Farmers adjust to climate change in El Salvador

Nelson Renteria has an interesting article on how Salvadoran farmers are changing their approach to agricultural production because of the effects of climate change. El Salvador is typically listed as one of the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

Some farmers are going organic. The FMLN government is investing over $30 million in projects to strengthen food security, to improve innovation, and to improve the links between the agricultural sector and industry and commerce. When I was in El Salvador in 1997, the FMLN criticized ARENA over and over again for neglecting the agricultural sector and forcing the country to import basic foodstuffs.

Other farmers have attended seminars where they are learning traditional cultivation practices used by the Nahuat-Pipil indigenous people who occupied the land prior to the arrival of the Spanish.

Amadeo Martinez, head of the Indigenous Council of Central America (CICA), said ancient people understood their environment, the weather and the best growing seasons.

The Nahuat-Pipil used natural fertilizers and pesticides to protect plants without damaging crops, and tended the forests and river basins because the ecosystems helped preserve the life of the community.

“Beyond planting, indigenous practices in agriculture are related to a spiritual relationship with the earth,” said Martinez.

While their efforts should be encouraged, the low yields of indigenous farming practices mean that El Salvador is going to have to continue to pursue other paths to try to provide for their food security.