Presentation by Dr. Sonja Vermeulen at the UN Climate Talks in Bonn, 17 May 2016. Find out more about this event and work by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security at https://ccafs.cgiar.org/sb44-side-event-adapting-climate-change-agricultural-systems-experience-latin-america-africa-and

1. Sonja Vermeulen
Head of Research
Adapting to climate change in
agricultural systems: Key
findings from CGIAR and
partners
Photo: IRRI

2. 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

3. • 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

4. Lessons learned around the world
Adaptation measures
Photo: N. Palmer (CIAT)

5. 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

6. 2. National planning, e.g. Mali and
Honduras
e.g. Many decision tools are available, e.g. at https://csa.guide

7. 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)

8. 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)

9. 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)

10. 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)

11. 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)

12. 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)

13. 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/

14. 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)

15. Lessons learned around the world
Adaptation practices and technologies
Photo: P. Vishwanathan (CCAFS)

16. 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

17. 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)

18. 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

19. 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)

20. 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)

21. 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

22. 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)

23. 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)

24. 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)

25. 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