End-of-study internship carried out by Marie-Amélie RICHEZ

ISTOM – School of international agro-development
April – August 2024
Supervisors: Catherine Sabinot (IRD), Maya Leclercq (IRD)

 

She defended her final thesis on October 17, 2024 in front of the ISTOM jury team, students from the same school as well as her supervisors. Marie-Amélie also participated in the animation of 2 restitutions to the stakeholders (farmers and institutional actors) of the CLIPSSA project in Tahiti.

Memory summary

In a context of climate change, the Pacific islands, which include French Polynesia, are facing sometimes extreme atmospheric phenomena impacting various sectors, including agriculture. The CLIPSSA project, into which this dissertation is integrated, focuses on the one hand on the production of new scientific data on the future climate of the South Pacific, and on the other hand on the analysis of sectoral impacts, in order to support strategies adaptation to climate change carried out by public authorities.

The thesis focuses on the resources mobilized by farmers on the Taravao plateau in order to learn and/or transmit their agricultural knowledge and know-how in a context of climate change. The results show that there is a diversity of material and intangible resources mobilized by farmers.

The mobilization of these resources results in various learnings which, in certain cases, allow farmers to find solutions adapted to their constraints, including the impacts of extreme weather phenomena affecting the Taravao plateau. This “local knowledge” is essential resources on which to support current and future climate change adaptation strategies.

Context of the study

French Polynesia, located in the heart of the Pacific Ocean, faces significant socio-economic and environmental challenges, particularly in the tertiary sector. Its economy is partly dependent on financial transfers from the French state, and the agricultural sector, although modest in terms of its contribution to GDP, plays a crucial role for the territory’s food security. The cultivated area is small, only 9% of the land surface is cultivated, or around 40,000 ha of usable agricultural area (UAA) (Dubreu et al., 2024).

In addition to the low proportion of cultivable land, the decline of the agricultural workforce, as well as land complexity, particularly linked to the joint ownership of land and access to land, pose obstacles to the expansion of agriculture. local agriculture. In addition to the aforementioned socio-economic constraints, there are environmental constraints, including the impacts of climate change which weigh on agriculture.
In Taravao, a commune in Tahiti, farmers produce a diversity of vegetables, tubers and flowers.

Although market gardening is the majority, the study presented also focuses on the production of vanilla and taro, a tropical tuber, respectively for the sensitivity of vanilla flowers and the resistance of taro to certain phenomena punctuating or governing the daily newspaper on the island. To ensure the productivity of their fields, farmers implement practices, adapt and readjust them over time, constraints encountered, etc. This adaptation is fueled by a process of learning and transmission of local knowledge and know-how in which we are interested.

 

Main results

The meetings and exchanges with 22 farmers organized over two and a half months in the field allowed the collection of information regarding the learning resources and transmission of local agricultural knowledge and know-how that they mobilize. There are intangible and material resources.

– Intangible resources are vectors of information and therefore of knowledge and know-how. It is through these resources that the circulation of one or more information takes place. This includes the human network (family, professional and friendly), Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and other information media (magazines, thesis, etc.), specialized groups such as associations, etc. and diploma courses. Finally, empiricism, or practical experience, appears to be an essential resource for learning knowledge and know-how.

– Material resources are physical resources which allow the implementation of a change in practice as they make the application of a solution possible (e.g. the tractor and its accessories for mechanized tillage, system irrigation for water supply to crops, etc.). There are various inputs which depend on the activity carried out, such as agricultural equipment (e.g. greenhouses, tractors, irrigation systems, etc.), chemical and natural inputs, i.e. fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides. , etc. and finally the water resource.

The daily or occasional mobilization of these resources contributes to the implementation of new agricultural practices by the farmers met on the Taravao plateau. Among the practices put in place, several aim to partially overcome meteorological constraints. Indeed, the farmers we met say they have to deal with the impact of heavy rains, periods of low rainfall accompanied by intense heat felt or even the shift in seasons with a later arrival of the cool season.

What practices are put in place to overcome these constraints?

 

Example of greenhouses to minimize the impacts of heavy rain

Rain is among the atmospheric phenomena impacting crops most cited by farmers. These cause significant impacts, particularly on market gardening and vanilla crops due to their intensity or duration. In the market gardening sector, a prolonged rainy episode can sometimes partially or totally compromise harvests, depending on the sensitivity of the crops to excess water. The rains also represent a threat to the production of vanilla pods due to the fragility of their flowers. Under the influence of rain, the pollen melts and manual pollination of the flowers becomes impossible. Without pollination no vanilla pod will be produced. During the rains, as many pods are lost as unpollinated flowers. Finally, through the speeches of farmers, taro does not appear as a production particularly sensitive to rain in comparison with market garden vegetables and vanilla; although the sensitivity of taros to humidity differs depending on the variety.

The farmers and vanilla growers met in Taravao are implementing various adaptation solutions, including the installation of greenhouses. Greenhouses help protect crops from the direct impact of rain by providing a waterproof cover. By freeing themselves from the rain constraint, it is possible for market gardeners to extend the production period of certain crops, notably tomatoes, the cultivation of which is extended over the hot season, a rainy season (southern summer of November to April).

