Extension agrometeorology is applied in agrometeorological extension work to advice and serve farmers. In agrometeorology, response farming has been developed decades ago. Climate change complicates response farming, but does not alter it. This paper reports on new operationalization of that response farming in new educational commitments in agroclimatology. It is explained how “Science Field Shops” are an example in Indonesia. This was based on a thorough analysis of what climate change means for farmers in Asia. For Africa, we report on eying the training of agrometeorological extension trainers (“product intermediaries”) in West Africa, based on a thorough analysis of what climate change means for farmers in Africa. We also compare experience with reaching farmers in South Africa and farmer communities in Zambia, as new forms of supporting response farming, all under conditions of a changing climate. The paper, for the first time, connects results from four different programs the senior author is taking part in. There is first and foremost the need for training material to make it possible for the product intermediaries to participate in training extension intermediaries. This should, particularly, bring new knowledge to farmers. With what is presently available and with new approaches, climate extension should be developed and tested with farmers in ways that improve farmer preparedness and decision making.
References
[1]
Thornton, P. Recalibrating Food Production in the Developing World: Global Warming Will Change More than just the Climate. CCAFS Policy Brief No. 6; CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS): Copenhagen, Denmark, 2012.
[2]
Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). Impacts of Climate Change on the Agricultural and Aquatic Systems and Natural Resources within the CGIAR’s Mandate; Thornton, P., Cramer, L., Eds.;. CCAFS Working Paper 23 CGIAR Research Program on CCAFS: Copenhagen, Denmark, 2012.
[3]
Gourdji, H.M.; Sibley, A.M.; Lobell, D.B. Global crop exposure to critical high temperatures in the reproductive period: Historical trends and future projections. Environ. Res. Lett. 2013, doi:10.1088/1748-9326/8/2/024041.
[4]
Ramirez-Villegas, J.; Challinor, A.J.; Thornton, P.K.; Jarvis, A. Implications of regional improvement in global climate models for agricultural impact research. Environ. Res. Lett. 2013, doi:10.1088/1748-9326/8/2/024018.
[5]
Van Oldenborgh, G.J.; Doblas Reyes, F.J.; Drijfhout, S.S.; Hawkins, E. Reliability of regional climate model trends. Environ. Res. Lett. 2013, doi:10.1088/1748-9326/8/1/014055.
[6]
Extreme weather. Better models are needed before exceptional events can be reliably linked to global warming. Nature 2012, 489, 335–336.
[7]
Stigter, K.; Winarto, Y.T. Extension agrometeorology as a contribution to sustainable agriculture. New Clues Sci. 2012, 2, 59–63.
[8]
Stigter, C.J. Agrometeorological Services: Reaching all Farmers with Operational Information Products in New Educational Commitments. CAgM Report 104; World Meteorological Organization (WMO): Geneva, Switzerland, 2011.
[9]
Stigter, K. Applied Agrometeorology; Springer: Heidelberg/Berlin, Germany/New York, NY, USA, 2010.
[10]
Stigter, K.; Walker, S.; Das, H.P.; Huda, S.; Zheng, D.; Liu, J.; Li, C.; Dominguez-Hurtado, I.M.; Mohammed, A.E.; Abdalla, A.T.; et al. Meeting Farmers’ Needs for Agrometeorological Services: An Overview and Case Studies. In Addressing the Livelihood Crisis of Farmers: Weather and Climate Services.
[11]
Stigter, K. Agroforestry in coping with meteorological and climatological risks. The Overstory 2011. the Overstory 233.
[12]
Stigter, K.; Ofori, E.; Kyei-Baffour, N.; Walker, S. Microclimate Management and Manipulation in Applied Agroforestry. The Overstory 2011. the Overstory 240.
[13]
Stigter, K. Agrometeorological services under a changing climate: Old wine in new bags. WMO-Bull. 2008, 57, 114–117.
[14]
Gommes, R.; Acunzo, M.; Baas, S.; Bernardi, M.; Jost, S.; Mukhala, E.; Ramasamy, S. Communication Approaches in Applied Agrometeorology. In Applied Agrometeorology; Stigter, K., Ed.; Springer: Heidelberg/Berlin, Germany/New York, NY, USA, 2010; pp. 263–286.
[15]
Stigter, C.(K.)J.; Winarto, Y.T. Coping with Climate Change: An Active Agrometeorological Learning Approach to Response Farming. In Harnessing and Using Climate Information for Decision Making: An In-Depth Look at the Agriculture Sector; Asian Pacific Economic Council (APEC): Busan, Korea, 2012.
[16]
Stigter, C.(K.)J.; Winarto, Y.T. Science Field Shops in Indonesia. A start of improved agricultural extension that fits a rural response to climate change. J. Agric. Sci. Appl. 2013, 2, 112–123.
[17]
Winarto, Y.T.; Stigter, K.; Anantasari, E.; Prahara, H.; Kristyanto. Collaborating on establishing an agrometeorological learning situation among farmers in Java. Anthropol. Forum 2011, 21, 175–197, doi:10.1080/00664677.2011.582836.
