Climate Change , Agriculture And Food Security Research Articles

Corrigendum: Planning for Adaptation: A System Approach to Understand the Value Chain's Role in Supporting Smallholder Coffee Farmers' Adaptive Capacity in Peru

Corrigendum on: Morales LV, Robiglio V, Baca M, Bunn C and Reyes M (2022) There is an error in the Funding statement. The correct Name for one of the Funding organizations is Camara Peruana del Café y Cacao. The authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated.In the original article, we neglected to include funding received under CGIAR's Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA) and Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) by Valentina Robiglio, Maria Baca, Martin Reyes and Cristian Bunn. The authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated.

What is the importance of climate research? An innovative web-based approach to assess the influence and reach of climate research programs

Many parts of the world are increasingly experiencing the effects of climate change, making climate adaptation of rural livelihoods crucial to secure social and economic resilience. While the past two decades have witnessed a significant evolution in climate adaptation policy, evaluating the impact of climate science on policy has remained a challenge. This study employs the Digital Methods epistemology to explore the dynamics of agriculture-focused climate science and changes in attitude towards Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) and climate change, using the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) as a case study. By considering online networks and narratives as evidence of “offline” influence, it effectively repurposes publicly available data from digital sources such as social media and websites by employing text mining and social network analysis to assess the influence and reach of the program among stakeholder at various levels. Results show that CCAFS has supported increased public awareness of CSA; that it actively engages with key actors within a network of stakeholders with more than 60 thousand members; that it has positively shifted the debate on climate adaptation among strategic partners through increased message alignment and space in the policy agenda; and that the program’s reach is potentially amplified to 5.8 M users on Twitter.

Precision Nitrogen Management in Bt Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) Improves Seed Cotton Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency, and Reduces Nitrous Oxide Emissions

Field experiments were conducted to establish precision N management technology for nitrogen (N) topdressings in Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) along with the quantification of nitrous oxide emissions from the soil. The treatments consisted of five fixed N rates (0, 60, 90, 120 and 150 kg N ha−1 applied in two split doses) and eight site-specific N management (SSNM) treatments of applying different N rates at 40 days after sowing (DAS) and the application of leaf colour chart (LCC)-guided 30, 45 or 60 kg N ha−1 at 55 DAS only in four treatments and at both 55 and 85 DAS (first flowering and boll formation stages) in the remaining four treatments. A higher R2 value between the total N uptake and the leaf N concentration at 85 DAS than at 55 DAS strongly suggested that fertilizer N management based on leaf N concentration measured in terms of LCC scores led to an adequate total N uptake resulting in a respectable yield. Topdressings of 45 to 60 kg N ha−1 at 40 DAS and an LCC-based application at 55 DAS produced seed cotton yields on a par with the addition of 150 kg N ha−1 based on a soil test basis along with an improved recovery and agronomic efficiency use, and remarkably lowered the nitrous oxide emissions as estimated using the CCAFS (Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security)-Mitigation Option Tool.

A Changing Climate for Knowledge Generation in Agriculture: Lessons to Institutionalize Science-Policy Engagement

Effective science-policy engagement efforts are crucial to accelerate climate action. Such efforts should be underpinned by high-quality knowledge generation that enhances salience, credibility and legitimacy of research results. This is particularly important for the agricultural sector. Agriculture has been identified as a priority for climate action. The sector also constitutes well-established institutions set up to help achieve food and nutrition security. Institutionalizing high quality knowledge generation for climate change adaptation within these institutions presents a major opportunity to catalyze climate action within the sector. To contribute to insights about this institutionalization, we draw on and develop Cash et al.'s 2002 success conditions for enhancing salience, credibility and legitimacy: (1) increased accountability, (2) use of boundary objects, (3) participation across the boundary, (4) mediation and a selectively permeable boundary, (5) translation, and (6) coordination and complementary expertise. We examine how these success conditions apply in a major global case of agricultural research for development under climate change: the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). We explore these success conditions in the wider context of CGIAR reform and response to climate change as the international system for Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D). Our results specify and confirm the practical relevance of the six success conditions for institutional design and reform, but also point to the need to complement these with two inductively-derived success conditions: effective leadership and presence of incentives. To institutionalize these success conditions among AR4D institutions, there is an urgent need to create a conducive environment that enables the development of context-specific science-policy engagement strategies, along with leadership development and efforts to break traditional disciplinary silos which constrain user-oriented knowledge production.

