Page 71 - Ecuador's Banana Sector under Climate Change

chapter 3: climate change in ecuador and its impact on banana crops: an overview
rainfall in areas from where the irrigation water originates. The second challenge
is the presence of the Mancha Roja, a red-spotting disease that reduces the commercial value of the fruit. It is feared that changes in the climate are increasing the severity of the disease. For the time being, however, the best option to tackle the disease is through good agricultural practices or integrated production and pest management methods. Overall, there is a need to create eco-efficient agriculture; that is, to build environmentally sustainable production systems that are equitable to all stakeholders in the supply chain.
3.3 GHG mitigation in Ecuador
Although Ecuador’s contribution to GHG emissions is marginal, it is committed to lowering GHG emissions and to address climate change adaptation. In
the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador, Article 414 states that “the State shall take appropriate and transverse measures to mitigate climate change by limiting emissions of greenhouse gases from deforestation and atmospheric pollution; take measures for the conservation of forests and vegetation, and protect the population at risk”. Ecuador’s National Plan for Good Living states, as Objective 4, “to guarantee the rights of nature and promote a healthy and sustainable environment”. Ecuador has developed a National Climate Change Strategy stipulating political and technical commitments to environmental stewardship through sustainable processes and innovative initiatives. Ecuador has also recognized the need to build resilience and mitigate the risks associated with the adverse effects of climate change and variability, natural disasters
and other shocks. It intends to enhance the adaptive capacity of vulnerable communities and strengthen its capacities for emergency preparedness and response, including food logistics and storage. Ecuador is also faced with the increased challenge to regulate the supply of aquatic ecosystems.
4.
4.1
4.1.1
Implications of climate change on Ecuador’s bananas
Impacts outside Ecuador
Other banana producing countries
Two recent studies have used IPCC climate forecasts to calculate how global climate change is likely to alter the suitability of banana production globally: Ramirez, et al. (2011) and Van den Bergh et al. (2010). Their analyses indicate that climate change generally makes the world a less suitable place for banana production. Warmer average temperatures increase the risk of heat stress
and damage to banana plants in several major banana-producing areas: the Caribbean Islands, Central America, the Atlantic coast of Colombia and Venezuela, West Africa and Southeast Asia.
Lower forecast precipitation is an additional limiting factor to banana production in Central America and the Philippines. This reduction in rainfall is directly related to the more El Niño-like climate discussed below. The increased rainfall in the eastern equatorial Pacific (most of it over the ocean) means less rainfall in the western equatorial Pacific (the Philippines) and in Mexico and Central
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