Global warming does not reduce Brazil agricultural production, says CNA

The production of the Brazilian agricultural sector will continue to rise, regardless of the global temperature increase or decrease. This prediction was presented by the technical advisor of the Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil (CNA), Nelson Ananias Filho, in a hearing organized by the Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development and Supply Committee of the House of Representatives on November 5th.

During the hearing, scientists explained the results of the 1stNational Assessment Report on Climate Change, prepared with the findings of more than 300 Brazilian researchers.

According to the report, the average temperature will rise between 3 and 6 degrees Celsius by the year 2100. This increase will impact Brazil’s rainfall: in Southeast and Southern Mata Atlantica areas in Brazil may be increased by up to 30% in precipitation, while in parts of the Amazon and Caatinga the region will be dry, with a reduction in rains of up to 40%.

Divergence

At the hearing, Luiz Carlos Molion, professor at the Meteorology Center at Federal University of Alagoas, criticized the report prepared by the Brazilian Panel on Climate Change and countered the conclusion of most scientists. Molion said that in the next 20 years the temperature will decrease worldwide.

According to him, the level of activity of the Sun is cyclical, and the star would be entering a phase of lower activity, emitting less heat. In addition to it, the temperature of the oceans, especially the Pacific Ocean, has been decreasing, which would also have an influence on the reduction of global temperature.

Adaptation

The disagreement did not affect the opinion presented by the CAN’s advisor Nelson Ananias Filhoa bout climate change. "We brought the vision of agriculture that we can, in any of these opportunities, adapt and produce more and more," he said .

The researcher Eduardo Assad, from the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), participated in drafting the 1stNational Assessment Report on Climate Change. He reaffirmed that the forecasts indicate that, in the whole country, there could be an increase in temperature.

Assad commented another effect of climate change in Brazil: the increase in the frequency of so-called "extreme events". "Phenomena that, previously, people used to say it was normal, still happen, but much more often: there are several days of the year with very high temperatures, with very heavy rainfall, with very low temperatures. These things are causing very strong impact, especially in Brazilian agriculture and in the poorest populations of the country," he said.

According to the Embrapa researcher, at first, it would be harmful to soybean production, as well as corn, coffee and wheat. On the other hand, the temperature rise would benefit grassland and sugar cane production.

Eduardo Assad emphasized that one of the ways to minimize the impacts of climate change on agriculture is, for example, to use adapted plants. He said that some types of corn used in the Northern Brazil, that can stand high temperatures and water uncertainties, could be tested in the South. According to him, these corns adapted to the Northeast do not produce as much as the species of the South, but it could be an alternative for farmers in the region.

Heavy rains

The researcher also said the rains tend to become more intense. This will require farmers to return planting on terraces, a system that uses the slope of the land to form multilevel platforms in farming, reducing the impact of floods.

Congressman Mr. Bohn Gass (PT- RS), who requested the debate, expressed his concern about the consequences of global warming on agriculture. He emphasized that it is necessary to take all the technologies that allow production adaptation to climate change to the producers.