A new study says the speed and severity of

climate change could cause major damage to

small African farm.
These farmers are already struggling to deal
with the effects of the climate change.
The study was released at the African Green
Revolution forum in Addis Abab, Ethipia.
David Sarfo Ameyaw was a lead producer of the
report.
He is a director at the Alliance for a Green
Revolution in Africa.
He says small farm owners produce about 90
percent of the food needed in Africa.
These farmers grow most of the main crops in
African on fields from two to 10 hectares in
size.
But small farms in Africa are much less
productive than those in other places.
Mr. Ameyaw sai a main reason is weather.
He said most of the African farm are rain-fed.
The farmers deal with drought often.
These AGRA report says farmers in sub-Saharan
African are also seeing raising temperatures.
Mr. Ameyew said an expected rise of as much
as 2.5 degrees Celsius in the next 35 years will
result in smaller harvest.
Climate change is also expected to affect the
average length of the growing season.
This could continue to reduce the already-low
crop yields from each hectare.
Mr. Ameyaw said experts are urging African
farmers to take steps to reduce the effects of
climate change.
They suggest that small-scale farmers grow new
kinds of crops that require less manufactured
fertilizer.
Other new crops can grow well in time of
drought.
These include maize, sweet potato, sorghum,
soybean and cassava.