Multi-Actors' Co-Implementation of Climate-Smart Village Approach in West Africa: Achievements and Lessons Learnt

Climate change and variability are significant challenges for the environment and food security worldwide. Development strategies focusing simultaneously on adaptive farming, productivity, and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions-known as climate-smart agriculture (CSA) strategies-are key to responding to these challenges. For almost a decade, within the framework of Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), World Agroforestry (ICRAF), and its partners have been using Participatory Action Research (PAR) to fully engage key stakeholders in co-creating such CSA development strategies. This includes the testing of Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D) CSA scalability options. The multidisciplinary teams include the National Research and Extension Systems (NARES), national meteorological services (NMS), non-profit organizations (NGOs), and local radio programs, among others. The CCAFS-West Africa Program, World Agroforestry-West and Central Africa (ICRAF-WCA), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), University of Reading, and Centre Régional de Formation et d'Application en Agro-météorologie et Hydrologie Opérationnelle (AGRHYMET) provide technical backstopping to the national teams. Climate information (CI) was used as an entry point to inform the development of CSA technologies and practices within Climate-Smart Villages (CSV). This groundwork has led to a greater understanding of three critical factors for successful CSV implementation: (1) Building strong partnerships to co-design and develop agricultural systems that improve ecosystem and population resilience, (2) Key stakeholders (researchers, farmers, development agents, and students) capacity strengthening through vocational and academic training, and (3) Using CI for livelihood planning at all scales. These three factors support more effective identification and testing of agricultural technologies and practices addressing climate variability and change at plot, community, and landscape levels. This paper discusses the PAR-CSA methodology and parameters for evaluation, including biophysical and social change. Keys to success, including communication, knowledge sharing tools, and scalability are also discussed. Finally, future opportunities for improvement are presented, including knowledge product development, CSA policy and investment planning, capacity building, further engagement of the private sector, and additional research on existing practices and tools.

Transforming Food Systems in Africa under Climate Change Pressure: Role of Climate-Smart Agriculture

Low-income producers and consumers of food in Africa are more vulnerable to climate change, owing to their comparatively limited ability to invest in more adapted institutions and technologies under increasing climatic risks. Therefore, the way we manage our food systems needs to be urgently changed if the goal is to achieve food security and sustainable development more quickly. This review paper analyzes the nexus “climate-smart agriculture-food systems-sustainable development” in order to draw sound ways that could allow rapid transformation of food systems in the context of climate change pressure. We followed an integrative review approach based on selected concrete example-experiences from ground-implemented projects across Africa (Ghana, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, in West Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania in East Africa). Mostly composed of examples from the Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS) Research Program of the CGIAR (former Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) and its partners, these also included ground initiatives from non-CGIAR that could provide demonstrable conditions for a transformative agriculture and food systems. The lessons learnt from the ground implementation of climate-smart agriculture (CSA), in the African context, were instrumental to informing the actions areas of the food-system transformation framework suggested in this paper (reroute, de-risk, reduce, and realign). Selected CSA example-cases to inform these action areas included 24 initiatives across Africa, but with a focus on the following studies for an in-depth analysis: (1) the climate-smart village approach to generate knowledge on climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies and practices for their scaling, (2) the use of climate information services (CIS) to better manage climate variability and extremes, and (3) the science–policy interfacing to mainstream CSA into agricultural development policies and plans. The analysis of these examples showed that CSA can contribute driving a rapid change of food systems in Africa through: (1) the implementation of relevant climate-smart technologies and practices to reroute farming and rural livelihoods to new climate-resilient and low-emission trajectories; (2) the development and application of weather and climate information services (WCIS) that support de-risking of livelihoods, farms, and value chains in the face of increasing vagaries of weather and extreme events; (3) the use of climate-smart options that minimize waste of all the natural resources used for growing, processing, packaging, transporting, and marketing food, and therefore mitigating the carbon footprint attached to this food loss and waste; and (4) the realignment of policies and finance that facilitate action in the four proposed action areas through the identification of news ways to mobilize sustainable finance and create innovative financial mechanisms and delivery channels.

