Sustainable agriculture
Ecologically sustainable food systems
Image: CIAT
In this Knowledge Portal topic, recent publications on practices and approaches to make food systems ecologically (more) sustainable are presented. Farmers and other value chain actors innovate using practices that improve their adaptive capacity to climate change and to the increasing scarcity of natural resources. They may (gradually) apply agro-ecological or ‘climate-smart agriculture’ concepts and approaches. This means they are taking into account the ecological characteristics of the landscape, the opportunities to improve (agro-) biodiversity and the need to reduce greenhouse gases, in order to enhance the resilience of the system.
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September 30th, 2020
Published by SADC Secretariat's Food, CCAFS, and others, September 17th, 2020
The SADC Futures project creates tailored foresight training to equip users in the practical appliation of a range of foresight tools and methods for innovative strategic planning and policy formulation for climate resilience. »
June 25th, 2020
Published by CGIAR-CCAFS, June 25th, 2020
This report proposes 11 transformative actions across 4 action areas to meet global targets for agriculture, food systems and climate change. The 4 areas are: 1) Reroute farming and rural livelihoods to new trajectories, 2) De-risk livelihoods, farms and value chains, 3) Reduce emissions from diets and value chains, 4) Realign policies, finance, support to social movements, and innovation. »
June 23rd, 2020
Published by Biovision, IPES-Food and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), June 10th, 2020
This report aims to understandmore about how the industrial model is perpetuated and where the opportunities lie for sparking agroecological transition. Bringing evidence to the attention of donors on the climate resilience of agroecological systems is a major opportunity to change the research agenda. »
June 22nd, 2020
Published by Netherlands Embassy in India , June 10th, 2020
This webinar series on climate smart agriculture innovation aims to explore, identify and encourage research and development collaboration between Dutch and Indian partners. The first three webinars focus on breeding, remote sensing, and water and soil. »
June 17th, 2020
Published by Global Food Security journal, June 1st, 2020
This article reviews 75 studies on the competition for biomass and production resources such as land, water, labour and capital across food, feed and fuel production. This review finds that food, feed and fuel do not just compete for limited land but also compete for other resources such as water, labour and capital. »
May 28th, 2020
Published by Plos One, April 29th, 2020
This article shows that a subset of agronomic practices that are often included under the rubric of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) can contribute to increasing agricultural production under unfavorable climate regimes while contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG). CSA with its multi-objective approach may provide a useful framework for decision-making ranging from the farm to the policy level. »
March 23rd, 2020
Published by FAO, September 2nd, 2019
This publication presents an assessment and mapping of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) - Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) interlinkages, which provide entry points for targeted CSA planning to enchance syngergies and reduce potential tradeoffs between CSA objectives and SDGs. This paper represents a first step in defining specific ways in which CSA can support the achievement of the SDG. »
February 25th, 2020
Published by International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, January 20th, 2020
This article examines whether farmers learn form their past experiences of exposure to climate extremes and use the knowledge to better adapt to future climate extremes. Farmer learning and uptake of new technology is not only related to the characteristic of technology but also how well the technology fits the farming system and its impact on farmers’ livelihood. »
January 13th, 2020
Published by FAO, October 1st, 2019
This SOFA report acknowledges the need to reduce food loss and waste, presents new insights on what is known and what is not, and provides guidance on how to target interventions and policies depending on policymakers’ objectives and the information available.The report also offers a comprehensive analysis of the critical loss points in specific supply chains, thus providing examples on appropriate measures for an effective reduction. »
January 6th, 2020
Published by Wageningen University and Research, December 23rd, 2020
This magazine shares a collection of articles with lessons learned of the N2Africa project. The N2Africa project is a research project that aims to improve the quality and yields of grain legume crops and thereby strengthening the economic position of smallholder farmers. It does so by putting nitrogen fixation to work. »
November 28th, 2019
Published by Wageningen University and Research (H. Breman, T. Schut, N. Seligman), November 18th, 2019
This research report presents results of a search for policies and conditions that can help accelerate agricultural development in Africa. This development has been limited in many countries, as evinced by extreme low fertilizer use, low crop yields, poverty and high food insecurity. A hopeful tendency emerges from this study: African agricultural development is taking off in response to population growth, as is shown by the cereal yield and fertilizer use adoption trends in many countries. »
November 28th, 2019
Published by CIMMYT, WUR, CCAFS-CGIAR, November 26th, 2019
This info note assesses whether SSA can be self-sufficient in cereals by 2050 under different scenarios of intensification on existing cereal area. Intensification of cereal production with sufficient and efficient use of fertilizers will lead to lowest GHG emissions, but requires excellent agronomy, including the use of well-adapted cultivars, proper planting densities, good nutrient management and crop protection... »
September 19th, 2019
Published by ECDPM, September 2nd, 2019
This briefing takes a closer look at finance for climate adaptation in the agriculture sector and presents recommendations on how to direct climate funding more effectively towards local actors. hrough greater prioritisation of the agriculture and water sectors, as well as more inclusive access to funding and project design, climate finance can better serve the needs of vulnerable groups. »
August 8th, 2019
Published by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), August 8th, 2019
The report addresses greenhouse gas fluxes in land-based ecosystems, land use and sustainable land management in relation to climate change adaptation and mitigation, desertification, land degradation and food security. Climate change has adversely impacted food security and terrestrial ecosystems, and contributed to desertificatin and land degradation. On the other hand, changes in land conditions affect the global and regional climate, Appropriate design of policies, institutions and governance systems at all scales can contribute to land-related adaptation and mitigation while facilitating the pursuit of climate-adaptive development pathways. »
July 29th, 2019
Published by Springer, February 4th, 2019
This book provides the authoritative and comprehensive overview of the key aquaculture and hydroponic and other integrated systems, socio-economic and environmental aspects. Aquaponics, which combine aquaculture and vegetable food production offer alternative technology solutions for a world that is increasingly under stress through population growth, urbanisation, water shortages, land and soil degradation, environmental pollution, world hunger and climate change. »
June 3rd, 2019
Published by Sustainability journal, April 1st, 2019
This book promotes the view that sustainable food systems requires thorough insights into the structure and dynamics of agro-food production systems, the drivers for integrating food value chains and markets, and key incentives for supporting healthier consumer choices. The contributed papers focus on interfaces between food system activities and processes of adaptive change that are critical for overcoming key constraints and trade-offs between sustainable food and healthy diets. »
May 6th, 2019
Published by FAO, April 1st, 2019
This guide book describes the most important weather and agroclimatic products that are available by the National Meteorological Service (NMS) and identifies the most important needs of farmers concerning climate information. Special consideration will be given to the local knowledge used by rural farmers. n additional objective is to improve communication among the NMS staff, in particular, meteorologists and agrometeorologists and to encourage Agro-Pastoral Field School (APFS) trainers and facilitators to be more aware of their respective availability. »
