Agriculture in Drylands - An Obstacle or Solution for Dryland Sustainability?

Convener: Oren Shelef, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO) /Volcani Institute

The sixth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that global climate change is rapidly intensifying the occurrence of extreme weather events. On the other hand, the Assessment suggests that improved management of agriculture can significantly contribute to climate change mitigation. Evidence shows that agricultural practices can increase adaptation to extreme climatic conditions, and this supports sustainable food production with more resilient agroecosystems. For example, agroforestry, the integration of trees into crop farming, can contribute to adaptation to abiotic stress conditions intensified by climate change, including water deficiency, high temperatures, soil stress, and loss of biodiversity functions. Agroforestry research in development in drylands is still behind the majority of the studies. The session invites lectures contributing to the exploration of the entitled question: can agricultural practices in drylands support sustainability of agroecosystems, or opposing – production is doomed to enhance the erosion of drylands, their functioning and services?