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Potential adaptive strategies for 29 sub-Saharan crops under future climate change

Author

Listed:
  • Samuel Pironon

    (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)

  • Thomas R. Etherington

    (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
    Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research)

  • James S. Borrell

    (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)

  • Nicola Kühn

    (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)

  • Marc Macias-Fauria

    (University of Oxford)

  • Ian Ondo

    (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)

  • Carolina Tovar

    (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)

  • Paul Wilkin

    (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)

  • Katherine J. Willis

    (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
    University of Oxford)

Abstract

Climate change is expected to severely impact cultivated plants and consequently human livelihoods1–3, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)4–6. Increasing agricultural plant diversity (agrobiodiversity) could overcome this global challenge7–9 given more information on the climatic tolerance of crops and their wild relatives. Using >200,000 worldwide occurrence records for 29 major crops and 778 of their wild relative species, we assess, for each crop, how future climatic conditions are expected to change in SSA and whether populations of the same crop from other continents, wild relatives around the world or other crops from SSA are better adapted to expected future climatic conditions in the region. We show that climate conditions not currently experienced by the 29 crops in SSA are predicted to become widespread, increasing production insecurity, especially for yams. However, crops such as potato, squash and finger millet may be maintained by using wild relatives or non-African crop populations with climatic niches more suited to future conditions. Crop insecurity increases over time and with rising GHG emissions, but the potential for using agrobiodiversity for resilience is less altered. Climate change will therefore affect sub-Saharan agriculture but agrobiodiversity can provide resilient solutions in the short and medium term.

Suggested Citation

  • Samuel Pironon & Thomas R. Etherington & James S. Borrell & Nicola Kühn & Marc Macias-Fauria & Ian Ondo & Carolina Tovar & Paul Wilkin & Katherine J. Willis, 2019. "Potential adaptive strategies for 29 sub-Saharan crops under future climate change," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 9(10), pages 758-763, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcli:v:9:y:2019:i:10:d:10.1038_s41558-019-0585-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41558-019-0585-7
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    Cited by:

    1. Manners, Rhys & Vandamme, Elke & Adewopo, Julius & Thornton, Philip & Friedmann, Michael & Carpentier, Sebastien & Ezui, Kodjovi Senam & Thiele, Graham, 2021. "Suitability of root, tuber, and banana crops in Central Africa can be favoured under future climates," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    2. Antonelli, Chiara & Coromaldi, Manuela & Pallante, Giacomo, 2022. "Crop and income diversification for rural adaptation: Insights from Ugandan panel data," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    3. Tibesigwa, Byela & Bezabih, Mintewab & Visser, Martine, 2022. "Boosting Climate-Smart Smallholder Farm Strategies and Household Outcomes through Joint Decision-Making by Men and Women in Agrarian Households in Arid Namibia," EfD Discussion Paper 22-3, Environment for Development, University of Gothenburg.

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