Presented by Romy Chevallier, AICCRA policy consultant, during a climate change workshop organized by AICCRA and the Eastern African Farmers Federation (EAFF), 6-7 December 2022

1. Better lives through livestock
Enhancing farmer engagement in
national climate policies:
Advocacy tools and approaches
Romy Chevallier
Policy and engagement specialist, AICCRA
Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF) Climate Change Development Workshop
Maanzoni Lodge, Nairobi, 6-7 December 2022

2. Enhancing farmer
engagement in national
climate policies
• NDCs and Long-term
strategies
Advocacy
tools and
approaches

3. Farmer engagement in climate policies
– NDCs and Long-Term Strategies

4. Agriculture and food
systems in the NDCs
of countries in Eastern
Africa
Key concepts
and themes

5. NDCs as important vehicles to
communicate farmer priorities
and guide action

6. • National climate plans to 2030
(mitigation and adaptation)
• Bottom-up plans, determined by
countries-level
• Reviewed every 5 years for
• Inclusive process
• Global stocktake at COP28
Nationally Determined Contributions (2030)

7. • NDCs serve to guide coordinated
responses from all sectors and
stakeholders across society.
• They set a path for ambitious
climate action
• Agriculture and food systems
are KEY to achieve these country
goals

8. NDCs: the building blocks for a long-term vision

9. The on-going revision process
of NDCs opens opportunities
for farmer organisations to
lobby their governments to
ensure that their interests and
needs are included as priority
areas for climate action.
If farmer concerns are not
captured within NDCs, it is
unlikely resources will be
allocated to these areas.

10. Kenya
2016, 2020
Tanzania
(Zanzibar)
2018, 2021
DR Congo
2016, 2021
Rwanda
2016, 2020
South Sudan
2021
Eritrea
2018
Burundi
2017, 2021
Ethiopia
2017, 2021
Uganda
2016, 2022
EAFF member countries and revised/ new NDCs
* Official UNFCCC registry (August 2021)
Djibouti
2016

11. • Low emissions, climate-
resilient development
strategies to be developed
in 2020.
• All of society and all
sectors.
• 7 African countries
submitted their LTS’s
(South Africa, Benin,
Nigeria, Morocco,
Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Gambia)
• Many countries are
developing them = Creating
intervention opportunities
for farmers.
LONG-TERM STRATEGIES (2050)

12. • Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs),
• National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs),
• National Climate Change Strategies/ Climate Bills/ Green
Economy Strategies/ sectoral strategies.
• REDD+ strategies, national development strategies ETC
Besides NDCs and Long-Term Strategies, farmers can also
engage other climate strategies and policies to pursue their
interests and needs

13. Strengthening the content and
substance of climate policies to
reflect farmer interests

14. The agricultural sector
features prominently in
national commitments,
indicative of the
transformative role it can
play in climate action and
as a driver sustainable
development BUT extent,
depth and quality of
inclusion varies

15. Research conducted on the agricultural
contributions of 162 NDCs found that:
• Most NDCs include agricultural
mitigation (CA and CSA, soil and crop
management, agroforestry and
afforestation)
• Most countries listed agriculture as a
priority for adaptation (livestock and
crop management, fisheries/
aquaculture management, irrigation and
water management, knowledge transfer,
agricultural diversification and soil/ land
management).
• Almost all countries mention forestry.

16. NDCs should better reflect farmer interests
• Smallholder farmer interests
• Balance adaptation and mitigation elements of
agriculture: co-benefit approach!
• Very few set GHG reduction targets specifically
for agriculture.
• Few make explicit reference to farmers.
• While many refer to gender and the inclusion of
women, few refer to gender in the context of
agriculture/ women farmers.
• Few goals and indicators on food loss and waste,
post-harvest losses and dietary transitions.

17. Define financial support needed to implement
activities in the agriculture sector, particularly
resources targeted for women farmers and their
communities.
Ie. call for budget allocations to subsidize costs for
gadgets and data, digital infrastructure network
expansion, climate insurance, capacity building
and training etc
INCLUDE SPECIFIC CALL FOR
implementation support

18. Include specific technical capacities needs and
training requirements, including enhanced capacities
to engage decision makers, raise awareness and
outreach. Ie. Strengthening the capacities of NFOs to
conduct monitoring and reporting so that they can
become leaders in accountability for national and
international commitments to sustainable and ethical
development.

