OPENING SUMMARY:
Upon the completion of writing my own climate story, I found a sudden interest in learning more about my father’s story. In an era where the effects of climate change are becoming increasingly evident, taking a step back to hear the experiences of others and reflect on the past becomes crucial. Made possible through my Talk Climate internship with Climate Generation, I was able to ask Ramil Villarama, whom I like to call “Dad,” a set of questions to understand his early years that were spent on a family farm. He shared his unique perspectives on how the environment he knew as a child has evolved, the lessons he learned from the land, and his thoughts on the urgent issue of climate change that affects us all today. As we delved into these cherished memories and insightful anecdotes, we uncovered not only the joys and challenges of growing up on a farm but also the stark contrasts between then and now in the context of climate change. Thank you for tuning in and enjoy the interview segment!
The below interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. To hear the full interview, click on the recording at the bottom of this post.
INTERVIEW:
Ramier: Hello Dad!
Dad: Hey, how are you son?
Ramier: Good! This set of questions is the section about your farm childhood, then we’ll move on to one more focused on climate change, then one more focused on the future and future goals.
Dad: That sounds good, I like that!
Farm childhood
Ramier: Can you share your experiences of growing up on a family farm?
Dad: I’m really happy that you are having interests as far as my childhood… growing up on a farm, it’s really a rewarding experience. I used to help my dad plant various vegetables like eggplants, tomatoes, corn, bitter gourd or we call it ampalaya in Tagalog, and of course, rice. Apart from these vegetables, we would plant and grow melons and watermelons as well. I grew up and lived on the farm for almost 22 years. In terms of the farming practices, we relied on rains apart from irrigation in making sure everything got enough water. Given the nature of the plants that we grow and the type of the soil/land, we grew them alternately, which means some plants are best grown during wet or rainy season while others are in dry season. I also helped my dad raise cattles and carabaos… we would gather cow manure to be used as fertilizers as it actually helps improve the quality of the soil which is essential to growing healthy vegetables, plants, and fruits.
Ramier: How did you learn life in a different way by living on a farm?
Dad: Living on a farm actually taught me to appreciate the simple things. It taught me the value of working hard, and to be humble, respectful, patient, and how to persevere. I really admired and respected my parents, particularly my dad, as he worked really hard to provide our daily needs, all coming from the farm. Helping my parents, particularly my dad, with the planting and nourishing of what we grew taught me responsibility and compassion at a young age.
Ramier: I borrowed this next question from a book that also talked about someone’s experiences growing up on a family farm. How did you have to work with and not against nature to make sure the farm succeeded?
Dad: We would rely heavily on nature to make sure that the farm or the farming succeeds right. Rain is very vital and a significant source of water for healthy soil and to grow the plants. Occasionally we would rely on heavy rains because that’s really good for the plants. In the same manner, equally important was the heat of the sun, given that once you do the harvest, you need to dry the crops, especially rice, before it goes to milling. So nature plays an important role for the farm. We should take care of nature, our nature.
Ramier: That’s very interesting. In the book that I read, the author talked about all four seasons because he was from California, so it’s interesting to compare that to the Philippines where it is only a lot of heat and rain, not really a spring or winter season is very interesting.
Dad: That’s very true! In the Philippines, sometimes I would joke around because in terms of the weather or the temperature, it’s like hot or hotter, but during rainy season obviously there’s like rains and a lot of rains…you know, which as you can imagine, excessive rains don’t really help, cause it causes flooding.
Ramier: Can you explain more of the specific challenges you and your family faced due to the changing weather conditions?
Dad: An example would be when there’s drought and less rain, farmers or my dad would be heavily dependent on irrigation systems, which becomes costly because you would have to buy fuel or gas to power the pumps… so obviously that’s an extra expense, which affects the profitability of farming. Then, the quality of soil diminishes, which means you can’t really expect as good of a harvest.
Climate Change
Ramier: Cool! Let’s talk more specifically about climate change. How has climate change impacted your family farm over the years, and what are some specific changes you have observed? How has the climate in the Philippines changed, if so, since your childhood?
