Diversity in organic and agroecological farming systems for mitigation of climate change impact, with examples from Latin America

This chapter reviews the impact of climate change on, and the adaptation potential of, ecologically intensive systems such as those known in different parts of the world as organic farming, or agroecology. To fit into the rationale of this book, this chapter focuses on Latin America, and on the array of organic and agroecological farming systems (OAFS) that coexist in the region. The chapter starts by defining the farming systems focused on in the chapter. Then climate change predictions for Latin America are reviewed and their impacts assessed. Next, recent evidence from global meta-analyses on the performance of OAFS is summarized. Information from OAFS from Latin America is included in the reviews but is too scant to warrant a specific section. Instead, two specific OAFS from Latin America are focused on: coffee production systems and natural grassland systems. Their current status, challenges in view of climate change predictions and adaptation options proposed in the literature are reviewed. The chapter ends by discussing the key features and impediments of OAFS and how they can help to build farming systems in the face of global and climate change.