19. Based on good practice of NDCs elsewhere, the
content of NDCs can be improved to reflect farmer
interests.
Lessons learned
can be tailored
to different
national
priorities and
contexts.

20. Ensure agriculture is fully integrated through;
Balanced adaptation and mitigation commitments
The addition of specific actions to build resilience and enhance
adaptation
The addition of specific quantifiable actions to reduce emissions
The inclusion of agriculture-sector actions into an emissions
reduction target
Include mitigation and adaptation targets related to the food system
Describe and promote synergies between agricultural adaptation
and mitigation to support their uptake and scaling.
Specifically, and deliberately, ensure that small-scale priorities are
integrated into NDC
Specifically, and deliberately, ensure that commercial agricultural
priorities are integrated into NDC

21. Ensure a stronger link to the Sustainable Development Goals and align NDC with
existing national development/sectoral plans and targets
Include specific reference to the important role of farmers and farming
organisations in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Not only as
‘vulnerable’ or as ‘beneficiaries’ but rather as active ‘agents of change’ or valuable
stakeholders.
Include the voices of marginalized groupings, specifically women farmers and the
young farmers, and specifically link gender to the agricultural sector.
Include reference to a just transition, social equality, human rights and food
security
Informed by up-to-date data in the climate and agricultural sector
Include an implementation roadmap with farmers as important executing bodies
Include specific sectoral budget allocations to support agriculture and farmer
related interventions

22. Strengthen farmer
participation in
climate policy at
multiple levels &
through various
channels.

23. GLOBAL PROCESSES

24. • Formal, inclusive multi-
stakeholder processes and
meetings organised by national
government
• NFOs must be active in these
policy spaces, nominating
representatives to deliver key
messages to government.
• Submit formal statements
representing farmer interests.
Participation in
government-led
consultations

25. Map out key policy
processes
• Establish the status of updating of the
climate policies (ie. NDC timelines,
processes, key stakeholder engagement
opportunities)
• NFOs can try getting linked into the
process through other connections
(research institutes and consultants
already involved).

26. NFOs should be proactively
engaged in the entire policy
cycle
Know who to engage, how to
engage and what strategic
options there are for strategic
policy intervention.
Strengthen legitimacy and
ownership of climate policies
for farmers in the region.

27. Strengthen relationships
and build trust
• NFOs need to identify influential policy
makers that can help alert them to
policy windows, engagement
opportunities, champion an agriculturally
sensitive climate advocacy agenda.
• Practical ways to go about this - write a
letter requesting engagement, active
engagement in key meetings and on
social media.

28. Engage other platforms
dealing with climate
issues
• Local and provincial government
departments or units have been
developing their own climate
strategies and plans.
• Parliamentary portfolio committees
provide an oversight role on all climate
change programmes implemented by
government.
• Representation on Presidential Panels,
Inter-governmental Forums etc

29. Representation on
national climate change
negotiating teams
• NFOs are strategic partners that
represent broader farmer
constituencies at COP.
• NFOs should advocate for
representation on negotiating teams,
as well as for financial support to
participate.

30. Use social media and
communication tools
• Social media, blogs and advocacy
chatrooms can broadcast climate
advocacy campaigns, pitch a persuasive
statement, and expand collaborations
with other climate advocacy networks.
• Social media and online chat facilities
can bridge this gap and support the
engagement of farmers with policy
makers.

31. Organised,
representative, informed
farmer engagement
• Effective engagement is more likely
through alliances and network groups
that represent broader farmer
groupings.
• A common voice of NFOs, one which is
recognized by government and with
which government can liaise.
• NFOs must remain committed to its
objectives over a longer period.

32. Strengthening farmers agency for engagement in
climate policy

33. Engage on farmer
platforms to
strengthen
awareness,
technical and
advisory capacities
Take advantage
of training and
capacity building
programmes on
climate policy
and negotiations
Expand peer
learning
amongst
NFOs
Build
partnerships
with like
minded,
supportive
stakeholders
Policy capacity and
engagement
knowledge.
Technical, human, and
financial resources to
effectively engage
policy makers on a
sustained basis,
especially considering
the drawn-out nature
of the policy process.

34. Way forward:
- Policy window mapping
(national level, regional and
global)
- Key stakeholder mapping the
key agri focal points)
- Map opportunities and
partnerships for action and
finance
- Generate and create a unified
position towards COP28 and
beyond

35. THANK YOU
Romy Chevallier
R.Chevallier@cgiar.org