April 10th, 2019
Published by 3R Kenya, December 3rd, 2018
The first report provides an overview of how the Kenyan aquaculture sector performs in three analytical domains: the robustness of the supply chain, the reliability of institutional governance and the resilience of the innovation system. Another report compared the successful commercial aquaculture sector in Egypt, Nigeria and Ghana resulting in lessons for Kenya. »
March 5th, 2019
Published by FAO, March 1st, 2019
This report provides an assessment of biodiversity for food and agriculture (BFA) and its management worldwide. BFA is the subset of biodiversity that contributes in one way or another to agriculture and food production. BFA is indispensable to food security. The sustainable use and conservation for BFA call for approaches in which genetic resources, species and ecosystems are managed in an integrated way in the context of production systems and their surroundings. »
February 18th, 2019
Published by CIAT, CGIAR-WLE, June 1st, 2017
The study aimed to assess costs and benefits of selected climate-smart soil (CSS) practices as a step toward understanding whether they are beneficial or not – both from private and social points of view – for farmers. The results indicate implementing CSS practices yield positive outcomes. However, expected the cost of implementation and maintenance varies by practices. »
January 16th, 2019
Published by Climate Risk Management, December 3rd, 2018
These six papers in a special issue of Climate Risk Management presents innovations, insights and evidence from efforts to make climate services work for smallholder farmers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Identifying the intended users and understanding how their identities, roles and responsibilities within larger agrarian communities to which they belong impact their climate service needs and ability to act on the information provided. »
January 10th, 2019
Published by Springer, January 1st, 2019
This book shares new data relating to Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), with emphasis on experiences in Eastern and Southern Africa to answer key questions on the following five topic areas: (1) Climate impacts; (2) Climate-smart varieties; (3) Farm management; (4) Value chains; and (5) Scaling up. The papers illustrate, among other things, how practitioners can access free online tools,how new varieties of crops or better soil management can help farmers adapt; how information networks or entrepreneurial training can help the spread of promising technologies; how private-sector firms can promote CSA; and how farmer-to-farmer training can help bring CSA to scale. »
December 27th, 2018
Published by CABI, December 12th, 2018
This blog argues that adaptation efforts fall short of those who need them the most: the world's poorest and most vulnerable people. Crops are already being lost by pests and invasive species. This is getting worse due to climate change, by impacting the biology, distribution and outbreaks potential of pests and invasive species across land uses and landscapes. »
December 20th, 2018
Published by Agriterra, Agrocares, December 17th, 2018
This publication evaluates a soil scanner in Kenya, to identify success factors, possible bottlenecks and the added value of innovative soil testing services for farmers. Farmers indicated positive experiences with the scan, but it takes at least six months of investing to get these results. A critical success factor for the implementation of soil scanner services, are the management and board of a cooperative... »
December 17th, 2018
Published by Global Environmental Change Journal , December 7th, 2018
This study examined how crop-specific agricultural research investments can be prioritised to anticipate climate change impact on crops and to enable the production of more nutritious food. The analysis shows that current research investments are mostly associated with the current energy output of crops. Other things equal, investment levels tend to be slightly lower for crops better adapted to future climates and tend to decrease as crop nutrient richness increases. »
December 5th, 2018
Published by CTA, September 26th, 2018
This discussion paper presents compelling evidence of win-win outcomes from private-sector investments that unlock access to technology, finance, markets, information, insurance and other risk-management tools which build the resilience of smallholder farming systems. »
November 26th, 2018
Published by World Bank Group, October 15th, 2018
This report assesses the policy framework for climate-smart agriculture (CSA) implementation and progress in CSA technology adoption for Africa under the Africa Climate Business Plan (ACBP). African countries scored low on the CSA Policy Indicators. Countries adopted a range of context-specific climate-smart technologies and practices to meet their climate change and food security goals. »
November 7th, 2018
Published by Sustainable Development Solutions Network, October 26th, 2018
This e-conference on Fall armyworms aimed to give insight on lessons learned so far, effective strategies in reaching farmers, effectiveness of responses so far, long-term consequences of these responess and innovative ideas. Challenge and solutions are presented, in particular on how to move away from broad-spectrum pesticides, towards more effective responses such as integrated pest management, push-pull, and early warning systems. »
October 22nd, 2018
Published by Nature, October 10th, 2018
This article analyses options for reducing the environmental effects of the food system, including dietary changes towards more plant-based diets, improvements in technologies and management, and reductions in food loss and waste. Implementation of these measures will depend on the regulatory and incentive framework. »
October 16th, 2018
Published by IPES-FOOD, October 15th, 2018
This report shines light on ways to drive transitions in food and farming systems, breaking away from industrial agriculture. Changes are required in four key dimensions: production practices, knowledge generationand dissemination, social and economic relations, and institutional frameworks. »
October 11th, 2018
Published by Agricultural Systems Journal, November 1st, 2018
This article proposes a framework for prioritising agricultural research investment across scales and reviews different approaches to setting priorities among agricultural research projects. A mix of actions that span spatial and temporal time scales is needed to ensure climate-smart agriculture research effectiveness. »
September 20th, 2018
Published by Agricultural Systems Journal, August 7th, 2018
This paper addresses the advantages and disadvantages of specific approaches that hold out promise for scaling up climate-smart agriculture (CSA). If CSA is meaningfully to address the development challenges posed by climate change effective approaches will be needed to scale up research findings. »
September 11th, 2018
Published by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP, WHO, September 11th, 2018
This annual report 'The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World' presents progress towards ending hunger and improving malnutrition. A focus is on building climate resilience for food and nutrition security. Exposure to climate extremes is threatening to reverse gains made in ending hunger and malnutrition. »
September 6th, 2018
Published by Cahiers Agricultures, March 19th, 2018
This article addresses questions raised by climate-smart agriculture (CSA) within three areas: conceptualization, implementation, and implications for policy and decision-makers. The article shows that CSA is both a technical and political concept, requiring the bridging of several disciplines. »
August 13th, 2018
Published by FAO, July 10th, 2018
This report by FAO offers an overview of the implications of climate change for fisheries and aquaculture, and for the millions of people who depend on these sectors for their livelihoods,
this publication maps out solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation around the globe. »
August 8th, 2018
Published by Sustainability Journal, July 26th, 2018
This paper aims to answer the question: in the context of achieving climate change and food security goals, what are the success factors for science-policy engagement in agricultural research for development (AR4D) in relation to climate-smart agriculture (CSA), to inform policies and realize development outcomes. »
July 26th, 2018
Published by FAO, April 2nd, 2018
This article is on how to produce more food for the growing population with less fresh water, arable soil, available land for agriculture, or clean seas for fisheries. Agroecology is the concept and practice of managing and boosting nature's own ecological process to improve productivity and avoid farming griefs. »