Learning from failure at the science\u2013policy interface for climate action in agriculture

Science–policy engagement efforts to accelerate climate action in agricultural systems are key to enable the sector to contribute to climate and food security goals. However, lessons to improve science–policy engagement efforts in this context mostly come from successful efforts and are limited in terms of empirical scope. Moreover, lessons have not been generated systematically from failed science–policy engagement efforts. Such analysis using lessons from failure management can improve or even transform the efficacy of efforts. To address this knowledge gap, we examined challenges and failures faced in science–policy engagement efforts of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). We developed an explanatory framework inspired by Cash et al.’s criteria for successful knowledge systems for sustainable development: credibility, salience, and legitimacy, complemented with insights from the wider literature. Using this framework in a survey, we identified factors which explain failure. To effectively manage these factors, we propose a novel approach for researchers working at the science–policy interface to fail intelligently, which involves planning for failure, minimizing risks, effective design, making failures visible, and learning from failures. This approach needs to be complemented by actions at the knowledge system level to create an enabling environment for science–policy interfaces.

Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential of Climate-Smart Villages in East African Countries

Climate-Smart Villages (CSVs) were established by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) in the East African countries of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to test and promote a portfolio of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices that have climate change mitigation potential. This study evaluated the soil carbon sequestration potential of these CSVs compared to the control land use that did not have CSA practices. At the one-meter depth, soil carbon stocks increased by 20–70%, 70–86%, and 51–110% in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda CSVs, respectively, compared to control. Consequently, CSVs contributed to the reduction of emissions by 87–420 Mg CO2 eq ha−1. In the topsoil (0–15 cm), CSVs sequestered almost twice more soil carbon than the control and subsequently emissions were reduced by 42–158 Mg CO2 eq ha−1 under CSVs. The annual increase in carbon sequestration under CSVs ranged between 1.6 and 6.2 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 and substantially varied between the CSA land use types. The forests sequestered the highest soil carbon (5–6 Mg C ha−1 yr−1), followed by grasslands and croplands. The forest topsoil also had lower bulk density compared to the control. The findings suggest that CSA practices implemented through the CSVs approach contribute to climate change mitigation through soil carbon sequestration.

How profitable climate smart agricultural practices are? Voice of farmers from rice-wheat ecologies

Farm record keeping can provide a look into the health of farm business, its profitability, and a snapshot in time of its present equity. However, farmers in developing country seldom maintain written records of farm operations. In many cases, farmers consider it worthless exercise. They feel overwhelmed by record keeping because it takes time, a change in behavior and for some, the requirement to learn a new skill. This study assesses the role of record keeping, particularly among women and youth using data collected in afarmers participatory research undertaken under the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). Farmers (both male and female) in climate smart villages (CSVs) of Haryana were acquainted with farm Lekha Jokha (farm budgeting) booklet designed by CIMMYT-CCAFS partners and training to fill the information was given by the field staff including male and females (CIMMYT-CCAFS 2014). The study was undertaken during 2014-15 and 2015-16. Based on the data recorded through Lekha Jokha, the study also estimated the adoption and economics of different climate smart agricultural practices (CSAPs). The farm budgeting found to be very effective tool for increased awareness among women and men farmers especially youth which lead to accelerated adoption of CSAPs. With adoption of CSAPs proven reduced climatic risk was observed in terms of yield penalty, income and distress. The results identifies a platform for social inclusive development in agriculture to promote evidence based informed policy decisions for investment prioritization.

