Latin America and the Caribbean

Main Contacts for Initiative

Roberto Valdivia and Kelly Witkowski

Brief Description of Activity

Define Stakeholder needs and desired impact of AgMIP in the LAC. Contextualize the current use and demand of modelling outputs to inform the planning processes in the region. Provide information on the extent of the use of modelling tools, modelling capacities and research priorities for the region, based on previous experiences. In addition, focus on assessing the types of modelling outputs that are required to support existing or upcoming planning processes in Latin America.

Overview of Participants

Stakeholders and Researchers from LAC or working in LAC.

Recent Noteworthy Finding

Evidence for project interventions NDCs & NAPs Direct government interventions Farm-level information to address current problems Need to clarify scales and translation mechanisms

 

Next Steps

Regional assessment for potato production in the Andes Roadmap of activities/projects in the regions Capacity building –multi-disciplinary trainings to support RIA Develop strategy for funding

 

EUROCLIMA Update

 

Main Contacts for Initiative

Maurits Vandenberg

Brief Description of Activity

As part of the EUROCLIMA project:

Improve and adapt the BioMAmodelling platform (crop growth models and associated databases) to Latin America and the Carribean;
Promote formation / continuation of a Latinamericancommunity of practice of agricultural modellers.

Overview of Participants

Agricultural scientists and policy makers from Latin America and the Caribbean (core group of about 12 scientists)

Current Research Focus

Finalization of technical and scientific reports about the modelling platform, background studies,  and applications.

User interface of the new “BioMAStudio”

Recent Noteworthy Finding

The new integrated BioMAStudio system currently contains 4 crop models; algorithms to calculate commonly used climatic indices; databases for Latin America and the Caribeanon historical and projected weather (ISIMIP) by several models and RCPs at 0.5 degree resolution and soil data (Soilgrids) at 10 km resolution; with format tailored to the models (executed for the intersections).

“State of the art” reports for soybean, maize, wheat, rice, common bean, sugarcane, potatoes and coffee.

 

Prior Updates from AgMIP7: 

 

Researchers identify primary challenges for the future with respect to agriculture, food security and climate change

Article by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

At a global workshop hosted by IICA, close to 150 specialists from around the world agreed that research efforts should focus on integration of mitigation and adaptation, climate risk management and nutrition.

Read full article here