Agricultural Adaptation to Climate Change
Adaptation refers to a response to the changing climate. An example of adaptation is the development of heat or drought resistant crop cultivars that will be able to grow in warmer climates with potentially less water.
Adaptation has the potential to reduce the magnitude of challenges associated with climate change and increase the capture of possible benefits. Increasing soil organic matter, implementing flexible cropping systems, and installing well designed drainage or irrigation systems are examples of on-farm actions that can reduce the impacts of extreme events expected to increase as a result of climate change. Providing responsive insurance programs and supporting stategic research are examples of adaptation responses that governments and industry can offer. In addition to building resilience to extreme conditions, actions like these also enable the agriculture sector to take advantage of potential benefits of climate change such as more heat units or a longer growing season.
Agriculture is dynamic; the sector is constantly adapting to stressors such as market and weather changes. With the conscious development of resources to build adaptive capacity, agriculture can adapt to and meet the challenges presented by climate change.
Growing Conditions are Changing - Here's How Agriculture Can Respond (PDF 248 KB)
Other Resources
Publications
- Prairie Provinces: Chapter 4 in Canada in a Changing Climate: Regional Perspectives (2020)
- Canada's Changing Climate Report (2019) (PDF 34.4 MB)
- Climate Change and the Preparedness of Canadian Provinces and Yukon to Limit Potential Flood Damage (PDF 1.9 MB)
- Impact of climate scenarios on the agroclimate of the Canadian Priaries (PDF 83.6 KB)
- Canada in a Changing Climate: Sector Perspectives on Impacts and Adaptation
- Climate Adaptation and Food Security
- From Impacts to Adaptation: Canada in a Changing Climate 2008
- Prairies Regional Adaptation Collaborative I (2010-2012) reports
- Agricultural Solutions to Climate Change: Findings from the Manitoba Agricultural Climate Initiative (March 2018) (PDF 6.9 MB)
- The Manitoba Challenge: Linking Water and Land Management for Climate Adaptation (PDF 2.9 MB)
Websites
- Manitoba Drought Management Strategy and Conditions Reports
- Managing Extremes of Moisture: Dry Conditions and Drought
- Canadian Drought Monitor
- Canadian Drought Outlook
- Climate Atlas of Canada
- Prairie Climate Centre
- Climate West
- Canadian Drought Monitor
- USDA: Agricultural Adaptation in a Changing Climate
- United States Drought Monitor