Endogenous-Switching Regression Modeling of Farmers’ Exposure to Climate Hazards and Reforestation in Selected Villages in Africa

Deforestation remains a serious concern for Africa’s economic development and global climatic stability. This paper analyzed the effect of exposure to climate-related hazards on tree planting among smallholder farmers in nine selected African countries. The data were from baseline surveys which were conducted by the CGIAR’s research programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). The included countries were Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda. Data were analyzed with Endogenous Switching regression considering the endogeneity potentials of climate-hazard exposure. The results showed that Uganda and Ethiopia had the highest average numbers of tree planting with 1.082 and 1.000 respectively, while Senegal (89.86%), Kenya (87.77%), Burkina Faso (82.86%) and Ethiopia (82.86%) had the highest exposure to climate-related hazards. Endogenous Switching regression results showed that climate hazard exposure was truly endogenous going by statistical significance of the Wald Chi Square test (p<0.05) and it was significantly influenced by female household headship, perception of more droughts, floods and low ground water. The number of tree that were planted increased significantly (p<0.05) with climate hazard exposure, degraded land areas, asset indices and residence in East Africa, while it reduced with female household headship. In addition, Average Treatment Effect (ATE) result indicated that an average household will plant 0.745 trees more when it had been previously exposed to climate shocks while Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATET) revealed that an average household that was exposed to climate hazards would plant 0.54 more trees than it would if it had not been exposed to hazards. It was concluded that many farmers had been affected by climate-related shocks and efforts to safeguard future climate through tree planting should be gender sensitive and concentrated among previously affected farmers.

Role of Local Policies in Facilitating Adaptation of Smallholder Farming to Climate Change in Uganda

The research was funded by a USAID project entitled ‘Enhancing Climate Resilience of Agricultural Livelihoods’ that was implemented by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA in partnership with Makerere University Centre for Climate Research and Innovation (MUCCRI) and the National Agriculture Research Organization (NARO). The CGIAR program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) provided additional support. Abstract Smallholder farming in Sub-Saharan Africa is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and supportive local policies and plans are needed guide climate resilient farming systems. This study explores how local policies are enabling adaptation of smallholder farming to the impacts of climate change in Uganda. A mixed methods approach was used including review of policies and other literature, field assessments conducted Eastern and Central regions of Uganda. Data was collected from smallholder farmers, government officials and non-state actors at district, sub-county and village levels. Findings reveal that whereas Uganda has an elaborate national climate change policy framework that prioritizes the mainstreaming of climate change in policies and practices at all levels of government, development policies and plans at the local levels have not yet adequately incorporated climate change, and the adaptation practices adopted by smallholder farmers to address the negative impacts of climate change are more reactionary, and are not guided or influenced by local adaptation policies. Effective local adaptation policy and practice is constrained by non-inclusive policy formulation processes, institutional and human resource gaps, climate finance and unreliable climate information and advisory services. We suggest the strengthening local adaptive capacity through inclusive local adaptation policy formulation and implementation, improved climate information services and strong local institutional framework to support smallholder farmers build resilience to climate change. Keywords: climate risks, vulnerability, local adaption policies, resilient agriculture, Uganda DOI : 10.7176/JEES/9-11-09 Publication date: November 30 th 2019

Smallholder Farmers Spend Credit Primarily on Food: Gender Differences and Food Security Implications in a Changing Climate

In many low-income nations agriculture is used as the primary source of income, which in the face of a changing climate, is known to be at considerable risk for the smallholder farmers that rely on it. Financial resources may enable smallholder farmers to implement adaptation practices and diversify income and investments, which has the potential to affect household income and food security. Here we explore relationships between access to different types of financial resources among male and female-headed households and women versus men, use of financial resources, and its relationship to food security. We use data from the CGIAR Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS) program from four sites including Nyando (Western Kenya) and Wote (Eastern Kenya), Rakai (Uganda) and Kaffrine (Senegal), to represent major farming systems and agro-ecological zones across Africa. We find that male and female-headed households do not attempt to borrow financial resources in significantly different quantities; however, female-headed households are likely to have access to financial resources if they wanted them. We find that men and male-headed households are more likely to access formal loans. As well, we find that male and female-headed households spend their financial resources differently with female-headed households most likely to use their credit for food, medical expenses and education and male-headed households most likely to use it on food, agriculture/ livestock inputs and education. Formals loans were more frequently associated with credit spent on agriculture/livestock inputs while informal loans were more likely to be utilized for buying food and medical care. We find that all households and sexes that attempted to borrow money were less likely to borrow food and other goods, but that female-headed households were more than twice as likely to borrow food overall. These results add nuance to the relationship of financial resources to food security, suggesting that for many smallholders, especially women, credit is often used to obtain food and other health outcomes as compared to on-farm investment. The use of financial resources for these varying purposes likely has different short-term versus long-term returns and tradeoffs, which could influence smallholder farmer capacity for climate change adaptation.

