Climate Change is Driving Migration. Could Smarter Ag Help?

What It Covers

Climate-driven drought in Central America's Dry Corridor forces migration to the US. Catholic Relief Services teaches 3,000 farmers water-smart agriculture techniques that increase crop yields by 41% during droughts, potentially reducing migration pressures.

Key Questions Answered

• •Water-Smart Agriculture Four Pillars: Use fertilizer strategically after rainfall, eliminate tilling and burning crop residue, plant nitrogen-fixing cover crops like local chapaneco beans, and integrate small trees for shade and soil retention to combat drought.
• •Drought Impact Metrics: The canicula dry spell extended from two weeks to 45 days in 2018, causing 2.2 million families to lose crops entirely. Twelve percent of Dry Corridor residents have family members who migrated recently due to agricultural failure.
• •Yield Improvement Timeline: Water-smart agriculture produces 20% higher yields in year one, expanding to 41% more corn and 37% more beans by year four as soil health compounds. Healthy soil acts like a sponge, degraded soil like concrete.
• •Scaling Challenge: Only 3,000 of millions of smallholder farmers currently use these techniques. Watershed-level adoption requires investment in agricultural extension services to train farmers region-wide, benefiting entire communities including downstream urban areas with improved water quality.