Agriculture
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Action 1: Facilitate access to productive resources, finance and services.
Rural infrastructure, resources and services are important to
support agriculture, and renewable electricity needs to be a part
of rural infrastructure. The decrease in costs of solar panels and
batteries is beneficial to agriculture, including those who must
develop their own off- grid generating system.
Action 2: Connect smallholders to markets. There is significant value in
having an infrastructure that allows those in agriculture to connect
with people in communities that provide agricultural supplies
and consumers of agricultural products (markets). Inexpensive
electric vehicles (EVs) powered by solar energy can help rural
residents connect to local communities in an inexpensive and
sustainable way.
Action 3: Encourage diversification of production and income.
Cultivating multiple crops has value for many producers and
increases resilience in the face of weather, disease, or other
adverse events. Additionally, having diverse income streams
can mean employment beyond the farm for one or more
members of a family, providing opportunities that often benefit
the family. Again, an inexpensive EV has value for those seeking
diversification.
Action 4: Build producers’ knowledge and develop their capabilities.
Education has great value for farmers, and there are many opportunities to learn from extension organizations, farm organizations,
and others. The Internet has many sites that are beneficial for
producers. It is beneficial for producers to have electricity, to be
connected to the Internet, and to be able to have access to market
information and weather forecasts.
Action 5: Enhance soil health and restore land. Any good farmer will
tell you that good soil stewardship is necessary for success.
Traditionally this has largely meant optimal use of fertilizer, but
that is now just one aspect of soil management. Because of climate
change, soil erosion associated with intense rainfall and flooding
has become a greater problem than in the past. The FAO has voluntary guidelines for sustainable soil management (FAO, 2017)
that include actions to minimize soil erosion, enhance soil organic
matter content, foster soil nutrient balance, minimize soil salinization, acidification, and alkalinization, prevent soil contamination,
enhance soil biodiversity, reduce soil compaction, and improve soil
water management (FAO, 2017).
Action 6: Protect water and manage scarcity. Water quantity and
water quality are central topics in agriculture because about
70% of all water is used for crops and livestock. Insufficient
or polluted water can thus have tremendous impacts on food
products, which then also have impacts on consumers’ health.
111
1 1 1
Action 1: Facilitate access to productive resources, finance and services.
Rural infrastructure, resources and services are important to
support agriculture, and renewable electricity needs to be a part
of rural infrastructure. The decrease in costs of solar panels and
batteries is beneficial to agriculture, including those who must
develop their own off- grid generating system.
Action 2: Connect smallholders to markets. There is significant value in
having an infrastructure that allows those in agriculture to connect
with people in communities that provide agricultural supplies
and consumers of agricultural products (markets). Inexpensive
electric vehicles (EVs) powered by solar energy can help rural
residents connect to local communities in an inexpensive and
sustainable way.
Action 3: Encourage diversification of production and income.
Cultivating multiple crops has value for many producers and
increases resilience in the face of weather, disease, or other
adverse events. Additionally, having diverse income streams
can mean employment beyond the farm for one or more
members of a family, providing opportunities that often benefit
the family. Again, an inexpensive EV has value for those seeking
diversification.
Action 4: Build producers’ knowledge and develop their capabilities.
Education has great value for farmers, and there are many opportunities to learn from extension organizations, farm organizations,
and others. The Internet has many sites that are beneficial for
producers. It is beneficial for producers to have electricity, to be
connected to the Internet, and to be able to have access to market
information and weather forecasts.
Action 5: Enhance soil health and restore land. Any good farmer will
tell you that good soil stewardship is necessary for success.
Traditionally this has largely meant optimal use of fertilizer, but
that is now just one aspect of soil management. Because of climate
change, soil erosion associated with intense rainfall and flooding
has become a greater problem than in the past. The FAO has voluntary guidelines for sustainable soil management (FAO, 2017)
that include actions to minimize soil erosion, enhance soil organic
matter content, foster soil nutrient balance, minimize soil salinization, acidification, and alkalinization, prevent soil contamination,
enhance soil biodiversity, reduce soil compaction, and improve soil
water management (FAO, 2017).
Action 6: Protect water and manage scarcity. Water quantity and
water quality are central topics in agriculture because about
70% of all water is used for crops and livestock. Insufficient
or polluted water can thus have tremendous impacts on food
products, which then also have impacts on consumers’ health.