Tunisian farmers turn to old wheat varieties due to climate change

Wheat

Tunisia

Sustainability & Environmental Impact

Published Feb 28, 2024

Tridge summary

Farmers around the world are adapting to climate change in innovative ways. In Tunisia, farmer Hassan Chetoui is experimenting with traditional wheat varieties that are more resistant to drought, a move that is being met with skepticism but also some acknowledgment from agricultural experts. Meanwhile, international organizations like the FAO and IAEA are breeding new crop varieties that can withstand climate change, even going as far as sending seeds into space for experimentation. In Ukraine, farmers are turning to technology and altering cultivation methods in response to worsening precipitation conditions.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by a state-of-the-art LLM model and is intended for informational purposes only. It is recommended that readers refer to the original article for more context.

Original content

Tunisian wheat farmer Hassan Chetoui is looking to the deep past for inspiration as he tries to adapt to drought caused by climate change by planting old varieties of wheat that he hopes will produce a harvest within a year, Asharq Al Awsat reports. Chetui doesn't believe his experiment with alternative types of wheat is likely to work everywhere, but he thinks it could help him cope with years of little rain and heat that destroyed much of his crop last year. Years of drought that have hit much of North Africa have depleted Tunisia's reservoirs and dried up crops, while a series of hot summers have wiped out some of what remains. Agricultural experts in Tunisia are skeptical that old varieties of wheat will be able to protect farmers from the effects of climate change, noting that modern wheat produces much higher yields. However, they also say that older varieties may perform better in certain areas or under certain conditions, and that Chetua's experiments are worthwhile. The ...

Source: Landlord