Climate-smart agriculture:global experience and the African context

Sonja VermeulenHead of Research

CGIAR Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security

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Outline

1. Concept: What is climate-smart agriculture?

2. Practice: Can we implement climate-smart

agriculture at scale, globally and in Africa?

3. Opportunities: How can Africa lead the

science and practice of climate-smart

agriculture?

Concept: What is climate-smart agriculture?

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Food security

Adaptation Environmental footprint

0

5

10

15

20

25

US Malawi

GHG CO2-eq tonne per capita

What is “climate-smart agriculture”?

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http://www.climatesmartagriculture.org

FAO (2010). CSA is ‘agriculture that

sustainably increases

productivity, resilience

(adaptation), reduces/removes

GHGs (mitigation), and enhances

achievement of national food

security and development goals.’

Guidance on CSA principles and practices

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Farm and community:climate-smartpractices, institutions

Global: climate models, international agreements, finance

Climate-smart agriculture happens at multiple levels

National and regional:enabling policies, extension,

support, research, finance

Practice: Can we implement climate-smart agriculture at scale, globally and in Africa?

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9

TanzaniaCommunities managing

4.12 million ha of forest

Niger

200 million trees

2.5 million people

India

Agromet Advisory Services

reach over 2.5 millionfarmers

Vietnam

Rice intensification by

1 million farmers

Ethiopia

8 million people in productive safety nets, inc. building natural assets

Brazil:Reduce GHGs by

> 160 million tons CO2e annually

Morocco:

63.5 million tonsCO2e saved over 20 years

India

Weather-based crop

Insurance > 9 millionIndian farmers

No till agriculture40 crops 9.5 million hectares

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Upfront costs often substantialBrazil: US$ 250 million over two yearsMorocco: over US$ 1 billion per annumVietnam: US$ 500 million in 2011

Strong government support is crucial

Policy support, e.g. secure land and resource tenure

Strategies for scaling-up

Institutional frameworks

Funding

CAADP e.g. Maputo commitments, African Regional

Strategy on Disaster Risk Reduction

UNFCC e.g. Green Climate Fund, Least Developed Countries

Fund, Adaptation Fund

Multi-lateral e.g. IFAD Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Program, G8 Global

Agriculture & Food Security Program

Some private finance e.g. supply chain security, carbon markets, corporate

social responsibility

Opportunities: How can Africa lead the science and practice of climate-smart

agriculture?

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Regional Climate Outlook Forums

Major programs like CORDEX, AMMA, WASCAL

Met services & researchers working at farmer level

1. Leadership in institutional supporte.g. climate information services

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• Finance

• Land zoning

• Governance

• Markets

2. Coordinate agriculture & forestry to incentivise sustainable landscapes

e.g. COMIFAC (Commission des Fôrets d’Afrique

Centrale)

Africa Soil Atlas 2013

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3. Build innovation platformse.g. Agriculture & climate change

platforms initiated by CORAF/WECARD National think-tank teams for mainstreaming adaptation to climate

change in agricultural policies and strategies through knowledge sharing, information exchange and dissemination, and engagement of all stakeholders.

Four countries

• Burkina Faso• Mali• Niger• Senegal

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4. Get African science into policye.g. Partnership of CCAFS with

COMESA, EAC, SADC & Africa Climate Policy Centre

Workshops and aggregation of scientific evidence as basis for joint submissions on agriculture to the UNFCCC

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5. Bring policy and science together to support

farmer-led innovations and options

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