, BMZ/GIZ, EU, FAO, GEF, IFAD, Russian Federation,
Turkish Government, UNDP, USAID, WB and others
• Others

26. Thank you!