Mary Nyasimi, Catherine Mungai and Maren Radeny

CCAFS-East Africa

Adaptation measures in agricultural systems: messages to SBSTA 44

Working paper February 2016: Adaptation measures in agricultural systems: Messages to the SBSTA 44 Agriculture Workshops

Info note February 2016: Measures for climate change adaptation in agriculture. Messages to the SBSTA 44 agriculture workshops

http://hdl.handle.net/10568/71052 http://hdl.handle.net/10568/71049

Lessons learned for adaptation measures

Perspectives from Africa

1. Governance and policy

International governance arrangements and national policy frameworks already provide a robust foundation for adaptation in agricultural systems - incorporated into mainstream agricultural planning and policy-making

Nigeria’s National Agricultural Resilience Framework (NARF):

• Develop a CSA program for the country - over 20 million metric tonnes of food, reducing food import-dependency, increasing agricultural exports & creating 3.5 million jobs in food & agriculture.

• Strategy - both sector-specific innovations in agricultural prodn to boost productivity, & risk mgt mechanisms to enhance agricultural resilience.

• Strengthen the capacity of both small and large-scale producers, by improving their productivity and incomes

2. National planning

National planning using prioritization tools can result in efficient, effective and equitable allocation of limited resources to benefit the most vulnerable farmers and systems.

Climate-Smart Agriculture Prioritization Framework in Mali:

• Decision-support modelling framework to support agricultural investment decisions that match local context and capacity

• 23 potential adaptation measures related to regional production systems

• Identifies best-suited crops and technologies under climate change

3. Local Planning

Local planning involves devolution of decision-making and participatory approaches to match local contexts, capacities and preferences.

Devolving Kenya’s National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP):

• NCCAP identifies & prioritizes a range of immediate, medium and long-term adaptation actions for low carbon climate resilient development pathway.

• CSA and agroforestry are among the “big wins” with the agricultural sector offering great potential for synergies among the multiple objectives of food security, poverty reduction, adaptation & mitigation, reduce GHG emissions & improve agricultural productivity.

4. Finance, incentives, value chain interventions

Climate finance for agricultural adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa:

• Twenty climate funds are currently active in sub-Saharan Africa e.g. Clean Technology Fund - USD 466 million for 4 large projects, & the Least Developed Country Fund (LDCF), bringing over USD 458 million to 126 projects to implement adaptation activities under country’s NAPAs

• Challenge is that only 45% of the approved climate funding is directed towards adaptation measures, therefore the region’s need for USD 18 billion/year in adaptation finance is currently not being met.

Access to adaptation finance remains critical to achieving local and global goals for adaptation. Both economic incentives and value chain initiatives can ensure that financial investments achieve adaptation at scale.

5. Research and knowledge systems

Public-private R&D partnerships for climate-resilient seed:

• The Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa - high-yielding maize cultivars to mitigate drought and diseases in 13 African counties.

• 20–50% higher yields under drought

• Monsanto provides germplasm, advanced breeding tools & expertise, & drought-tolerant transgenes. Potential benefit 30-40 million people and provide grain worth USD 160-200 million/yr in drought-affected areas.

Effective research and knowledge systems connect farmers, policy-makers, businesses and researchers to accelerate sharing of emerging knowledge, and help adapt to dynamic current climates and to future scenarios for climate and development.

6. Extension services, capacity building and technology transfer

Shamba Shape Up – East Africa:

• An innovative model for disseminating of agricultural practices and technologies

• 9 million average viewers/month

• Smallholder farmers to ‘make over’ their farms by adopting new practices and approaches that address challenges e.g., water shortages, pests and diseases, market access

• Launched an SMS service &

Facebook page to disseminate

agricultural information.

Modernizing extension services, capacity building and technology transfer approaches are important to capture the attention and participation of a wider group of rural people, including youth.

7. Use of indigenous knowledge

Integrating indigenous & scientific climate knowledge to support smallholder agricultural decision-making and planning in Tanzania:

• Local knowledge of climate risks integrated with scientific knowledge

• Multi-stakeholder partners - community, Tanzania Meteorological Agency, District Council, Selian Agricultural Research Institute & Sokoine University of Agriculture

• District weather Forecast team – develops comprehensive and accurate downscaled location-specific forecast that is reliable, timely, and user-friendly

• Seasonal foreacst in local language (Usambaa) and national languages (Kiswahili and English)

Indigenous knowledge strengthens adaptation measures by working closely with knowledge-holders at both local and national levels.

8. Gender and social inclusion

Women champion knowledge & technology based approaches to CSA in Kenya:

• Women received training and better access to climate and crop information

• Women’s Group use SMS to receive climate services & agro-advisories - plan their planting season,

• Improved incomes, participation and decision-making of women in the household and community

Gender equality and social inclusion can be strengthened if adaptation measures are well designed.

Thank you

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