Adapting to climate change in agricultural systems: Key findings from CGIAR and partners

Sonja Vermeulen Head of Research

Adapting to climate change in agricultural systems: Key findings from CGIAR and partners

Photo: IRRI

SBSTA 44 •  Call for submissions on: (c) Identification of adaptation measures, taking into account the diversity of the agricultural systems, indigenous knowledge systems and the differences in scale as well as possible co-benefits and sharing experiences in research and development and on the ground activities, including socioeconomic, environmental and gender aspects; (d) Identification and assessment of agricultural practices and technologies to enhance productivity in a sustainable manner, food security and resilience, considering the differences in agro-ecological zones and farming systems, such as different grassland and cropland practices and systems. •  In-session workshops:

§  20 May - SBSTA workshop on agriculture Identification of adaptation measures

§  23 May - SBSTA workshop on agriculture Enhancement of productivity

•  Adaptation measures — the wide range of actions and institutions that raise the adaptive capacity of agricultural systems.

•  Includes: §  Governance and policy §  National and local planning §  Finance §  Research, extension and knowledge systems

•  Higher-level adaptation measures facilitate adoption of sustainable adaptation practices and technologies capable of increasing food security, productivity and resilience

Adaptation measures in agricultural systems

Lessons learned around the world

Adaptation measures

Photo: N. Palmer (CIAT)

1. Governance and policy

International governance arrangements and national policy frameworks already provide a robust foundation for adaptation in agricultural systems.

•  Global policy: Among countries that included adaptation in their INDC, 90% prioritized agriculture

•  Regional policy: NEPAD’s Vision 25x25 aims to help 25 million African farmers become more climate-resilient by 2025

•  National policy: New agroforestry policy in India aims to enhance farmers’ climate resilience

Photo: World Agroforestry Centre

2. National planning, e.g. Mali and Honduras

e.g. Many decision tools are available, e.g. at https://csa.guide

3. Local Planning

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

e.g. Local adaptation plans of action (LAPA) in Nepal and other countries build on local priorities and capacities, rather than top-down impact assessments

Photo: Neil Palmer (CIAT)

4. Finance, incentives, value chain interventions

Scaling up through coffee and cocoa value chains •  Build adaptation measures into

private sector certification schemes •  Pilots in Ghana, Nicaragua and Peru •  Can reach 30% cocoa producers and

15% coffee producers globally

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.

Source: N. Palmer (CIAT)

5. Research and knowledge systems

Seeds for Needs & ClimMob Mobile phone-based platform allows farmers to share information on crop varieties •  30,000 farmers participated in

2015 across India, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania

•  Also in Central America •  Farmers benefit from wider

diversity in seeds – and greater yields as climate change

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.

Photo: G. Betancourt (CIAT)

6. Services, capacity building and technology transfer

Shamba Shape Up: •  East African reality TV show •  Average viewers = 9 million per

month •  42% of viewers adopt new

practices – estimated to benefit Kenyan GDP by USD 24 million

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.

Photo: S. Quinn (CIP)

7. Use of indigenous knowledge

e.g. Senegal Meteorological Service combines local & scientific knowledge •  How a baobab is like the sea…

farmers and scientists working together improves accuracy of forecasts

•  Farmer-friendly formats for seasonal weather forecasts

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

Photo: O.Ndiaye (CCAFS)

8. Gender and social inclusion

Women taking the lead on adaptation: •  Women’s groups in Nyando,

Kenya have trained each other in weather forecasts and adaptation options

•  SMS message services help the groups plan their planting season

•  60% fewer households go hungry for more than two months a year

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

Photo: S. Kilungu (CCAFS)

9. Co-benefits

Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) of rice in Vietnam: •  Periodic drying and re-flooding

of rice fields •  Tested in Bangladesh,

Indonesia, Lao PDR, Philippines Myanmar and Vietnam

•  Boosts yields while lowering water use by 30%, and reducing methane emissions by 48%

Adaptation measures in agricultural systems also offer opportunity to achieve multiple co- benefits, for environmental health and mitigation.

https://ccafs.cgiar.org/bigfacts/

CCAFS SB44 side event Establishing country emission reduction targets in agriculture: What is fair, ambitious & feasible?

