Subgroup on Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Biodiversity Conservation

The goal

The Climate Adaptation, Mitigation and biodiversity Conservation Subgroup aims to promote climate change mitigation and adaptation measures in the banana supply chain. Stakeholders’ members of the subgroup are called to make necessary investments to improve yields and strengthen producers’ resilience through targeted measures, tackling the negative effects of climate change on farming and livelihoods and contributing to the sustainable production and to biodiversity conservation.

The objective

The Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Biodiversity Conservation subgroup has 2 main objectives:

Objective 1: Knowledge and collaboration platform

To share practical experiences among stakeholders, as well as their best practices related to climate change adaptation, mitigation, and biodiversity conservation in banana production. In this sense, cross-cutting issues with the Agroecological Practices and Water Management Subgroup and with positive results of the former ABNB (Action Alliance for Sustainable Bananas) are being identified. This Subgroup uses synergies wherever suitable and possible.

Objective 2: Stakeholder commitment

The members of the Subgroup are committed to working together towards climate adaptation, mitigation, and biodiversity in banana supply chains:

1. Organisations that establish standards continuously improve the climatic sensitivity included in their standards, provide best practices, learning experiences and offer collaboration and advice to climate projects and programmes.

2. Producers strive toward implementing climate-smart measures to secure the long-term wellbeing of their farms.

3. Companies source bananas from those farms on which climate-smart measures have been implemented. Also, they will provide relevant financial support to producers to allow them to make necessary investments to implement climate-smart measures.

4. Civil society and other stakeholders’ campaign for climate adaptation and mitigation in their banana projects.

5. Members of the subgroup develop information tools to raise awareness and inform consumers about the climate action strategy of the banana sector. 

Main workstreams

Based on the scientific evidence and the exchange of experts, the former ABNB identified 7 measures that are inextricably linked to the goal of adapting production to climate change and reducing the negative impacts of production on the environment (please click here to learn more about this process).

The implementation of these measures is being described in the handbook developed by the “Del Campo al Plato”-Project (ABNB/GIZ/GNF) in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. The handbook will be available for free from 2023 onwards and supports producers in adapting to climate change, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and protect biodiversity. It clearly outlines activities and investments required.  Furthermore, it contains best practice examples from Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Ecuador. 

Workstreams:

1) Soil Management/Ecosystem Conservation: composting, cover crops, mulching, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), irrigation management and buffer zones.

2) Sustainable Management of Plastics: plastic reduction and plastic recycling

Priority areas regarding these topics are being discussed and work plans are being developed for the different activities proposed.

Dissemination/Promotion measures

The Soil Management/Ecosystem conservation workstream will have a focus on the promotion, distribution and testing of the handbook, which covers the seven original measures and can potentially be tested in the field.