Gaps between fruit and vegetable production, demand, and recommended consumption at global and national levels: an integrated modelling study

SummaryBackgroundCurrent diets are detrimental to both human and planetary health and shifting towards more balanced, predominantly plant-based diets is seen as crucial to improving both. Low fruit and vegetable consumption is itself a major nutritional problem. We aim to better quantify the gap between future fruit and vegetable supply and recommended consumption levels by exploring the interactions between supply and demand in more than 150 countries from 1961 to 2050.MethodsIn this global analysis, we use the International Model for Policy Analysis of Agricultural Commodities and Trade, which simulates the global agricultural sector, to explore the role of insufficient production of fruits and vegetables and the effects of food waste and public policy in achieving recommended fruit and vegetable consumption. First, we estimate the average historical (1961–2010) and future (2010–50) national consumption levels needed to meet WHO targets (a minimum target of 400 g/person per day or age-specific recommendations of 330–600 g/person per day) using population pyramids; for future consumption, we use projections from the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), a set of global socioeconomic scenarios characterised by varied assumptions on economic and population growth. We then simulate future fruit and vegetable production and demand to 2050 under three such scenarios (SSP1–3) to assess the potential impacts of economic, demographic, and technological change on consumer and producer behaviour. We then explore the potential effects of food waste applying various waste assumptions (0–33% waste). Finally, we apply two policy analysis frameworks (the NOURISHING framework and the Nuffield ladder) to assess the current state of public policy designed to achieve healthy diets.FindingsHistorically, fruit and vegetable availability has consistently been insufficient to supply recommended consumption levels. By 2015, 81 countries representing 55% of the global population had average fruit and vegetable availability above WHO's minimum target. Under more stringent age-specific recommendations, only 40 countries representing 36% of the global population had adequate availability. Although economic growth will help to increase fruit and vegetable availability in the future, particularly in lower-income countries, this alone will be insufficient. Even under the most optimistic socioeconomic scenarios (excluding food waste), many countries fail to achieve sufficient fruit and vegetable availability to meet even the minimum recommended target. Sub-Saharan Africa is a particular region of concern, with projections suggesting, by 2050, between 0·8 and 1·9 billion people could live in countries with average fruit and vegetable availability below 400 g/person per day. Food waste is a serious obstacle that could erode projected gains. Assuming 33% waste and socioeconomic trends similar to historical patterns, the global average availability in 2050 falls below age-specific recommendations, increasing the number of people living in countries with insufficient supply of fruits and vegetables by 1·5 billion compared with a zero waste scenario.InterpretationIncreasing fruit and vegetable consumption is an important component of a shift towards healthier and more sustainable diets. Economic modelling suggests that even under optimistic socioeconomic scenarios future supply will be insufficient to achieve recommended levels in many countries. Consequently, systematic public policy targeting the constraints to producing and consuming fruits and vegetables will be needed. This will require a portfolio of interventions and investments that focus on increasing fruit and vegetable production, developing technologies and practices to reduce waste without increasing the consumer cost, and increasing existing efforts to educate consumers on healthy diets.FundingThe Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation; Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CGIAR) Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security; CGIAR Research Program on Policy, Institutions, and Markets; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and Johns Hopkins University.

