Climate Resilience for Food Security in Suriname
This project seeks to facilitate relocation to land more suitable for agricultural production, but more importantly, to help Maroon villages transition from traditional shifting cultivation systems to more sustainable sedentary production systems, and to incorporate disaster risk reduction (DRR) and disaster risk management (DRM) strategies, as well as climate-smart production technologies for farmers. It will also seek to establish demonstration plots to strengthen knowledge on clean seed production and multiple cropping models, in order to build adaptive capacity and resilience, increase agricultural productivity, and promote crop diversification to ensure food and nutritional security for these Indigenous populations.
Objective:
Strengthening the resilience of maroon farmers to climate change and climate variability.
Project Data:
NbS Data:
Country:
Surinam
5313-00
IICA Code:
US$45,869.00
Amount:
Finalized
State:
2023
Start year:
2024
End year:
Yes
NbS application:
How has IICA integrated NBS into this technical experience?
We have implemented measures based on field assessments and meetings with farmers in which challenges and opportunities were expressed.
What lessons learned from this technical experience can you share about working with farmers to implement NBS?
Shifting cultivation and dryland cultivation are the main forms of agriculture in the interior of Suriname. This agricultural method has been practiced for many generations. Due to the remoteness of many of these communities, sustained agricultural extension has not been provided. Farmers are willing to convert from shifting cultivation to sedimentary cultivation methods, but face problems with soil fertility and pests and diseases. Demonstration through the establishment of a plot with mixed cropping systems alongside native palm species and the use of nitrogen-fixing cover crops under a micro-sprinkler system has sparked the interest of many farmers in the interior.
What examples of NBS innovation can you share from your experience at IICA in relation to this technical expertise?
1. The installation of micro-sprinkler irrigation systems has allowed farmers to improve the management of available irrigation water and schedule better, resulting in less water loss.
2. The creation of a crop nursery has contributed to the recovery of planting material varieties (mainly bitter cassava and brown upland rice) lost due to drought and flooding.
3. The use of nitrogen-fixing cover crops and mixed cropping systems has helped manage pest and disease problems and soil fertility.
How are you promoting education and training in nature-based solutions among farmers in this area of technical expertise?
Participation in several national seminars and publication on our office's social media platform.