28 September 2012: The Third Regional Seminar on Agriculture and Climate Change examined the role new technologies may play in contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation in the agricultural sector in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

The Seminar, held from 27-28 September 2012, at the UN Economic Commission for LAC (ECLAC) headquarters, in Santiago, Chile, was attended by senior officials from Agriculture Ministries, agricultural research institutes and national officials in charge of climate change and information and communication technology (ICT) policies.

The seminar examined how to shift LAC agriculture from energy-intensive to low-carbon and to promote resilient “smart agriculture.” The event looked at advances in the applications of ICT to the sector, such as generating agro-climatic zoning systems to assist agricultural insurance systems. Also discussed were relevant advances in biotechnology, such as the development of crop varieties better adapted to climate variability, and nanotechnology, such as more precise delivery of fertilizers and pesticides. The seminar looked at “precision agriculture,” the application of the aforementioned technologies to create efficient systems for pest and disease monitoring, and more precise delivery of inputs, including water.

During the seminar ECLAC and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) presented on their forthcoming report on scientific research in the region on agriculture and climate change, which will seek to identify the leading countries in different areas, which work areas are prioritized by each country, identify research gaps and suggest areas for greater cooperation among LAC countries.

The seminar was organized by ECLAC, the LAC regional office of FAO and the “Alliance for the Information Society, phase 2” project (“@LIS2”) funded by the EU and executed by ECLAC. Funding support was provided by the French and Brazilian Governments. [FAO Press Release (in Spanish)]