Dad: Climate change definitely impacted our family farm over the years. It actually became harder for certain crops to grow due to shifts in weather patterns and we would look into growing different plants to cope. The climate in the Philippines became, I would say, unpredictable. Nowadays, I’ve seen it get worse because of industrialization, pollution, and people not being cognisant right… they don’t really, I would say for a lack of a better word, take care of nature.
Future
Ramier: Looking ahead, what do you envision for the future of farming, not only on your farm, but your region, considering the ongoing challenges of climate change? What role does the Philippine government play in supporting climate-resilient farming practices… are there any policy gaps that need to be addressed?
Dad: This is really a profound question. Farmers should have access to better farm irrigation systems. Farmers should be able to explore and plant different rice seed variants or rice varieties to help breed improved crops with higher resilience to climate change. In the absence of good rice variants, you can’t really expect a good harvest. The second question you asked about the Philippine government… obviously the government should play a vital role in supporting climate-resilient farming practices by building better irrigation systems. The Philippine government should also continue to educate its people regarding climate change as it truly impacts farming in the Philippines. As for the policy gaps that need to be addressed, the government should really enhance leadership and accountability through monitoring, evaluation, and review of climate change policies and activities. As you would know, the Philippines is like a major source of the global rice supply. There are a lot of farmers there, and it’s really important that the government do its part in making sure that farmers are able to navigate this ever-changing climate.
Ramier: Considering the challenges posed by climate change, do you have any advice or message for the younger generation growing up on family farms today?
Dad: I do, I sincerely do. As you know climate change poses a real threat to farmers around the world. Farming is highly dependent on good weather as it can really influence the harvest. In this regard, my pieces of advice that I’d give the younger generation are that they need to learn how to adapt and think outside of the box. Also, be more cognizant and assertive in understanding what truly causes climate change. The younger generations growing up on family farms need to be more informed. Climate change has been an ongoing issue and younger generations should be more keen in understanding the effects.
Ramier: What I got out of that was education is a big part, and as you mentioned, the government can play a big part in educating people, especially people who may not have the resources to learn about climate change. So to end this, I recently wrote my climate story and in it I wrote that I want to learn more about my identities, and one of them is my Filipino identity. I wanted to specifically learn your stories about growing up on the farm and that connection to climate change. So, my last question is, what were some stories your father told you about the farm when you were younger?
Dad: I actually gravitate to this particular question. I really liked listening to my dad, and he always told me a lot of stories about our farm when I was younger. One story I will never forget is, he said I’d always tell him, hey can we pick up some tomatoes or watermelons. Dad would tell me, “Hey, you and I will go to our farm and he’d bring me to the actual field for me to see the size of the tomatoes and watermelons that we grow.” That’s how he told me the story because obviously I was a little young back then so I couldn’t really recall what happened. My dad told me that he’d say we’ll pick the ripe ones and we will eat them and share them with the entire family and friends. He would always remind me that in life you need to persevere in order to be successful regardless of whether I become a farmer or follow any other profession. He also reminded me to respect nature and everyone around me because again, nature is vital to farmers. And, while it was a lowkey life, I could always feel happiness or fully content because there’s food on the table. My dad was always able to provide food for us. I kind of get teary when we’re talking about the farm, my experiences, and the stories that my dad told. He’s been very passionate in regard to farming and he’s very responsible. Imagine, my parents’ main source of income back then was farming. They didn’t get higher education, but they were able to provide for their family and my dad was able to think outside of the box as well. He didn’t just rely on planting vegetables, he also took care of cattle. Even now we have cattle. It’s a cycle: you plant rice and then the hay, the hay then becomes food for the cattle. You can imagine, it’s like a homestead, everything’s there. Weather played a really important role in that, so again, we should respect nature and take care of Mother Earth.
Ramier: One more thing, why do you think it’s important for you to share your own story and, like what we’re doing right now, talk about your life on the farm and be appreciative of that part of your life? Why do you think it’s important for me and my other siblings to visit the farm and experience the farm whenever we travel to the Philippines?