[18]
Winarto, Y.T.; Stigter, K.; Dwisatrio, B.; Nurhaga, M.; Bowolaksono, A. Agrometeorological learning strengthening farmers’ knowledge to cope better with climate change. J. Southeast Asian Stud. 2013. in print.
[19]
Winarto, T.; Stigter, K. Science field shops to reduce climate vulnerabilities: An inter- and trans-disciplinary educational commitment. Collab. Anthropol. (University of Nebraska, USA) 2013. in press.
[20]
Stigter, C.(K.)J.; Winarto, Y.T. Considerations of climate and society in Asia (I): What climate change means for farmers in Asia. Earthzine 2012.
[21]
Stigter, C.(K.)J.; Winarto, Y.T. Considerations of climate and society in Asia (II): Our work with farmers in Indonesia. Earthzine 2012.
[22]
Stigter, C.(K.)J.; Ofori, E. What climate change means for farmers in Africa. Part One: Introductional matters and consequences of global warming for African farmers. Afric. J. Food Agric. Nutr. Dev. 2013. in press.
[23]
Stigter, C.(K.)J.; Ofori, E. What climate change means for farmers in Africa. Part Two: Increasing climate variability and a response approach for African farmers. Afric. J. Food Agric. Nutr. Dev. 2013. submitted.
[24]
Stigter, C.(K.)J.; Ofori, E. What climate change means for farmers in Africa. Part Three: Climate extremes and society’s responses, including mitigation attempts as part of preparedness of African farmers. Afric. J. Food Agric. Nutr. Dev. 2013. submitted.
[25]
Zuma-Netshiukhwi, G.N. The Use of Operational Weather and Climate Information in Farmer Decision Making, Exemplified for the South-Western Free State, South Africa. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 2013.
[26]
Zuma-Netshiukhwi, G.; Stigter, K.; Walker, S. Use of traditional weather/climate knowledge by farmers in the South-western Free State of South Africa: Agrometeorological learning by scientists. 2013. submitted.
[27]
Nanja, D.; Walker, S. Handbook for Community Agrometeorological Participatory Extension Service (CAPES); Meteorological Department-University of the Free State: Livingstone/Bloemfontein, South Africa/Zambia/, 2011.
[28]
Winarto, Y.T.; Stigter, K. Agrometeorological Learning: Coping Better with Climate Change; LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing GmbH & Co. KG: Saarbrucken, Germany, 2011.
[29]
Winarto, Y.T.; Stigter, K.; Anantasari, E.; Hidayah, S.N. Climate field schools in Indonesia: Improving “response farming” to climate change. LEISA Mag. 2008, 24, 16–18.
[30]
Stigter, C.(K.)J.; Winarto, Y.T. APCC Guidance Questions and Our Replies Related to Handling Seasonal Climate Predictions with Farmers. Available online: http://www.agrometeorology.org/topics/accounts-of-operational-agrometeorology/apccguidance-questions-and-our-replies-related-tohandling-seasonal-climate-predictions-with-farmers/ (accessed on 15 May 2013).
[31]
Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG). Climate Field Schools at District Level in Eastern Indonesia; BMKG: Jakarta, Indonesia, 2011.
[32]
Al-Amin, N.K.N. Personal Communication. Khartoum, Sudan, 2012.
[33]
Rivero Vega, R.E. Personal Communication. Camaguey, Cuba, 2013.
[34]
Zuma-Netshiukhwi, G. Glen, South Africa, 2013.
[35]
ClimDev-Africa. African Climate Science Frontiers: Addressing Priority Research Gaps to Inform Adaptation Decision-Making in Africa. In To be presented at 2013 Africa Climate Conference, Arusha, Tanzania, 15–18 October 2013. in press.
[36]
Murthy, R.K. Field Exercise on “Murthy’s Daily Weather-Agriculture”. “Hands on” Training for Response Farming. Reactions to Calls for Information Collection and Exchange, Available online: http://www.agrometeorology.org/topics/hands-on-training-for-response-farming (accessed on 15 May 2013).
[37]
Murthy, R.K. Report on the Project Entitled “WMO-ANGRAU-DST Sponsored Roving Seminars on Weather, Climate and Farmers”, Available online: http://www.agrometeorology.org/topics/needs-for-agrometeorological-solutions-to-farming-problems/report-on-the-project-entitled-201cwmo-angrau-dst-sponsored-rovingseminars-on-weather-climate-and-farmers (accessed on 15 May 2013).
[38]
Stigter, C.J. Agrometeorology from science to extension: Assessment of needs and provision of services. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 2008, 126, 153–157, doi:10.1016/j.agee.2008.01.025.
[39]
Stigter, C.J.; Oteng’i, S.B.; Oluwasemire, K.O.; Al-Amin, N.K.; Kinama, J.M.; Onyewotu, L.O. Recent answers to farmland degradation illustrated by case studies from African farming systems. Ann. Arid Zone 2005, 44, 255–276.
[40]
Hansen, J.W.; Mason, S.J.; Sun, L.; Tall, A. Review of seasonal climate forecasting for agriculture in sub-saharan Africa. Exp. Agric. 2011, 47, 205–240, doi:10.1017/S0014479710000876.