Index insurance and climate risk management: Addressing social equity

AbstractFair distribution of benefits from index insurance matters. Lack of attention to social equity can reinforce inequalities and undermine the potential index insurance holds as a tool for climate risk management that is also pro‐poor. The aims of this article are to: (a) examine social equity concerns raised by index insurance in the context of climate risk management, (b) consider how greater attention can be paid to social equity in index insurance initiatives, and (c) reflect on the policy challenges raised by taking social equity into account as a mechanism for climate risk reduction. The article draws on learning from the CGIAR's Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and presents the cases of the Index Based Livelihoods Insurance (IBLI) and Agriculture and Climate Risk Enterprise Ltd. (ACRE) in East Africa. It proposes a framework for unpacking social equity related to equitable access, procedures, representation and distribution within index insurance schemes. The framework facilitates identification of opportunities for building outcomes that are more equitable, with greater potential for inclusion and fairer distribution of benefits related to index insurance. The article argues that systematically addressing social equity raises hard policy choices for index insurance initiatives without straightforward solutions. Attention to how benefits and burdens of index insurance are distributed, suggests the unpalatable truth for development policy that the poorest members of rural society can be excluded. Nevertheless, a focus on social equity—facilitated by the framework—opens up opportunities to ensure index insurance is linked to more socially just climate risk management. At the very least, it may prevent index insurance from generating greater inequality. Taking social equity into account, thus, shifts the focus from agricultural systems in transition per se to systems with potential to incorporate societal transformation through distributive justice.

Responses of sub-Saharan smallholders to climate change: Strategies and drivers of adaptation

Rural farm households in sub-Saharan Africa are vulnerable to climate variability due to their limited adaptive capacity. This paper explores how adaptation strategies are adopted by small-holders in sub-Saharan Africa as a function of their adaptive capacity. The latter is characterised by five types of capital: natural, physical, financial, human, and social. We use responses from farm households in sub-Saharan Africa dating from 1536 obtained by Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). This data provides information on the adoption of adaptation practices during the study period as well as information with which we develop indicators for the five types of capital. The results suggest that all the five types of capital positively influence adoption of adaptation practices. Human and social capital both displayed a positive and significant effect on the uptake of most adaptation practices. This finding suggests that the effect of less tangible kinds of capital such as knowledge, individual perceptions, farmers’ networks and access to information may be stronger than normally assumed. Directing more development policies towards enhancing human and social capital may therefore be more cost-effective than further investments into physical and financial capital, and could help in overcoming social barriers to adaptation to climate change.

A Modeling Approach Combining Elevated Atmospheric CO2 Effects on Protein, Iron and Zinc Availability with Projected Climate Change Impacts on Global Diets

Background. Increases in atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (eCO2) affect global nutrition through impacts on agricultural productivity and nutrient content of food crops. Methods. We used a global economic model of the agricultural sector to project per capita availability of protein, iron, and zinc in 2050. Estimated changes in productivity of individual agricultural commodities were used to model effects on production, trade, prices, and consumption. The resulting food supply was combined with two sources of data on eCO2 effects on nutrient content. Findings. While technological change, market responses, and the productivity effects of CO2 yield fertilization are projected to increase global availability of dietary protein, iron, and zinc, these increases are dampened by negative effects of climate change impacts on productivity and eCO2 impacts on nutrient content. Both datasets show projected eCO2 decreases global availability of nutrients in crops by enacting a 2·4% to 4·3% penalty on expected gains by mid-century. The penalty on nutrient content of wheat is ~3 times larger. Many countries currently experiencing high levels of nutrient deficiency would continue to be disproportionately affected. Interpretation. This approach represents an improvement in estimating future impacts on global food security by simultaneously projecting climate change impacts on crop productivity and changes in nutrient content under eCO2, which accounts for a much larger effect on nutrient availability than CO2 fertilization. Regardless of the scenario used to project future consumption patterns, the net effect of rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations will slow progress in achieving reductions in global nutrient deficiencies. Funding: This research was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under contract EPBPA16H0002. Support was also provided through the CGIAR Research Programs on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM) and Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). The views expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of their affiliated institutions including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Declaration of Interest: The authors declare no competing interests.

