agricultural practices

During our last visit to Bella Vista, Luis Pedro acknowledged that climate change is indeed a challenge he has been dealing with over the last couple of years. Bella Vista, like farms all over the world, has experienced abnormal temperatures and precipitation, and inconsistency in weather patterns. These climatic shifts can disrupt harvest cycles and compel investment in adaptations.

As climate change is unpredictable, adaptations take many forms. In one example, Luis Pedro installed irrigation systems, an investment that was not previously necessary because rainfall was more reliable. Irrigation will allow the farm to exert some influence over flowering and bean maturation. In another example, a hard frost hit Luis Pedro’s Bella Vista farm in January 2017 and, despite adaptive measures, resulted in a loss of production.