Dad: You actually hit the nail on the head when you say the word appreciate. Me sharing these stories with you all, for me, is very important to know your roots. There’s life out there, right. I mean you probably think it’s simple. In essence, it’s kind of lowkey, but very rewarding for you all to experience. Meaning living is simple in the Philippines and everything is provided by nature. When we have the opportunity to visit the farm, I like you all to kind of experience what I experienced because I do cherish that upbringing. For me, I would not be the person I am today without the experiences that taught me to be a better person. Living on a farm, I mean it was great. I encourage you, when we have the opportunity, to see and understand your roots as well.
Ramier: Wow, thank you dad!
Dad: I hope that answers all of your questions, but if you would like to have another conversation regarding me growing up on a farm, feel free to ask. I obviously love talking about my childhood living on a farm.
Ramier: Thank you!
Dad: You’re very welcome, anak!
Both my father and I witnessed the power of storytelling through our conversation about his childhood farm adventures and climate change. We invite you to listen to the full, uncut interview below—a treasure trove of insights that will incite your own passion for storytelling.
Ramier Villarama (he/him) was born in the Philippines, but moved to New Jersey with his family at a young age. He is a current rising third-year student at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN. In addition to being a part of the Men’s Swimming and Diving team, he is a double major in Environmental Studies and Studio Art, with a minor in Asian Studies and a concentration in Food, Agriculture, and Society. He has been recently learning more about his Filipino culture and his relationship with nature, and has been connecting both with his art and the work that he creates.
The post Buhay Bukid: A Conversation with My Father on His Childhood Farm Adventures and Climate Change appeared first on Climate Generation.
Buhay Bukid: A Conversation with My Father on His Childhood Farm Adventures and Climate Change
Climate Change
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Global yields of wheat are around 10% lower now than they would have been without the influence of climate change, according to a new study.
The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, looks at data on climate change and growing conditions for wheat and other major crops around the world over the past 50 years.
It comes as heat and drought have this year been putting wheat supplies at risk in key grain-producing regions, including parts of Europe, China and Russia.
The study finds that increasingly hot and dry conditions negatively impacted yields of three of the five key crops examined.
Overall, global grain yields soared during the study period due to technological advancements, improved seeds and access to synthetic fertilisers.
But these yield setbacks have “important ramifications for prices and food security”, the study authors write.
Grain impacts
Most parts of the world have experienced “significant” yield increases in staple crops since the mid-20th century.
The new study notes that, in the past 50 years, yields increased by 69-123% for the five staple crops included in the research – wheat, maize, barley, soya beans and rice.
But crop production is increasingly threatened by climate change and extreme weather. A 2021 study projected “major shifts” in global crop productivity due to climate change within the next two decades.
Earlier this year, Carbon Brief mapped out news stories of crops being destroyed around the world by heat, drought, floods and other weather extremes in 2023-24. Maize and wheat were the crops that appeared most frequently in these reports.
Hot and dry weather is currently threatening wheat crops in parts of China, the world’s largest wheat producer, Reuters reported this month.
In the UK, wheat crops are struggling amid the “driest start to spring in England for almost 70 years”, the Times recently reported. Farm groups say some crops are already failing, the Guardian said.
As a result, global wheat supplies are “tight”, according to Bloomberg, with price rises possible depending on weather conditions in parts of Europe, China and Russia.
Food security and prices
The study uses climate datasets, modelling and national crop statistics from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization to assess crop production and climate trends in key grain-producing countries over 1974-2023, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, the EU, Russia and the US.
The researchers assess climate observations and then use crop models to calculate what yields would have been with and without these climate changes.
For example, “if it has warmed 1C over 50 years and the model says that 1C leads to 5% yield loss, we’d calculate that the warming trend caused a loss of 5%”, Prof David Lobell, the lead study author and a professor at Stanford University, tells Carbon Brief.
The study looks at two reanalysis climate datasets that include information on temperature and rainfall over the past 50 years: TerraClimate (TC) and ERA5-Land. (Reanalysis data combines observations with a modern forecasting model.)
The researchers find that yields of three of the five crops are lower than they would have been without warmer temperatures and other climate impacts in the past 50 years.