Facilitating Change for Climate-Smart Agriculture through Science-Policy Engagement

Climate change impacts on agriculture have become evident, and threaten the achievement of global food security. On the other hand, the agricultural sector itself is a cause of climate change, and if actions are not taken, the sector might impede the achievement of global climate goals. Science-policy engagement efforts are crucial to ensure that scientific findings from agricultural research for development inform actions of governments, private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international development partners, accelerating progress toward global goals. However, knowledge gaps on what works limit progress. In this paper, we analyzed 34 case studies of science-policy engagement efforts, drawn from six years of agricultural research for development efforts around climate-smart agriculture by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). Based on lessons derived from these case studies, we critically assessed and refined the program theory of the CCAFS program, leading to a revised and improved program theory for science-policy engagement for agriculture research for development under climate change. This program theory offers a pragmatic pathway to enhance credibility, salience and legitimacy of research, which relies on engagement (participatory and demand-driven research processes), evidence (building scientific credibility while adopting an opportunistic and flexible approach) and outreach (effective communication and capacity building).

Reaching the end goal: Do interventions to improve climate information services lead to greater food security?

Climate change is projected to have profound effects on nutritional outcomes, particularly among children under five in developing countries, where small-scale, subsistence farming and livestock production supports a majority of livelihoods. An underlying mechanism by which climate change will negatively affect nutrition is through increased food insecurity, as both crop and livestock production are threatened by changing patterns of rainfall and temperature. Climate information services (CIS) provide short and long-term weather and climate forecasts through a variety of means with the aim of increasing smallholder farmers’ ability to cope and adapt to a changing environment. CIS can be used to increase climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices, which in turn can increase agricultural productivity and farmer resilience, while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Through household surveys, focus group activities, and participant observation, this research investigates linkages between CIS, uptake of CSA practices, and household food security through investigation of four research sites, two in Senegal and two in Kenya. The research sites were selected based on their various levels of engagement in CIS programs sponsored by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS) at the time research was conducted. The role of gender dynamics in the relationship between CIS, CSA, and food security is also explored through 1) sex-disaggregated quantitative from household surveys, and 2) sex-disaggregated qualitative data focus groups, which focuses in part on conceptualization of women’s empowerment. Findings indicate that farmers are receiving CIS and are using that information to make changes in farming practices, without major differences between men and women. This research suggests that CCAFS-CIS interventions may be leading to adoption of CSA practices; however, no direct correlation between receipt of CIS and use of CSA practices was found, nor was a relationship established between use of CSAs and food security. These findings are inconclusive, however, given the near complete coverage of CIS and widespread food insecurity across sites. Importantly, participants did not ascribe their knowledge of CSA practices to CIS, and the important role of social and informal networks as a source of climate information emerges as an important area of additional exploitation for increased uptake of CSA for improved food security.