This then ensures financial income over this period: “Taravao is renowned for being a very rainfed area. It’s raining a lot, a lot. As a result, in the rainy season, we cannot grow vegetables because it rains too much. All those who are in open fields like that, when they have rain, they have more vegetables. So, we installed greenhouses to be able to fill this gap. And here we are, in the rainy season, we can still produce.” (Market gardener, 30-35 years old). Please note, however, that installing a greenhouse represents an investment that not everyone is able to cover. The financial capital available to the farmer in question can therefore act as a limiting condition for the implementation of such a solution.

 

Conclusion

In addition to the example presented above, the study carried out in Taravo made it possible to highlight resources that are a priori commonly mobilized such as the family or, for a minority of farmers, specialized groups. These resources sometimes allow the modification of agricultural practices to overcome various constraints.

For example, economic constraints push certain taro producers to abandon the cultivation practices of their ancestors (mobilization of the lunar calendar, use of mechanical tools) in favor of less energy-intensive and time-consuming methods, thus allowing the profitability of cultivation. . Economic constraints are not the only thing weighing on agriculture. Indeed, although extreme atmospheric phenomena are not at the heart of farmers’ discussions and concerns, their impacts are real and observed.

It is clear that farmers are implementing various strategies and tactics to compensate, or at least mitigate, certain impacts of extreme atmospheric phenomena. The adoption of new practices is, however, conditioned by various factors including the economic factor which slows down possible material investments. Finally, let us note that this is indeed all the practices of farmers which make it possible to mitigate the effects of atmospheric phenomena.

Analyzing the modalities of adaptation of these practices within the framework of this dissertation makes it possible to nourish the CLIPSSA project, which aims, in the following stages, to co-construct with local public policies strategies to support adaptation to the climate change, based both on current climate simulations and local knowledge.

 

 

 

Part-time internship by Ilona Da Cruz Gerngross

University of New Caledonia
April to June 2024
Supervisor: Fleur Vallet (IRD)

 

The aim of this internship was to analyse and propose ways of improving the inclusion of young people in the consultation and development processes for the country’s climate change adaptation strategy in New Caledonia.
The study began by examining the local context of climate change, the political context in this area, and the place of young people in climate issues and New Caledonian society.

Context

The issue of climate change now occupies a central place in global debates, prompting reflection on its multi-dimensional impact. Young people are still often excluded from public debates, perceived as lacking the knowledge, reflection, experience, or ideas needed to play a legitimate role in society. However, their inclusion is crucial, as young people are both the most exposed to future climate change and the leaders of tomorrow. They have diverse vulnerabilities and strengths that it is important to consider in order to support fair and relevant adaptation.

Within the international framework for adaptation to climate change, countries are developing strategies to respond in a targeted way to adaptation needs tailored to the local context. Located in the South Pacific, a region where vulnerabilities to climate change are exacerbated by geographical and socio-economic factors, New Caledonia is threatened by consequences that remain insufficiently understood in some respects, both by the general population and by the scientific community.

In the complex context of New Caledonia, the Government has decided to draw up a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy to guide adaptation actions at the territorial level. This strategy could be implemented through a climate change adaptation plan. This initiative requires coordination between government, scientists, the private sector, and citizens.

Involving young people in adapting to climate change in New Caledonia

For this study, it was necessary to carry out a literature review on a global scale, an inventory of the place of young people in New Caledonia and the identification of actors with relevant potential to support the integration of young people.

On the one hand, the literature review showed that in the Pacific, numerous actions  have enabled young people to participate in adaptation strategies, notably in the Marshall Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji, with educational, training and capacity-building projects, adaptation and awareness-raising initiatives, or the training of young people to become community leaders.
The Maldives, Madagascar, and Costa Rica are also establishing educational programmes and public consultations, beach clean-up campaigns, and youth participation in climate automation and gender equality efforts.

New Caledonia has already implemented several plans, notably the Youth Plan, which aims to structure youth policies, encourage young people’s autonomy and responsibility, and promote their social recognition.

In addition, it is important to identify the various key players in this field to ensure the successful integration of young people into the adaptation process: political players, civil society organisations, research centres, the private sector, international bodies, funding agencies, existing platforms and initiatives.

Case studies: students at the University of New Caledonia

A survey of students at the University of New Caledonia was carried out and supplemented by literature reviews. In summary, students‘ levels of knowledge and personal involvement in local climate issues varied greatly from one individual surveyed to another, demonstrating the heterogeneity of young people but also a lack of specific education and awareness-raising adapted to this level according to the students’ perceptions. Finally, this study is an initial exploratory approach to students’ relationship with climate change.

Suggestions for integrating young people into the development of the country’s climate change adaptation strategy:

Suggestions for the Adaptation Plan were formulated based on literature reviews, comments from students and personal observations in the field. The objectives and benefits of these recommendations and the conditions for success can be found here.
– Create a Youth Climate Council
– Create a network of players working with and for young people
– Strengthen climate education and awareness-raising among young people
– Create and/or expand attractive events on climate issues
– Develop opportunities for young people to get involved and take action (Integrate young people as proactive players in society, benefit from the energy and skills of young people to generate and create a synergy of commitment: the more young people there are, the more commitment there will be)
– Effective, targeted communication (making information available to young people and improving their ability to grasp the issues).
In conclusion, the participation of students at the University of New Caledonia and young people in general is vital to building a resilient future in the face of climate challenges in New Caledonia. Young people’s commitment, creativity, and innovative visions are invaluable assets in identifying effective solutions tailored to local realities.

 

 

Find out more about the CLIPSSA regional project, which is helping to tackle the specific climate challenges facing the Pacific islands.