In a world of increasing climate variability, greater pressure on resources, and questions about how these changes will affect food production, interest is growing in "adaptation."

A changing climate can manifest itself in many ways, and differently across regions. In the Prairies, for instance, extreme weather events and increasing variability mean that a changing climate could increase drought and create a greater need for heat resistant crops. As the growing season gets longer, this region could also see new opportunities for certain crops. For some crops, the changing conditions could present wide swings in growing conditions — favourable and unfavourable — within the same season. The situation is unpredictable.

How do farmers, and others in the agri-food sector, adapt to these changing conditions? What are the policies needed to support them? Given the considerable timeline required to develop new technological and plant breeding solutions, what has to be done now to position the sector for such change?

Farmers are proud of their ability to adapt to changing conditions. Researchers and innovators introduce scientific approaches and technological solutions that help farmers adopt new methods and cope with change. Governments, meanwhile, support initiatives that foster best management practices that help the sector to adapt.

• Symposium on Adapating Agriculture to a Changing Prairie Climate

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