Bridging the gap between climate science and farmers in Colombia

Agriculture is highly sensitive to variations in both weather and climate. Farmers face uncertainty in the weather patterns over the short term, and climate over the longer term. The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) has promoted a system of Local Technical Agro-Climatic Committees (LTACs)4In spanish known as Mesas Técnicas Agroclimáticas.4 in two Colombian regions to explore means of creating dialogue between researchers and farmers that would provide farmers with options in the face of both short- and longer-term variations in climate. The article uses a case study approach to describe how the original LTACs were established, the benefits obtained from the LTAC system, and the expansion of the system to areas outside Colombia.The basic premise behind the LTAC approach is: If farmers and the local rural community at large can access and understand weather and climate forecasts and the responses of their crop production, processing, and marketing options under local conditions, they can make better decisions on how to manage their farms and businesses.There are six basic components that are required to implement the LTAC approach to bridging the gap between climate science and farmers: (i) Establishment of the LTAC with alignment of local parties interested in managing variation in the climate and definition of their roles; (ii) local climate and monthly climate forecast; (iii) crop modeling and understanding of climate variation on crop production, processing and marketing and the impact this will have on management; (iv) dialogue between scientists, experts, and farmers; (v) dissemination and socialization of the dialogue; and (vi) local capacity building, which cuts across all the other five components.The regular monthly meetings of the LTACs are the focal point of the overall process, bringing together information from various sources, organizing the ideas and thoughts, and then disseminating the information. A feature of the committees was their diversity. The committees required specific inputs, particularly on climate and the crop response before each meeting. Research organizations provided climate forecasts and crop response data. The forecasts proved closer to reality than long term means and the crops models that were used to predict crop response to changes in management and climate variation were relatively simple and unsophisticated. The committees gained confidence in these prognoses, which then formed the basis for dialogue on how best to manage climate variation. The production-side participants appreciated the opportunity to present their own points of view and the move from top-down recommendations, coming from the researchers and extension agents, towards a menu of options which they discussed. At the same time, it was evident in the early meetings that many of the participants came ill-prepared to grasp concepts related to managing climatic variation, thus highlighting the need for capacity building within the LTACs themselves.LTACs actively promulgated their findings through bulletins, social networks, extension services, farmers’ organizations radio, TV, and the press. In the dry El Niño year of 2015, many farmers used the information generated by the LTACs to better manage their crops, increasing yields, and reducing losses.More LTACs are now being established in Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua. These countries have understood the value of creating mechanisms through which researches and farmers can exchange ideas, with the farmers choosing options to improve their management based on better weather and climate forecasts and an understanding of how the weather and climate affects their crops.

The moral basis for conservation – reflections on Dickman et al.

Frontiers in Ecology and the EnvironmentVolume 14, Issue 2 p. 67-69 Write Back The moral basis for conservation – reflections on Dickman et al. Douglas Sheil, Corresponding Author Douglas Sheil Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway(douglas.sheil@nmbu.no)Search for more papers by this authorJane Cohen, Jane Cohen Faculty of Law, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TXSearch for more papers by this authorCarol J Pierce Colfer, Carol J Pierce Colfer Southeast Asia Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, IndonesiaSearch for more papers by this authorDavid Price, David Price Massey University, Palmerston North, New ZealandSearch for more papers by this authorRajindra Puri, Rajindra Puri Centre for Biocultural Diversity, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent at Canterbury, Kent, UKSearch for more papers by this authorManuel Ruiz-Perez, Manuel Ruiz-Perez Department of Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, SpainSearch for more papers by this authorYulia Sugandi, Yulia Sugandi Department of Community Development and Communication Sciences, Faculty of Human Ecology, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, IndonesiaSearch for more papers by this authorPaul Vedeld, Paul Vedeld NORAGRIC, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, NorwaySearch for more papers by this authorEva Wollenberg, Eva Wollenberg CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), Gund Institute, University of Vermont, Burlington, VTSearch for more papers by this authorYurdi Yasmi, Yurdi Yasmi FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, ThailandSearch for more papers by this author Douglas Sheil, Corresponding Author Douglas Sheil Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway(douglas.sheil@nmbu.no)Search for more papers by this authorJane Cohen, Jane Cohen Faculty of Law, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TXSearch for more papers by this authorCarol J Pierce Colfer, Carol J Pierce Colfer Southeast Asia Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, IndonesiaSearch for more papers by this authorDavid Price, David Price Massey University, Palmerston North, New ZealandSearch for more papers by this authorRajindra Puri, Rajindra Puri Centre for Biocultural Diversity, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent at Canterbury, Kent, UKSearch for more papers by this authorManuel Ruiz-Perez, Manuel Ruiz-Perez Department of Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, SpainSearch for more papers by this authorYulia Sugandi, Yulia Sugandi Department of Community Development and Communication Sciences, Faculty of Human Ecology, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, IndonesiaSearch for more papers by this authorPaul Vedeld, Paul Vedeld NORAGRIC, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, NorwaySearch for more papers by this authorEva Wollenberg, Eva Wollenberg CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), Gund Institute, University of Vermont, Burlington, VTSearch for more papers by this authorYurdi Yasmi, Yurdi Yasmi FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, ThailandSearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 March 2016 https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.1224Citations: 5Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume14, Issue2March 2016Pages 67-69 RelatedInformation