When: 18 May 2016, 15:00-16:30 Where: Berlin Room

Photo: E. van de Grift (CCAFS)

Lessons learned around the world

Adaptation practices and technologies

Photo: P. Vishwanathan (CCAFS)

1. Soil management

Laser-Assisted Precision Land Levelling (LLL) •  Uses tractor-towed laser-

controlled devices to remove soil undulations

•  Applied on over 500,000ha in Haryana, India

•  Improves yields •  Saved 82,000 t CO2, and a

billion cubic metres of water

Soil and land management interventions focus on enhancing soil health. Proven approaches build on existing indigenous practices and knowledge to maximize benefits to climate change adaptation.

Photo: CIMMYT India

2. Crop management

Coffee-banana intercropping Bananas provide valuable shade to heat-vulnerable coffee crops, with no negative impact on yield •  Diversifies farmer income and

food supply •  Improves total revenue per

unit area by over 50% compared to monoculture

Crop-specific innovations complement other practices that aim to improve crop production under climate change. Crop-specific innovations include breeding of more resilient crop varieties, diversification and intensification

Photo: N. Palmer (CIAT)

3. Livestock management

Improved or modified livestock management practices include improved grazing management, use of improved pasture and agroforestry species, better use of locally available feeds, the judicious use of highly nutritious diet supplements and concentrates, and breeding for heat-tolerance.

Feeding cattle Leucaena leucocephala leaves •  Supplementing cattle diets

help cover the feed gap •  High nutrient content

improves meat and milk yields, boosting farmer incomes

•  Trees provide up to 38 t C/ha in sequestration

Photo: ILRI

4. Forestry and agroforestry

In smallholder farming systems, trees and forests are often key to livelihoods. Increasing forest cover and agroforestry can build resilience and environmental health, including mitigation benefits.

Cocoa agroforestry systems in West and Central Africa •  70% of global production from

the region •  Optimal shade increases

resilience of the system •  Co-benefits for biodiversity and

mitigation

Photo: R. McNAb (WCS Guatemala)

5. Fisheries and aquaculture

Expansion and innovations in aquaculture offers cost-effective opportunities to provide sustainable sources of protein under climate change.

Nearshore fish-aggregating devices e.g. Solomon Islands •  Concentrate fish to a single location •  Reduce risk to fishing under climate

change

Photo: W. Fairley (WorldFish)

6. Water management

Smart-valleys in West Africa’s inland rice systems •  Small-scale farmer groups design system of bunds, canals and

irrigation infrastructure •  Implemented across 200 sites in Benin and Togo •  Doubles yields and income, while the participatory approach

ensures longevity of the practice

Agriculture is the largest user of the world's freshwater resources, using 70% of the available supply. Improved water management can be achieved through capture and retention of rainfall, and improved irrigation practices

Photo: AfricaRice

7. Energy management

Climate-Smart Villages: ‘Growing’ solar power as a remunerative crop •  Solar panels on farmland generate energy for on-farm needs—

excess power can be sold back to the grid •  Piloted in Gujarat, India •  Supplements farmer incomes, incentivises good water use, and

reduces dependence on fossil fuels

Improving energy efficiency, supply of renewable energy and access to modern energy services supports a sustainable future for agriculture under climate change

Photo: P. Vishwanathan (IWMI)

8. Climate information services

Scaling Up Climate Services for Agriculture in Senegal •  CCAFS collaborated with the

National Meteorological Agency to enhance capacity and develop locally relevant information

•  Climate services reaches up to 7.4 million people in Senegal via local radio

•  Interactive format and accessibility help improve farmer decision-making

Climate information services help farmers cope with climate variability.

Photo: V. Meadu (CCAFS)

9. Crop and livestock insurance

Weather-based insurance in India •  Covers 30 million farmers •  Payments based on weather

triggers, not on observed losses

•  The security of insurance helps farmers re-invest in farming despite increasing climatic risks

Well-designed and targeted agricultural insurance can enable farmers to re-invest in inputs and technologies despite bad years.

Photo: N. Palmer (CIAT)

Key messages

• We already know what to do - range of proven policies, practices and technologies

•  Interventions must be locally appropriate • Funding, capacity building and technology

transfer are necessary for success • Co-benefits to gender equality, environment

and GHG mitigation are possible in adaptation actions

Thank you www.ccafs.cgiar.org