VOA标准英语2012--Three Countries to Test Climate Smart Farming

Three Countries to Test Climate Smart Farming

Malawi, Zambia and Vietnam will take part in a new project to transition to climate-smart agriculture. The goal is to help farmers adapt to climate change, while helping¹ to control farming’s carbon emissions².
The EU and U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization are funding the $6.7 million initiative.
FAO’s Wendy Mann is a special advisor³ to the project called: Climate-Smart Agriculture - Capturing the Synergies between Mitigation, Adaptation and Food security.
She said, “Climate-smart agriculture is defined as growth in agricultural incomes and productivity to support food security and poverty reduction. And to do this you need to incorporate necessary adaptation to changing climate conditions, but also trying to capture the potential mitigation benefits, which could bring financing to some of the agricultural development goals of those countries.”
Tailor made
The FAO considers Zambia and Malawi low income developing countries. However, they already have climate change adaptation policies that rely heavily on agriculture. Mann said Vietnam has different reasons for taking part in the three year project.
“Vietnam has changed from being a rice importing country to a rice exporting country. So they have had a certain degree of success in their agricultural sector⁴. But they’re very worried and concerned about what climatic changes will do, particularly in the Mekong Delta⁵ with sea level rise, which is one of their big rice growing areas. So, they’re afraid of sort of falling backwards,” she said.
Malawi, Zambia and Vietnam will tailor their agricultural policies to their individual needs. Mann said the FAO and EU are not looking for a one-size fits all policy for climate-smart farming.
“Definitely not,” she said, “We have said very clearly in the project document and in other things that we’ve written that there are no blueprints⁶ and countries under specific context will determine how it’s implemented⁷ in terms of practices, policies and the financing arrangements. Because as it sort of cuts across food security, development and climate change there are different financing mechanisms⁸ also. And how to you blend those optimally⁹?”
The FAO special advisor said the information gathered on the local level can have ramifications¹⁰ on the international level.
“We’re also hoping that as countries build capacity and confidence to deal with some of these subjects that it may also help the international climate change convention negotiations¹¹ to move forward a little bit more quickly, as they have been dragging a little bit lately,” she said.
“In the end,” Mann said, “it’s the farmer who’ll take new policies forward with governments and various agencies lending their support.

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

3 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

4 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

5 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

6 blueprints   

n.蓝图，设计图( blueprint的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Have the blueprints been worked out? 蓝图搞好了吗？ 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• BluePrints description of a distributed component of the system design and best practice guidelines. BluePrints描述了一个分布式组件体系的最佳练习和设计指导方针。 来自互联网

7 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

8 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 optimally   

最佳

参考例句：

• In the classic script for a Cartel, the group sets a unified optimally exploiting price structure. 按照卡特尔的传统范本，这个集团制定出一个统一的最有利于剥削的价格结构。 来自辞典例句
• RF power LDMOS with a trench drift region is optimally designed. 对射频功率LDMOS槽形漂移区的结构进行了优化设计。 来自互联网

10 ramifications   

n.结果，后果( ramification的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These changes are bound to have widespread social ramifications. 这些变化注定会造成许多难以预料的社会后果。
• What are the ramifications of our decision to join the union? 我们决定加入工会会引起哪些后果呢？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。