Farmers and Pastoralists trained in Holistic Assessment of climate Resilience
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held for 5 days a Self-evaluation and Holistic Assessment of climate Resilience of farmers and Pastoralists (SHARP) training, in Maputo, within the project “Strengthening Capacities of Agricultural producers to cope with Climate Change for increased Food Security through the Farmers Field School approach”.
The training was attended by more than 20 technicians from the provinces of Gaza, Sofala, Tete and Manica, guided by an FAO team led by the SHARP Coordinator Specialist, Maria Hernandez.
SHARP aims to capacitate the trainees with technological tools to better understand the concerns and interests of farmers and pastoralists about climate resilience through participatory self-assessment.
Hernandez said that "this training will help to identify the relevant areas to assess the resilience because SHARP methodology covers environmental, social and economic production aspects that will allow assessment of the production system of the concerned areas."
The training is made through a practical application for tablet including 52 questions for producers to obtain data to assess their resilience capabilities related to climate change.
Lucia Caravela, one of the trainees stated that "this tool will facilitate the collection of data at districts level so they can understand the effects of climate change."
After the training, the technicians will implement these technological tools to collect data on climate change situation in their provinces.
The project funded by the GEF (Global Environment Facility) aims to increase the capacity of the agricultural and livestock sectors to tackle climate change through increased adoption by farmers of technologies and adaptation practices to climate change in Farmer Field Schools already established.