Carbon jargon
Your quick guide to carbon literacy. By Anna Mouton. CO2, CO2e and GHGs Greenhouse gases — GHGs — in the atmosphere trap heat that would otherwise radiate into space. The most abundant greenhouse gas in our atmosphere is water vapour,…
Climate change FAQs
Your climate change questions answered. By Anna Mouton. 1. This winter saw excellent chill accumulation and heavy rainfall in the Western Cape. Why should we worry about global warming? Weather is more variable than climate. Weather is defined as the…
Climate-change guidelines for growers
A recent Hortgro-funded project focused on how climate change will impact growers in key production regions. By Jorisna Bonthuys. Climate change poses a significant threat to the sustainability of the pome- and stone-fruit industries, according to Prof. Stephanie Midgley, Climate…
Confronting climate change
Carbon emissions and the future of South African agriculture. By Anna Mouton. Global warming threatens South African agriculture as much by changing consumer behaviour as by changing the climate. Growing awareness of the environmental impacts of agriculture is leading consumers…
Extreme is the new normal
How climate change and extreme weather are impacting growers in Italy. By Anna Mouton. Prof. Luca Corelli Grappadelli leads the Ecophysiology Laboratory in the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the University of Bologna in Italy. His main research…
Forewarned is forearmed
New research projects will help growers plan for the future. By Anna Mouton. We could all use a crystal ball. Imagine if we could know today whether Saturday a month hence will be braai weather? Or whether or not we…
Future-proofing fruit production
Hortgro-funded projects that aim to develop a climate-change response strategy for the pome- and stone-fruit industry, and to investigate erratic weather conditions during early spring. By Jorisna Bonthuys. The impact of climate change on agriculture can no longer be ignored…
Hot off the press
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released their most recent report in August 2021. What are the implications for South African agriculture? By Jorisna Bonthuys. Recently an assessment of our planet’s future was performed by the IPCC — Intergovernmental Panel…
Insect pests in a warming world
What can science tell us about the likely impact of climate change on deciduous-fruit production? By Minette Karsten. Climate change has shifted the average weather conditions globally, as demonstrated by regular reports of extreme weather events such as heatwaves, freezing…
Keeping clear of Day Zero
The 2015–2017 drought was a wake-up call for the Western Cape. We need a plan to prevent future water shortages. By Anna Mouton. Below-average rainfall in 2015–2017 led to the worst drought in the Western Cape since 1904. The rest…