July 5th, 2018
Published by CCAFS-CGIAR, April 3rd, 2018
This working paper aims to identify best bet innovations for adaptation in agriculture, which can help achieve food security under a changing climate, while also delivering co-benefits for environmental sustainability, nutrition and livelihoods. »
June 15th, 2018
Published by Springer, May 15th, 2018
This article systematically compares and contrasts the known environmental impacts of traditional vertebrate animal production with insect production intended for both food and animal feed.The article is part of the book "Edible Insects in Sustainable Food Systems" »
June 5th, 2018
Published by CIFOR, April 4th, 2018
This blog focuses around the question: why isn't every farmer planting trees? Agroforestry has proven to cultivate more diverse, productive and profitable crops, helps protect the environment and gives financial benefits. The main reasons farmer resist agroforestry are described as well as opportunities for adoption. »
May 21st, 2018
Published by PLOS ONE, May 4th, 2018
This article examines two dimensions wherein smallholder farmers may adapt agricultural practices; through intensification or diversification. Aspects of adaptive intensification include access to information and human capital. In contrast, there are few global drivers of adaptive diversification, »
May 10th, 2018
Published by Global Change Biology Journal, March 31st, 2018
This article explores the relationship between farming diversity and food security and the diversification potential of African agriculture on household and continental scale. The study has demonstrated that diversification does have an essential role to play in ensuring food security and stabilizing food production. »
April 23rd, 2018
Published by Oxfam Novib, January 16th, 2018
This report describes the main tools and achievements to realize farmers’ rights by empowering indigenous peoples and smallholder farmers to uphold their role in contributing to food security and strengthening their adaptive capacities. The key tool to realize farmers' rights are farmer field schools. »
April 16th, 2018
Climate change mitigation beyond agriculture: A review of food system opportunities and implications
Published by Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems journal, February 13th, 2018
This article reviews potential mitigation opportunities across the entire food system, including in pre-production, production, processing, transport, consumption and loss and waste. »
April 4th, 2018
Published by Climate Journal, February 19th, 2018
This paper examines the approach used to involve stakeholders in the climate information services uptake process in Senegal, whereby the experiences and lessons learned are analyzed. »
March 26th, 2018
Published by Journal of Cleaner Production, March 22nd, 2018
This paper reviews the prospects for climate-smart agriculture (CSA) development and promotion in West Africa, as well as lessons learnt and challenges with a focus on climate change and variability. CSA seems to be a suitable approach to address the challenges of building synergies among climate change mitigation, adaptation and food security and minimize their potential negative trade-offs. »
March 12th, 2018
Published by Springer, December 30th, 2017
This article aims at reviewing climate change related policies and strategies in East and West Africa through a gendered lens. The article examined commonality in policies, while recognizing the complexity in the social, economic and ecological systems of each country. »
February 28th, 2018
Published by CGAR CCAFS, September 25th, 2017
This working paper gives a selective review of current climate screening approaches and tools that several major development investors have put in place in recent years, focusing on their approach to screening investments in agriculture and food security. »
February 5th, 2018
Published by Stockholm Environment Institute, January 16th, 2018
This discussion brief examines the role of private actors in publicly funded agricultural adaptation projects in sub-Saharan Africa, identifying different types of involvement. The goal is to provide a foundation for exploring ways to expand the role of private actors, and to identify ways in which public climate finance could be used to catalyze and scale up private investment in the sector. »
January 22nd, 2018
Published by RVO, Verbos Business Development, October 31st, 2017
This scoping study examines how new technology will drive value in the evolving agribusiness value chain in South Africa as far as the topic Climate Smart Agriculture and its relation to Dutch technology is concerned. »
January 11th, 2018
Published by Rural 21, December 8th, 2017
This issue covers the topic climate change. Agriculture has been one of the most complex topics in climate negotiations. Agriculture is a major contributing factor to climate change; at the same time, it is one of the areas most affected by climate change, which is jeopardizing global food security. »
January 9th, 2018
Published by journal Sustainable Agriculture Research, November 7th, 2017
This article assesses the climate smart agricultural practices triggered by learning videos on integrated striga management, soil fertility and cost-benefit evaluation practices. »
December 18th, 2017
Published by journal Sustainability, October 26th, 2017
This review provides an overview of how improved fallows (an agroforestry technology consisting of planting mainly legume tree/shrub species in rotation with cultivated crops) may achieve the goals of climate-smart agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa. »
December 12th, 2017
Published by International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, November 20th, 2017
This article reviews what is becoming known about various farmer-centred innovations for agroecological crop management that can contribute to agricultural sustainability. These changes represent the emerging system of crop intensification, which is being increasingly applied in Asian, African, and Latin American countries. »
December 4th, 2017
Published by journal Nature Communications, November 14th, 2017
This article presents findings of a food systems model that addresses agronomic characteristics of organic agriculture to analyze the role that organic agriculture could play in sustainable food systems. Organic agriculture is proposed as a promising approach to achieving sustainable food systems, but its feasibility is also contested. »
November 13th, 2017
Published by CGIAR-WLE; IWMI, June 1st, 2017
This brief elaborates on the importance of sustainable groundwater use and management for improved agricultural production. The authors argue that using groundwater for agricultural production has the potential to build resilience in food insecure regions of the world. »
November 7th, 2017
Published by journal Agriculture & Food Security, September 1st, 2017
This thematic series contains seven papers based on participatory action research in West-Africa. This research aimed to test and validate scalable climate-smart village models for agricultural development that integrate a range of innovative agricultural risk management strategies. »
October 18th, 2017
Published by GEF, UNDP, September 5th, 2017
This publication provides an overview of the key continental, regional and national frameworks and policies to promote sustainable and resilient food value chains (VC) in Sub-Saharan Africa, and it examines their effectiveness. The study looks at six VCs: livestock (including meat and dairy products), rice, cassava, maize, pulses and mangoes in several dryland countries. »
October 16th, 2017
Published by Bioversity International, October 11th, 2017
This book reviews and analyzes the role that agrobiodiversity can play in creating a more sustainable food system. In the context of sustainable food systems, agricultural biodiversity is a key resource. »
September 13th, 2017
Published by UNSCN, September 12th, 2017
This discussion paper connects the dots between sustainable food systems, dietary patterns, health, nutrition and climate change mitigation. Developing a global food system to deliver healthy diets for a growing population, while reducing the environmental impact and reining in climate change, is one of the greatest global challenges of our time. »
September 11th, 2017
Published by CCAFS-CGIAR, August 30th, 2017
This blog discusses analyses which show that some agricultural practices contribute to improved food security and climate change mitigation. These analyses can help prioritize agricultural practices that contribute to sustainable development goals in food security and climate. »
September 5th, 2017
Published by Global Food Security journal, August 17th, 2017
