Chile - Country Note on Climate Change Aspects in Agriculture

This country note briefly summarizes information relevant to both climate change and agriculture in Chile, with focus on policy developments (including action plans and programs) and institutional make-up. Like most countries in Latin America, Chile has submitted one national communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) with a second one under preparation. Agriculture contributes little, in relative terms, to total green house gas (GHG) emissions and the mitigation potential in the sector is mainly related to afforestation and the sustainable management of native forests. Agriculture is highly vulnerable to weather extremes, in particular in the central parts of the country, where water scarcity is an issue. Desertification and soil erosion are some of the other major problems facing the country, though measures for reducing erosion are yielding positive results. A greater emphasis on developing and applying adequate insurance mechanisms can be placed for better management of public resources in light of natural disasters in the agriculture sector.