Yields were lower than they otherwise would have been by 12-14% for barley, 8-12% for wheat and 4% for maize.
The impacts on soya beans were less clear as there were “significant differences” between data sources. But both datasets show a negative impact on yields, ranging from 2% to 8%.
The effects on rice yields were inconclusive, with one dataset showing a positive effect of around 1% while the other showed a negative effect of about 3%.
The chart below shows the estimated yield impacts for each crop based on the calculations from the two climate datasets.
Given soaring overall crop yields during this time, impacts of 4-13% “may seem trivial”, the researchers write. But, they say, it can have “important ramifications for prices and food security” given growing food demand, noting:
“The overall picture of the past half-century is that climate trends have led to a deterioration of growing conditions for many of the main grain-producing regions of the world.”
Water stress and heat
The study also assesses the impacts that warming and vapour pressure deficit – a key driver of plant water stress – have on crop yields.
Vapour pressure deficit is the difference between the amount of water vapour in the air and the point at which water vapour in the air becomes saturated. As air becomes warmer, it can hold more water vapour.
A high deficit can reduce plant growth and increase water stress. The models show that these effects may be the main driver of losses in grain yield, with heat having a more “indirect effect”, as higher temperatures drive water stress.
The study finds that vapour pressure deficit increased in most temperate regions in the past 50 years.
The researchers compare their data to climate modelling simulations covering the past 50 years. They find largely similar results, but notice a “significant underestimation” of vapour pressure deficit increases in temperate regions in most climate models.
Many maize-growing areas in the EU, China, Argentina and much of Africa have vapour deficit trends that “exceed even the highest trend in models”, they write.
The researchers also find that most regions experienced “rapid warming” during the study period, with the average crop-growing season now warmer than more than 80% of growing seasons 50 years ago.
The findings indicate that, in some areas, “even the coolest growing season in the present day is warmer than the warmest season that would have occurred 50 years ago”.
An exception to this is in the US and Canada, they find, with most maize and soya bean crop areas in the US experiencing lower levels of warming than other parts of the world and a “slight cooling” in wheat-growing areas of the northern Great Plains and central Canada.
(The central US has experienced a cooling trend in summer daytime temperatures since the middle of the 20th century, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There are many theories behind this “warming hole”, which has continued despite climate change.)
CO2 greening
Dr Corey Lesk, a postdoctoral researcher at Dartmouth College who studies the impacts of climate on crops, says these findings are in line with other recent estimates. He tells Carbon Brief:
“There are some uncertainties and sensitivity to model specification here – but it’s somewhat likely climate change has already reduced crop yields in the global mean.”
The study’s “main limitation” is that it is “behind” on including certain advances in understanding how soil moisture impacts crops, Lesk adds:
“Moisture changes and CO2 [carbon dioxide] effects are the largest present uncertainties in past and future crop impacts of climate change. This paper is somewhat limited in advancing understanding on those aspects, but it’s illuminating to pause and take stock.”
The research looks at whether the benefits of CO2 increases during the past 50 years exceed the negative effects of higher levels of the greenhouse gas.
Rising CO2 levels can boost plant growth in some areas in a process called “CO2 fertilisation”. However, a 2019 study found that this “global greening” could be stalled by growing water stress.
Yield losses for wheat, maize and barley “likely exceeded” any benefits of CO2 increases in the past 50 years, the study finds.
The opposite is true for soya beans and rice, they find, with a net-positive impact of more than 4% on yields.
Climate science has “done a remarkable job of anticipating global impacts on the main grains and we should continue to rely on this science to guide policy decisions”, Lobell, the lead study author, says in a press release.
He adds that there may be “blind spots” on specialised crops, such as coffee, cocoa, oranges and olives, which “don’t have as much modelling” as key commodity crops, noting:
“All these have been seeing supply challenges and price increases. These matter less for food security, but may be more eye-catching for consumers who might not otherwise care about climate change.”
The post Global wheat yields would be ‘10%’ higher without climate change appeared first on Carbon Brief.
Global wheat yields would be ‘10%’ higher without climate change
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