This article connects the discussion on the trade-offs between agricultural production and environmental concerns, including the asserted need for global land use expansion, and the issues of rural livelihoods and food security. »
August 28th, 2017
Published by IFPRI, July 7th, 2017
This discussion paper aims to understand how men and women in Cameroon differ in their vulnerability to and their coping strategies for climate change impacts. According to respondents, climate variables such as the timing and length of the rainy season had changed, affecting crop production of both men and women. Women were shown to be more vulnerable than men. »
August 8th, 2017
Published by FoodTank, August 3rd, 2017
This blog discusses a recent study, which challenges the familiar assertion that “to feed the world, we need to double food production by 2050.” The authors of the study aim to balance this narrative by laying out quantitative and compelling mid-century targets for both production and the environment. »
August 7th, 2017
Published by German Development Institute (DIE), June 1st, 2017
This discussion paper examines the debate over two pathways to sustainability, namely sustainable agricultural intensification (SAI) and agroecological intensification (AEI). The results reveal that proponents of the SAI pathway are predominantly private sector actors, while support for the AEI pathway comes mainly from international donors, NGOs and civil society actors. »
July 20th, 2017
Published by WUR, April 1st, 2017
This publication presents various agricultural approaches aimed at improving agricultural practices and contributing to a more sustainable world. The report starts with a short introduction of seven key approaches: agroecology, sustainable intensification, climate smart agriculture, landscape approaches, conservation agriculture, organic farming and inclusive green growth. »
July 12th, 2017
Published by International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, June 8th, 2017
This article explores the reasons why farmers chose not to implement conservation agriculture (CA). Despite more than three decades of promotion, CA has not been widely adopted by smallholder farmer in sub-Saharan Africa. »
July 10th, 2017
Published by HLPE, June 27th, 2017
This report analyzes the diverse, direct and indirect, contributions of forests and trees to food security and nutrition (FNS). This contribution happens through four main channels: direct provision of food; provision of energy, especially for cooking; income generation and employment; and provision of ecosystem services that are essential for FNS, human health and well-being. »
July 3rd, 2017
Published by Environment, Development and Sustainability Journal, April 1st, 2017
This article generates empirical evidence on emerging agricultural innovations in contrasting socio-economic, geographical and agro-ecological contexts. The study demonstrates that several farm practices (innovations) have emerged in response to multiple drivers over time, with various forms of institutional and policy support, including incentives to reduce risks in the adoption of innovative practice. »
June 13th, 2017
Published by Food Tank, May 9th, 2017
This blog explains the basic principles of System of Rice Intensification (SRI), the implications of the methodology, and the role it can play in agriculture in the future. SRI is best understood as a set of agronomic principles rather than as a typical kind of agricultural technology. »
June 12th, 2017
Published by Food Security Journal, April 7th, 2017
This article assesses whether or not conservation agriculture (CA) is climate-smart. For a cropping system to be labelled “climate-smart” it has to deliver three benefits: a) adapt to the effects of climate and be of increased resilience; b) mitigate climate effects by sequestering carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions; and c) sustainably increase productivity and income. »
May 23rd, 2017
Published by weADAPT, May 18th, 2017
This blog discusses how farmers in semi-arid regions adapt to climate change and what is needed for sustained and equitable adaptation. The blog links to research done in Northern Ghana, India and Kenya, which show how farmers and pastoralists deal with the effects of climate change. »
May 15th, 2017
Published by CGIAR CCAFS, April 19th, 2017
This info note describes to what proportion smallholder farms contribute relative to all agricultural emissions, and to total global emissions from all sectors. Smallholders in developing countries produce, on a very rough estimate, 5% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions from smallholder farming in developing countries are roughly estimated as contributing to onethird of agricultural emissions and one-third of the emissions from deforestation due to agriculture globally. »
May 2nd, 2017
Published by Food Policy Journal, April 1st, 2017
This article discusses the effects of markets and trade on the global food system in a changing climate. The authors argue that food security in a changing climate can best be understood as a double exposure: the exposure of people and processes to both economic and climate-related shocks and stressors. »
April 11th, 2017
Published by AFSA, February 16th, 2017
This publication was produced by the AFSA Agroecology Working Group and Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement. The 88 page illustrated book showcases 15 case studies, showing how agroecology benefits Africa in terms of food and nutrition, livelihoods, restoration of biodiversity, knowledge and innovation, and climate change resilience. »
April 5th, 2017
Published by CCAFS, January 12th, 2017
This chapter in the book "Evaluating Climate Change Action for Sustainable Development" focuses on the evaluation of adaptive capacities of community-level human systems related to agriculture and food security. It highlights findings regarding approaches and domains to monitor and evaluate behavioral changes from CGIAR’s research program on climate change, agriculture and food security (CCAFS). »
April 5th, 2017
Published by Agriculture & Food Security Journal, March 6th, 2017
This article discusses how smallholder farmers perceive climate change, what adaptation strategies they practice, and factors that influence their adaptation decisions. Both primary and secondary data were used for the study, and a multinomial logit model was employed to identify the factors that shape smallholder farmers’ adaptation strategies. »
April 3rd, 2017
Published by FAO & CBD, December 9th, 2016
This series of Technical Guidance Documents by FAO and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) addresses the need for mainstreaming biodiversity and ecosystem services into agriculture, at the national level. More specifically, it is aimed to assist countries in developing and implementing their National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSA Ps), to consider ecosystem services – and opportunities for their management – in agricultural production systems. »
March 20th, 2017
Published by Agricultural Systems, February 1st, 2017
This special of Agricultural Systems focuses on prioritising climate-smart agricultural (CSA) interventions at different scales. Currently, there are few tools that can comprehensively evaluate the range of potential technologies and practices and their possible impacts on food production, environmental sustainability, and mitigation in any context. Therefore, what remains is the prioritization of interventions for investment and broad dissemination. This special issue brings together nine papers describing a wide range of approaches and tools. »
March 8th, 2017
Published by Tropicultura, January 1st, 2017
This article analyses drought adaptation practices of two groups of sugarcane growers - market and contractual farmers - in Vietnam. Results of this study point out that farmers, depending on their preferred type of market channels, reacted differently to the impacts of drought. Contractual farmers paid more attention to the impact on sugarcane tillering and sugar content, while market-oriented farmers paid more attention to sugarcane colour. »
March 7th, 2017
Published by Agriculture and Food Security journal, December 17th, 2016
This article, published in the Agriculture and Food Security journal, was synthesized from several scholarly literature and aimed at providing information on climate change impacts, adaptation strategies, policies and institutional mechanisms that each agriculture subsector had put in place in dealing with climate change and its related issues in West Africa. »
March 2nd, 2017
Published by Richard Chourlarton, January 23rd, 2017
This article by Richard Choularton, a senior associate focused on food security and climate change at Tetra Tech International Development Services, gives five areas of innovation that enable earlier and more evidence-based responses to food crises, and help communities build resilience to climate change and disasters. »
