Green technologies enable a better future for Moldovan farmers

Climate change and extreme weather events, including severe droughts and intense and heavy rainfall, pose considerable challenges to agricultural producers in the Republic of Moldova. As agriculture is an important economic sector, it is critical to respond to and mitigate these climate change impacts.

A project of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with financial support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) on mainstreaming adaptation into the planning process to reduce vulnerability to climate change aims to help local governments in the Republic of Moldova better respond to climate change and improve access to technology for agricultural producers.

As part of this effort, in November, a Technology Need Assessment consultation workshop, organized under the project with support by the GCF Readiness Programme, brought together relevant actors and partners in Chisinau to discuss how local farmers can use green technologies to help them withstand climate impacts. Participants, including officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, FAO, as well as national and international experts, looked at ways to integrate science and innovation and adaptation policies in the Republic of Moldova support the country’s agrifood systems in becoming more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. 

The event featured agricultural practitioners and members of a community of practice in climate-smart agriculture in the Republic of Moldova, who highlighted their experience and successes and shared their conviction according to which the conservation agriculture system is the only chance to transform Moldovan agriculture to a sustainable and resilient farming system based on green technologies. Tudor Robu, Assistant FAO Representative in the Republic of Moldova, noted the advantages technology can bring to local farmers in the face of climate related challenges. 

“The identification of technologies for climate change adaptation in key agricultural subsectors represents a significant milestone in our commitment to support the country’s transition towards a climate-resilient agrifood system,” Robu said. 

In order to understand what kind of technologies are best suited to a country’s specific climate change situation is the starting point for effective action on climate change. The Technology Needs Assessments methodology is used to identify technological options supporting a climate-resilient low-emission development of the country’s agrifood system. In this regard, FAO experts presented at the consultation a climate-responsive set of technologies for use in aquaculture, crop production, animal husbandry, and horticulture sectors.

The selection process to create a repertoire of climate adaptation technologies was participatory. The decision-making process was underscored by one cross-cutting criteria across all sub-sectors which was that each technology needed to demonstrate innovation. Other qualifying aspects considered included to what extent each technology contributes to climate resilience, an increase in productivity, the rational use of natural resources, job creation, while being cost effective and. the selection generated a proposed technological portfolio on climate change adaptation that consists of 60 technologies. 

The consultation also generated recommendations for policy and planning work as a response to delineation during the meeting of the barriers and obstacles to technology deployment and adoption.

In the aquaculture subsector, technologies related to valuable fish species such as the restoration of the depth of water supply channels to restructure and strengthen fish farms and the development of a fish protection system by mapping ponds and classifying fishing areas were defined as priority measures for climate change adaptation.

To reduce vulnerability to climate change in the cereals subsector, recommendations advocated shifting from a conventional farming system to a conservation agriculture system; the diversification of resilient crop rotations; and practicing these rotations within a system of forest strips and ponds to increase soil moisture.

Priorities for the horticulture subsector included implementing high-tech greenhouses with improved climate-smart control features and energy efficiency; building modern irrigation systems that maximize water and energy efficiency; and adopting hydroponic technology.

Within the animal husbandry subsector, several technologies were proposed, such as increasing irrigation of land used for animal feed production, developing platforms for the accumulation and storage of animal manure, and, improving the construction of animal sheds.