Jambo Africa Online’s Publisher, SAUL MOLOBI, reports on a groundbreaking three day programme offered by the University of South Africa (UNISA) in collaboration with government and multilateral institutions aimed at empowering farmers to become climate savvy.
Are you a farmer? Have you considered the threat of climate change to the agriculture sector? How do you mitigate against this real threat? Here’s an opportunity for you to learn about transforming into climate-smart agriculture? How different is it from normal agriculture?
Climate change is a threat to our food security. We have to adopt climate-smart agriculture techniques to mitigate against this. How do you deploy the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) development into our farming? Here’s an opportunity on how your agriculture could become climate smart.
The University of South Africa (UNISA) and its partners have a solution for you. This programme is brought to you with the compliments of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DEFF) and multilateral institutions, the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The project was managed by UNISA Enterprises – a revenue generating agency of UNISA. The agency’s partners were Farmers Africa Connect (FCA) and the Brandhill Africa group.
Three two-hour per day modules will will equip you with the requisite knowledge for your farming to be climate smart. The three modules are:
- ‘Climate-smart crop productión’
Those taking this module will understand how climate-smart agriculture (CSA) differs from mainstream agriculture in crop production and why it is important to adopt CSA under the current climate change regimes. They will also understand the following: different practices used in CSA, how to conserve soil and water as natural resources, enhance crop production at minimal negative impact to the environment, minimise greenhouse gas emissions in crop production systems, integrated pest control, integrated fertiliser management, crop adaptations, and the negative impacts of mainstream agriculture on the environment
- Climate-smart live-stock production systems’
This module is intended to capacitate key stakeholders in South Africa to apply the guidelines provided in the document: “Actionable guidelines for the implementation of climate-smart agriculture in South Africa) on climate-smart agriculture (CSA)”.
- ‘The use of remote sensing in climate-smart agricultural practices’
- This e-learning module will help candidates to understand and gain practical knowledge of basic remote sensing and how this technique can be used to enhance adaptation and mitigation strategies under climate change. Candidates will understand the concept of climate-smart agriculture and the importance of remote sensing tools to livestock and crop production.
These modules will be delivered through a virtual workshop on how one can transform their agriculture to become climate-smart. Since this is provided virtually, everyone may attend from the comfort of their homes or offices.
The following are the Zoom login details for you to join the event:
Time: 09h00 – 11h00
Dates: 22 – 24 February 2022
Modules: ‘Climate-smart crop productión’; ‘Climate-smart live-stock production systems’; and, ‘The use of remote sensing in climate-smart agricultural practices’.
Course Facilitator: University of South Africa (UNISA)
Illegibility: Anyone with English literacy skills.
Venue: Virtual (Zoom)
Meeting ID: 557 094 5594
Passcode: 682852
Or click on this link to join: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/5570945594?pwd=VlZEZTdZNEhGcmdPRTQrSEZ4TWQ0Zz09
If you would like to receive your pre-course reading introductory materials to the modules, please send an email to pieteyb@unisa.ac.za, stevens.mokgalapa@brandhillafrica.com or dustin@thehutonline.co.za.