March 2nd, 2017
Published by Environment, Development and Sustainability Journal, January 6th, 2017
This article explored the role of crop diversity in farmers’ adaptation actions in eight Aymara communities on the northern Bolivian Altiplano. Crop diversity is central to traditional risk management practices on the Andean Altiplano and may find renewed importance in adapting to climate change. »
February 27th, 2017
Published by Agriculture & Food Security Journal, January 10th, 2017
This article aims to investigate how widespread the mixed-strategy of fishing and farming is across food-insecure regions of the world. Understanding the degree to which farmers also consume fish, and how fishers also grow crops, would help to inform more resilient food security interventions. »
February 16th, 2017
Published by IIED, December 1st, 2016
This briefing by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) highlights how indigenous knowledge and practices play a crucial role in maintaining and enhancing genetic diversity, which reduces agricultural risk and increases resilience to climate change. Evidence from the SIFOR project (Smallholder Innovation for Resilience) in Kenya, India, China and Peru shows how these practices can significantly enhance productivity, incomes and resilience in harsh environments, contributing to the targets set out in Sustainable Development Goal 2. »
February 10th, 2017
Published by IFAD, December 7th, 2016
This report by IFAD shows how IFAD-supported projects are working with smallholder farmers to protect biodiversity in five countries. Poor rural people depend on natural resources for their livelihoods, relying on a range of natural assets from their ecosystems and biodiversity for food, fuel and much else. Productive and sustainable agricultural systems need clean water, healthy soil, and a variety of genetic resources and ecological processes. »
February 8th, 2017
Published by World Bank, August 8th, 2016
TThis book by the World Bank argues that the drylands in Africa have the potential to make a significant contribution to reducing vulnerability and increasing resilience. Improved farming technologies that can increase and stabilize the production of millet, sorghum, maize, and other leading staples are available. Yet many of these opportunities have not been exploited on a large scale, for reasons that include lack of farmer knowledge, nonavailability of inputs, unfavorable price incentives, high levels of production risk, and high cost. »
February 3rd, 2017
Published by CCAFS-CGIAR, HIVOS, the University of Vermond, Bioversity International, Cedeco, World Agroforestry Centre, December 19th, 2016
This paper by CCAFS brings together and highlights research and gaps in the literature about climate effects on smallholder coffee agroecosystems. The authors seek to inspire future scholarship, inform policy and help direct development interventions. Although this paper primarily focuses on Central American coffee production, many of the examples and lessons are broadly applicable to smallholder coffee producers worldwide. The authors hope this researchbrief will benefit multiple stakeholders including coffee cooperatives, development practitioners, industry agents, researchers and policy-makers. »
January 16th, 2017
Published by Global Food Security journal, December 1st, 2016
This article, published in Global Food Security journal, illustrates an approach to examine trade-offs and synergies among the multiple objectives on sustainable agriculure for monsoon cereal crops in central India. These objectives include efficient use of land to produce nutrients for human consumption, climate resilience, and income for farmers. understanding which crops, or combinations of crops, are most suitable requires identifying household-, community-, and region-specific priorities coupled with empirical analysis that considers multiple objectives. »
January 13th, 2017
Published by IFAD, November 11th, 2016
This report by IFAD shows how drylands support important ecosystems and a great variety of biodiversity, as well as their vital role in the livelihoods and cultural identity of many smallholders. It reveals the crucial role the world’s drylands play in buffering the negative impacts of climate change, land degradation and drought. »
January 3rd, 2017
Published by Agronomy for Sustainable Development Journal, November 16th, 2016
This article in the Agronomy for Sustainable Development Journal reviews farming tactics to reduce the carbon footprint of crop cultivation in semiarid areas. The authors present seven key farming tactics that are proven to be effective in increasing grain production while lowering carbon footprint... »
January 1st, 2017
Published by Global Food Security journal, November 17th, 2016
This article in the Global Food Security journal identified sustainable intentification (SI) indicators, through a systematic qualitative review of the literature with a primary focus on African smallholder farming systems. The authors assessed indicators and metrics for which there is consensus, and those that remain contested. »
December 30th, 2016
Published by Nordic Co-opearation, November 1st, 2016
This factsheet by Nordic Co-opearation takes stock of key regional and global initiatives related to agriculture and climate change, which have been launched in the period from 2005 to 2016. It identifies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats across these, as well as highlighting success factors. Many countries across the region face similar challenges for agricultural adaptation and mitigation, and sharing best practices, on policies as well as on projects on the ground, can help increase success rates and cut cost. »
December 29th, 2016
Published by IIED, October 1st, 2016
The workshop on “Landscape approaches for mountain community sustainable development in a time of climate change: Policy consultation and South-South exchange” was organised by the Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy (CCAP, China), Asociación ANDES (Peru) and IIED, on 19-22 May 2016, in Lijiang and the Stone Village, Yunnan, China. The workshop brought together different stakeholders from China, Peru, the Albertine Rift region in Africa and UN agencies to explore the role of different community-led landscape approaches in agrobiodiversity conservation, climate resilience, with a particular focus on mountains. »
December 11th, 2016
Published by CGIAR, November 11th, 2016
This policy brief by CGIAR argues that an opportunity exists in Africa to meet the future food security needs while using N fertilizers efficiently. Many countries in Africa included fertilizer use, soil fertility management, and agricultural inputs as part of their contributions to the Paris Climate Agreement. »
December 3rd, 2016
Published by Agronomy for Sustainable Development Journal, November 4th, 2016
This article in the Agronomy for Sustainable Development Journal, reviews processes of adaptation in farm decision-making models. The authors review bio-economic and bio-decision models, in which strategic and tactical decisions are included in dynamic adaptive and expectation-based processes, in 40 literature articles. »
November 30th, 2016
Published by CGIAR, November 8th, 2016
This Brochure by CGIAR is about the Public access CSA Programing and Indicator Tool that supports investors and implementers in identifying common metrics and tracking the CSA related outcomes and impacts of their interventions. The tool is supported by a database of over 378 indicators gathered from international development agencies... »
November 28th, 2016
Published by Climate Change Journal, September 28th, 2016
This article published by the Climate Change Journal addresses the potential impact of climate change on suitability for major crops and adaptive capacity using indicators of basic human needs, as well as resources for innovation and action framed in a livelihoods approach. The article add to the mounting evidence that rising temperatures and longer, more intense dry seasons could redraw the agricultural map of Central America. »
November 11th, 2016
Published by CCAFS-CGIAR, September 27th, 2016
This book (PDF) by CCAFS-CGIAR provides standards and guidelines for quantifying greenhouse gas emissions and removals in smallholder agricultural systems and comparing options for climate change mitigation based on emission reductions and livelihood trade-offs. The guidelines described in this book are intended to inform anyone conducting field measurements of agricultural greenhouse gas sources and sinks. »
October 31st, 2016
Published by Environmental Evidence, August 11th, 2016
