climate change

The authors of this report argue that governments must lead in shifting attitudes and behaviors of consumers to lower meat consumption. According to the report, reduction in global meat consumption is key to mitigating climate change and keeping global warming below two degrees Celsius. Global meat consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are at all-time highs. The livestock sector accounts for 15 percent of all emissions, the equivalent to the emissions of all vehicles worldwide. »

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. »

This set of factsheets by Bioversity International shows how the ‘Seeds for Needs’ initiative works with farmers to research how agricultural biodiversity can help minimize the risks associated with climate change. The concept is simple – if farmers have better information and access to a wide range of varieties, they are more able to choose what best suits their conditions and cope with unpredictable weather. Seeds for Needs is trying to encourage this by exposing farmers to more crop varieties and increase their first-hand knowledge about different traits and options available and strengthening their seed systems and seed-saving capacity so that they always have access to planting material that fits their changing needs. »

This report (PDF) by Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) highlights the role of small-scale farmers as innovators and custodians of food system diversity, a critical resource in ensuring the realization of the right to food in an era of climate change. Taking an innovation systems perspective, it proposes a new framework for the design of collaborative agricultural research projects and agendas, and notes the need for pro-active policy measures in creating an enabling environment for such partnerships. »

A working group convened by F&BKP on behalf of the Ministries of Economic Affairs and Foreign Affairs is presently exploring how a strategic partnership between the CGIAR and the Netherlands, both through its financial support and collaboration with Dutch knowledge providers, can be developed with the aim to significantly contribute to the sustainable development goals. »

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. »