Suitability of root, tuber, and banana crops in Central Africa can be favoured under future climates

This study aimed to gain insights of potential impacts of climate change on root, tuber, and banana crops in the Great Lakes Region

Abstract

Climate change is projected to negatively impact food systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. The magnitude of these impacts is expected to be amplified by the extensive reliance on rainfed agriculture and the prevalence of subsistence farming. In the Great Lakes Region of Central Africa, smallholder farming households are largely dependent on root, tuber and banana crops. However, the potential impacts of various climate change scenarios on these crops are not well reported. Yet, data-rich insights about the future impacts of climate change on these crops and the adaptive capacity of food systems in the Great Lakes Region is critical to inform research and development investments towards regional climate change adaptation.

We aimed to gain insights of potential impacts of climate change on root, tuber, and banana crops in the Great Lakes Region, specifically investigating changes to localised crop suitability, planting dates, and identifying potential ‘climate-proof’ variety types of each crop for specific geographies.

Citation

Rhys Manners, Elke Vandamme, Julius Adewopo, Philip Thornton, Michael Friedmann, Sebastien Carpentier, Kodjovi Senam Ezui, Graham Thiele, Suitability of root, tuber, and banana crops in Central Africa can be favoured under future climates, Agricultural Systems, Volume 193, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2021.103246.

Suitability of root, tuber, and banana crops in Central Africa can be favoured under future climates

Published 1 August 2021