This article provides a coherent systhesis and review of the evidence of claims of on-farm conservation land management strategies and agro-ecology. An extensive body of evidence in the field of agro-ecology claims to show the positive effects that maintenance of ecosystem services can have on meeting future food demand by making farms more sustainable, productive and resilient, which then contributes to improved nutrition and livelihoods of farmers. »
October 17th, 2016
Published by FAO, October 17th, 2016
This annual publication elaborates on the relations between climate change, agriculture and food security and argues that without adaptation to climate change it will not be possible to achieve food security for all and eradicated hunger, malnutrition and poverty. In the publication it is emphasized that smallholders' adaptation to climate change is critical; integrated policies are needed; and that there is a need for more meaningful climate finance to facilitate the transition to sustainable agricultural practices. »
October 17th, 2016
Published by Nature Publishing Group, September 20th, 2016
This article provides a complementary method of assessing the effect of climate change on crop yields. By combining observations of current maximum-attainable yield with climate analogues, strong reductions in attainable yields of major cereal crops are found across a large fraction of current cropland by 2050. »
October 13th, 2016
Published by Regional Environmental Change journal, August 2nd, 2016
This paper, published in the Regional Environmental Change journal, analyzes drivers of change in farming practices in the region using data obtained from surveys of 700 farming households in five countries (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger and Senegal). Agricultural practices have constantly changed in West Africa, and understanding the factors that have driven the changes may help guide strategies to promote sustainable agriculture in the region. »
September 13th, 2016
Published by CGIAR, August 27th, 2016
This report by CGIAR assesses the availability of demand-side measures, and looks at evidence of these measures’ impacts on behavior that directly results in emissions from the agri-food sector. The authors review the effectiveness of these measures for dietary change and reductions in food loss and waste, with a focus on developing countries, where agrifood emissions are projected to grow most rapidly and where the gaps in knowledge are largest. »
September 8th, 2016
Published by Farming Matters, March 1st, 2016
This magazine illustrates how the collective creation of knowledge lies at the heart of agro-ecology rooted in family farming. It presents stories of diverse actors who have jointly created agro-ecological solutions that are suited to their own, local contexts. Agro-ecology can be seen as knowledge-intensive and for successful outcomes the combination of different types of knowledge is essential. In the context of climate change, knowledge co-creation is especially relevant and urgent since developing climate resilient agriculture needs knowledge related to locally rooted adaptation strategies. »
September 5th, 2016
Published by Nature Research, April 20th, 2016
This paper by Nature.com assesses the role of trees on agricultural land and their significance for carbon sequestration at a global level, along with recent change trends. Agroforestry systems and tree cover on agricultural land make an important contribution to climate change mitigation, but are not systematically accounted for in either global carbon budgets or national carbon accounting. Remote sensing data show that in 2010, 43% of all agricultural land globally had at least 10% tree cover and that this has increased by 2% over the previous ten years. »
August 26th, 2016
Published by Oxfam, July 16th, 2016
This report addresses various recommendations to deal with the current El Nino and the forecast of La Nina. According to Oxfam, El Nino was a broadly preventable crisis and the severity of El Nino’s impacts is a reflection of the world’s failure to provide comprehensive and long-term strategies to anticipate, prepare and adapt. To end this cycle of failure, there is an urgent need for humanitarian action where the situation is already dire, to prepare for La Niña later this year, to commit to comprehensive new measures to build communities’ resilience, and to mobilize global action to address climate change. »
August 12th, 2016
Published by CGIAR, July 5th, 2016
This booklet by CGIAR is compendium of best practices that brings together practical ecologically sound and nutrition-sensitive approaches to improving the productivity of backyard, community and family farms. With the increasing awareness of the importance of safe and healthy diets, there is a resurgence of interest in these complementary pathways to household level food security. »
August 8th, 2016
Published by Global Food Security, June 29th, 2016
This article is addressing an action oriented research agenda towards the challenges that climate-change brings. The authors see a strong research-implementation gap, as the growing number of climate impact studies on crop yields, provides marginal increases in knowledge. Therefore, the authors call for the scientific agenda to turn its attention to practical options in the face of climate change. According to the authors, the new agenda will face four key challenges. »
July 28th, 2016
Published by GACSA, June 22nd, 2016
During the GACSA Annual Forum, the Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) community came together for 4 days under the theme CSA in Action. Governments, farmers, businesses, research organizations, non-governmental organizations, civil society, and academia from various corners of the globe, came to Rome from 14-17 June with a common purpose; how to accelerate action on the three pillars of CSA (productivity, adaptation and mitigation). »
July 21st, 2016
Published by Oxfam, June 27th, 2016
This policy paper (PDF) by Oxfam presents new data commissioned from the research consultancy CE Delft on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions footprints and water scarcity footprints of major food commodities. The data demonstrate the vital role the food and beverage industry can and must play in turning the Paris Agreement into a springboard for the stronger climate action needed. »
June 20th, 2016
Published by CTA, May 31st, 2016
This book by The Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation (CTA) is offering 14 best practises and policies that increase agricultural productivity and farmers’ resilience to climate change. Key ingredients for success can be distilled out of these cases, such as active farmer participation and youth attraction. Projects which involve high levels of initial investment or drudgery, fail to attract young people, and are costly in terms of time and labour are unlikely to be successful. »
June 14th, 2016
Published by CIAT, April 7th, 2016
This book presents a study that identifies indicators that farmers use to prioritize agricultural innovations, in general and climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in particular. The study was held in Kilolo and Mbarali Districts in the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania. Using a participatory approach, the study finds that yield, income, cost, labour, availability of inputs and equipment, time, and knowledge are important indicators for farmers to prioritize agricultural practices that they implement. »
May 4th, 2016
Published by GACSA, CGIAR, FAO, April 21st, 2016
This brief from GACSA, CGIAR and FAO focus on taking a gender-responsive approach to Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA). This means that the particular needs, priorities, and realities of men and women are recognized and adequately addressed in the design and application of CSA so that both men and women can equally benefit. »
May 3rd, 2016
Published by Agronomy for Sustainable Development Journal, February 24th, 2016
This article in the Agronomy for Sustainable Development Journal explores some of the existing methods to assess potential grain yield, the size of the gap between average and rainfall-limited potential yield and to suggest pathways for future gains in crop yields in the presence of soil degradation, climate change and seasonal variability of rainfall. They focus mainly on cereal and grain legume crops but recognise that oilseed crops such as canola and mustard play an important role in many rainfed cropping systems. »
May 2nd, 2016
Published by CCAFS-CIGAR, March 7th, 2016
This info note provides guidance for the design and development of climate-smart value chains. It provides lessons learned from the learning event on 25 February 2016 in Rome, held by IFAD and the CCAFS-CIGAR. Through a simple five step process, it provides a range of tools and resources that are available to supportthe development of climate-smart value chains in different stages. The key conclusion of the learning event is that building incountry capacity to use relevant tools for real decisions is even more important than building the tools. »
April 13th, 2016
Published by Nature Climate Change, March 7th, 2016
In this article the authors develop a temporal uncertainty framework, in which different phases and timeframes needed to ensure a transformation in sub-Saharan agriculture to adapt to climate change are presented. Climate change is projected to constitute a significant threat to food security if no adaptation actions are taken. Therefore, transformation of agricultural systems is necessary in some cases. »
March 14th, 2016
Published by ISSUU, February 1st, 2016
This book written by Jelleke de Nooy van Tol discusses how we can support and accelerate the transition to agro-ecology practices worldwide. Lessons learned from the frontrunners show that personal leadership and individual action are utmost important. De Nooy van Tol emphasizes that knowledge systems need to change, since now they are too tightly knit to industrial agriculture, and monoculture production systems. New thinking in agricultural research for development is needed to facilitate change instead of providing "objective" knowledge. »
March 8th, 2016
Published by CGIAR, February 23rd, 2016
This working paper (PDF) from CGIAR synthesizes the most up-to-date knowledge on actions and institutions that bolster smallholder farmers’ climate resilience, drawing upon research from agricultural systems across CGIAR’s diverse portfolio. The adaptation measures are identified as taking place above the level of farmers’ practices on the field. »
February 28th, 2016
Published by FAO, January 1st, 2016
This report by FAO shows the nature of the impacts of climate change on, and vulnerabilities of fisheries in different parts of Africa, to identify current and potential coping mechanisms/strategies as well as biophysical and social characteristics/attributes that increase resilience to these impacts. The report consists of five chapters. Each chapter includes observations on the adaptive capacity of the social-ecological system and concludes with observations on the potential role of fisheries management institutions to reduce vulnerability to climate change. »
February 21st, 2016
Published by Sustainability journal,
This article argues that to overcome food security challenges, the application of an energy, water and food nexus approach is needed. This can be done following three main pathways: employing sustainable production methods in agriculture, changing diets, and reducing waste in all stages of the food chain. »
February 8th, 2016
Published by Oakland Institute, January 11th, 2016
This article is highlighting the way millions of African farmers, with their indigenous systems, adapt to climate change. 33 case studies released by the Oakland Institute demonstrate with facts and figures how an agricultural transformation respectful of the farmers and their environment can yield immense economic, social, and food security benefits while also fighting climate change and restoring soils and the environment. »
January 6th, 2016
Published by World Bank Group, November 8th, 2015
This report elaborates on an integrated strategy to tackle two unprecedented global challenges: ending poverty and stabilizing climate change. It examines the potential impact of climate change and climate policies on poverty reduction. It also provides guidance on how to create a “win-win” situation so that climate change policies contribute to poverty reduction and poverty-reduction policies contribute to climate change mitigation and resilience building. »
December 14th, 2015
Published by GACSA, CGIAR, CCAFS, IITA & ISABU, November 26th, 2015
The Practice Briefs by The Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture (GACSA) intend to provide practical operational information on climate-smart agricultural practices. This practice brief (PDF) focuses on Coffee-Banana Intercropping (CBI) to address all 3 pillars of CSA in a multifaceted way. »
November 16th, 2015
Published by Ethiopia Rising, July 13th, 2015
The documentary Ethiopia Rising, tells the story of how Ethiopia’s people restored vast areas of degraded land to productivity. Thousands of hectares of degraded land were transformed into vast hillside forests and fertile valleys. »
October 14th, 2015
Published by CGIAR, June 2nd, 2015
This working paper summarizes projected climate change impacts on livestock across Africa. It argues that an enabling technical and policy environment will be needed to ensure livestock keepers can adapt to climate change and enhance their livelihoods and food security. »
September 30th, 2015
Published by SIANI, August 1st, 2015
This discussion brief by the Swedish International Agricultural Network Initiative (SIANI) is based on the workshop “Can agroforestry address food security concerns in a changing climate?”. The workshop brought together leading scholars-practitioners from five parts of the world - Sweden, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Kenya and Ecuador - to share knowledge of and aspirations for agroforestry systems. »
September 27th, 2015
Published by Montepellier Panel, September 1st, 2015
This report focuses on how African small-holder farmers respond to an uncertain climate future and how they can be agents of change. In addition, it focuses on what financial options are available and how funding could be improved for this. Impacts of climate change are already felt in Africa. Mean temperatures in Africa will rise faster than the global average, and agricultural losses in the region will amount to 2% to 7% of GDP by 2100. »
August 6th, 2015
Published by CSA2015, March 2nd, 2015
The 3rd Global Science Conference on Climate-Smart Agriculture, took place in Montpellier, France, in March 2015. This statement summarises the conclusions of the meeting, which will be channeled to the UNFCCC negotiators meeting in Paris in December 2015 for the COP 21. »
August 6th, 2015
Published by Paepard, March 16th, 2015
The AfricaInteract Continental Conference was held in Nairobi, Kenya in March 2015. More than 200 delegates attended the conference. At the conference, this synthesis report (PDF) on adaptation on climate change in Africa was launched. The report contains findings and assessment of gaps in research and policy on three separate themes: urban areas, agriculture and health. It provides a synthesis of key headline findings from 12 regional reviews on research-policy linkages on adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa. »
July 22nd, 2015
Published by SIANI, March 1st, 2015
This policy brief by the Swedish International Agricultural Network Initiative (SIANI) explains how agroecology could be a useful tool for creating sustainable and resilient food systems that put farmers in the centre. Drawing on the Planetary Boundaries framework, this brief suggests how agroeocological practices can reduce the pressure created by the existing agriculture practice on each of the nine Planetary Boundaries and pinpoints key interventions for facilitation of agroecological transformation. »
July 15th, 2015
Published by World Bank group, March 1st, 2015
This publication (PDF) is intended to support the World Bank project “Agroweather Tools for Adapting to Climate Change” in increasing the adaptive capacity of farming communities in Kenya and Ethiopia. The author refers to the creation of financially sustainable weather observation networks in Guinea and the Philippines that are likely applicable to many developing settings, including those of East Africa and the Horn of Africa. The study recommends investment in early warning systems for weather and investment in climate-smart agriculture to help farmers mitigate effects of harsh weather. »
July 15th, 2015
Published by IIED, March 1st, 2015
This briefing by IIED revisits the term ‘sustainable intensification’. The paper makes a distinction in what it should be according to the authors — a useful guiding framework for raising agricultural productivity on existing arable land in a sustainable manner; and what it should not be — a paradigm for achieving food security overall. The... »
June 21st, 2015
Published by EASAC, April 8th, 2015
This report (PDF) of EASAC by a group of researchers, highlights the importance of the relation between agriculture and ecosystem services, as a critical part of a sustainable agricultural system. More and more studies show the severe effects of the use of neonicotinoids on a wide range of organisms that provide ecosystem services like pollination... »
June 18th, 2015
Published by Sustainability Journal, February 3rd, 2015
This article in the Sustainability Journal examines farmers’ coping strategies for crop failure and the determinants of their choices using household level data from rural southern Malawi. The results of the study highlight that farmers are not responding directly to climate variability, but to crop failure, which is influenced by climate stress, as well as... »
June 9th, 2015
Published by CIAT, February 11th, 2015
A team of researchers from the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in collaboration with Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) carried out a Climate Smart Agriculture Rapid Appraisal (CSA-RA) in four districts in the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT). The CSA-RA, part of a project funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), was used as a tool to assess within and between district variations in farming systems, agricultural management practices, challenges for current agricultural practices, and climate vulnerability among smallholder mixed crop-livestock farmers. »
May 28th, 2015
Published by The East African, January 5th, 2015
This article by The East African provides a civil-society perspective on climate smart agriculture (CSA) and questions its current practices in East Africa. The article argues that widespread use of fertilisers and other chemicals does not necessarily guarantee increased productivity neither does it ensure that smallholder farmers benefit. »
May 28th, 2015
Published by CIFOR, February 12th, 2015
In this publication (PDF) by the Center for International Forestry Research (Cifor), scientists argue that people in Mali use trade as a medium to adapt their way of life in the face of climate change and other forms of stress. This study highlights the importance of considering the social construction of livestock market systems and marketing behaviours as adaptive strategies of livestock producers to multiple changes... »
May 11th, 2015
Published by FAO, January 19th, 2015
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) argues that genetic resources have a critical role to play in feeding the world in light of climate change, as shown in this infographic. A recent book (PDF) of FAO, “Coping with climate change: the roles of genetic resources for food and agriculture”, highlights the potential use of genetic resources as a basis for adaptation and of an ecosystem approach to meet the challenges of climate change. The report covers plant, animal, forest, aquatic, invertebrate and micro-organism genetic resources. »
May 4th, 2015
Published by The Royal Society Proceedings B, January 22nd, 2015
This article by a group of researchers, published in Proceedings B by Royal Society, compares organic and conventional yields by using a new meta-dataset and a new hierarchical analytical framework that can better account for the heterogeneity and structure in the data. Their main finding is that organic yields are only 19.2% (±3.7%) lower than... »
April 23rd, 2015
Published by ODI Development progress, September 11th, 2014
This report (PDF) from The Overseas Development Institute (ODI), describes a case study where degraded land in Burkina Faso was brought into productive use through the application of improved traditional farming techniques. Three main factors have contributed to achieving this progress: 1. farmers had valuable local knowledge of suitable and efficient traditional farming methods; 2. »
April 6th, 2015
Published by AGRA, September 1st, 2014
The Africa Agriculture Status Report 2014 (PDF) presents a comprehensive overview of smallholder agriculture in Africa and addresses the 'climate-smart agricultural’ (CSA) sector in the continent. The role of soil fertility and plant nutrition in strengthening the vigor of farming systems and make them less vulnerable to climate change is explicitly addressed in this report. »
April 4th, 2015
Published by ODI, January 11th, 2014
This case study (PDF) by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) focuses on China’s ability to get ‘more crop per drop’ by improving agricultural water use. The case study identifies four factors driving improvements: Chinese decision-makers’ balancing of needs for water for food versus growth; institutional and policy reform; major government investment; and local technical, economic and regulatory programmes. »
April 4th, 2015
Published by Wageningen UR, September 8th, 2014
In this article (PDF) by Pablo Tittonell, conceptual differences between sustainable and ecological intensification as used in research, development, policy and the industry are examined. Particular focus is on the balance between agriculture and nature. The study compares different discourses on models of intensification. »
April 2nd, 2015
Published by CTA, September 15th, 2014
This article (PDF) of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), summarizes some realistic methods for reducing methane emissions in rice production. The authors present two case studies on efforts to mitigate methane emissions, such as irrigation management, the use of suitable rice cultivars (e.g. water-saving and drought-resistant rice, WDR) and combinations of different fertilizers. »
April 2nd, 2015
Published by IOP Science, December 18th, 2014
This study by IIASA researchers provides a global scenario analysis that covers nine different climate scenarios, 18 crops and 4 crop management systems, as well as the interactions between crop production, consumption, prices, and trade. It specifically examines adaptations that are investment-intensive and not easily reversible, such as building new water management infrastructure for irrigation, or increases and decreases to the production capacity of a region. »
March 31st, 2015
Published by OECD, December 22nd, 2014
This paper (PDF) by The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), investigates how climate change can affect agricultural production and proposes some adaptation measures that could be undertaken to mitigate the negative effects of climate change while enhancing the positive ones. The paper stresses the importance of planned adaptation measures and highlights possible strategies for reducing risk and improving resilience. »
March 30th, 2015
Published by FAO, September 1st, 2014
In this study (PDF) by FAO, authors analyse the linkages between property rights and adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA). First, they discuss key characteristics of four CSA practices related to sustainable land management. Then, they lay out a conceptual framework for evaluating the pathways by which expanding property rights and strengthening tenure security affects incentives to adopt technologies broadly, and finally apply the framework to each of the four CSA practices. »
March 19th, 2015
Published by SNV, February 1st, 2015
This paper explores to what extent voluntary certification schemes are able to deliver on no deforestation commitments. Certification schemes play an important role in improving the environmental and social sustainability of supply chains. Yet, this report highlights a number of their limitations which form a barrier to delivering on no deforestation targets. »
March 10th, 2015
Published by AgriProFocus, September 12th, 2014
An expert meeting was organised in September 2014 by Agri-ProFocus to clarify different perspectives on agro-ecology and other approaches to promote sustainable agriculture, in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on achieving food and nutrition security for all by 2030. Meeting outcomes were aimed to inform the Food Security policy note of Dutch Minister Ploumen and Dutch Secretary of State Dijksma, as well as the own practice of different stakeholders. »
March 5th, 2015
Published by Oxfam, April 28th, 2014
This paper (PDF) by Oxfam aims to contribute to the on-going debate about sustainable agriculture. The paper shows how an agro-ecological approach provides a range of social, economic, and environmental benefits that—with the right policy support and associated investments—can be scaled up to enable smallholder farming communities to achieve food security and additional benefits. »
March 4th, 2015
Published by FAO, January 1st, 2015
The final report of the two-day international symposium on Agroecology for Food Security and Nutrition provides an overview of the Symposium and the COAG side-event. It gives insight into the key points discussed in the different sessions: ecological approaches, building synergies, people and economics, agro-ecology in practice: country examples by farmers and farmers’ associations and dialogue on ecological processes and health and nutrition. »
March 4th, 2015
Published by Global Food Security Journal, June 27th, 2014
This article (PDF) in the Global Food Security Journal, discusses three main causes of “adaptation illusions”, common ways in which studies misinterpret the adaptation benefits of various changes. Many potential changes in agricultural management and technology, including shifts in crop phenology and improved drought and heat tolerance, would help to improve crop productivity but do not necessarily represent true adaptations. »
