Climate adaptation solutions by farmers, for farmers
Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA)
Together with our partners, we're scaling a climate-smart African future driven by science & innovation in agriculture.
We recently visited the Kimatwa Women's Cooperative in Makindu, Kenya. They are a group of dedicated farmers who—after receiving basic training in climate-smart agriculture (CSA)?last year—have been building on that knowledge to scale ‘Climate-Smart Production Farms’. This is boosting their incomes and food security in their communities.
“This innovative approach goes beyond the 'lead farmers' model to instead involving the entire community in the journey toward wider scaling of CSA innovations,” noted Boaz Waswa , AICCRA Researcher during the visit.
The success and growth of farmer-led initiatives like the Kimatwa Cooperative is echoed in?the best practices found?in a new report published by the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation this month. The report highlights?the critical role small-scale farmers?play in the collaborative development of?sustainable?climate adaptation solutions, which?ultimately strengthen the resilience of communities to the impacts of climate change.
Explore these highlights and more:
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Ten inspiring cases of locally-led adaptation
The Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF) and AICCRA published a new report at COP29 that showcases ten best practice cases of innovative, farmer-driven solutions.
An output of the long-term partnership between EAFF and AICCRA, this report demonstrates the significant impact of locally-led efforts for climate adaptation and resilience building.?
Drawn from nine countries, the case studies capture some of the diverse ways in which farmers across Africa are adapting to climate challenges through context-specific, locally relevant, and innovative practices.
"Whether it’s adapting their crops to unpredictable weather patterns or finding ways to conserve precious water resources, these actions underscore a vital truth: farmers are not just beneficiaries of climate adaptation; they are key drivers of change and action."?- Stephen Muchiri, CEO, Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF)
The ten case studies represent only a small fraction of the adaptation efforts underway across Africa. To address this, we intend this document to be a living report, continuously updated to include more initiatives and showcase the incredible work being done by farmers on the continent.?
A women's cooperative in Kenya's Makueni County is scaling climate-smart agriculture for their communities
The Kimatwa Women Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO) is a remarkable group of women who have adopted – and scaled – climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices in their communities. ?
Kimatwa SACCO first received CSA training from AICCRA in 2023 and the women have not looked back. Using what they’d learned and integrating indigenous knowledge, the cooperative started by setting up nine cluster demo areas to serve as community learning labs for CSA technologies and innovations. ?
To date, the cooperative has independently rented additional land, currently totalling about 12 acres, and is actively seeking more to produce drought-tolerant crop varieties of maize, beans, sorghum, millet, green grams, cowpea, and pigeon pea using climate-smart practices. ?
This farmer-driven expansion is a testament to the effectiveness of the training and support provided, and the invaluable role of women in scaling climate adaptation for their communities. ?
In case you missed it | AICCRA at COP29
We went into COP29 focusing our engagements on: locally-led climate adaptation; climate finance and markets for small-scale farmers; long-term, low-emission and climate-resilient development strategies; and multi-stakeholder platforms for climate-smart agriculture.
In addition to the report launched with EAFF, here’s a recap of our highlights from the AICCRA team in Baku, Azerbaijan in case you missed it on social media over the past few weeks:
You can explore more details, find the replay links and other social highlights in our AICCRA at COP29 Hub.
Stories of gender and social inclusion in Zambia
AICCRA partnerships in Zambia prioritize gender equality and social inclusion to transform livelihoods - focusing on removing and overcoming the barriers to accessing and using climate information services and climate-smart agriculture.?
After three years of working with communities in Zambia, we visited some of the women and young people involved in the climate-smart bundles to capture their stories in their words.?
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In a new five-part video series, watch stories from participants in our gender and social inclusion bundles on aquaculture, solar irrigation, seed systems and value chains.?
National AgDataHub launches in Mali
Developed under AICCRA and hosted by national meteorological agency MALI-METEO , the national AgDataHub is an innovative platform that will serve as a one-stop hub for agricultural and climate data, fostering informed decision-making across Mali's agricultural sector.
Bridging the gap between data producers and end users, the Hub will facilitate a data and information ecosystem in agricultural decision-making at different levels.?The platform will connect climate data sources from the Ministry of Agriculture, non-governmental organizations, agricultural research institutes and statistical departments.
Data scientist Ram Dhulipala explains more in a short video from the launch.
African researchers drive solutions for climate change and soil health
Understanding how climate change and variability impact agriculture is essential for developing effective climate-smart agricultural practices. Such insights inform decision-making, adaptation strategies, and risk management efforts.
African researchers, policy leaders and agricultural extension experts came together in Mombasa, Kenya, for a learning workshop on understanding the impacts of climate change on agriculture and how to balance ecosystems conservation, restore soil productivity and advance gender equality.
In Mali, women cooperatives build resilience in rice cultivation
Women's cooperatives are boosting local production, incomes, and food security with climate-resilient seed varieties introduced by AICCRA and Africa Rice Center .
Despite the crucial role of women in rice production in rural Mali, they remain in second place in the field. Compared to men, women are frequently faced with constraints which slow down their development in the sector.
Responding to this, Africa Rice and AICCRA supplied basic climate-resilient seed varieties to eight groups of women and young seed producers. The community and seed producers have since reported significant profits from using the improved seeds. In Siramana, the local cooperative is using seed profits to provide credit for women farmers and in Blendio, the cooperative is diversifying into small livestock production.
Collaborative efforts to scale climate-smart education in Zambia
Higher?education institutions, inclusive of Zambia's network of agricultural training institutions (ATIs) and public and private universities, gathered recently to develop a national action plan for mainstreaming a practical, hands-on curriculum on climate risk management in agriculture.
The curriculum was co-developed by AICCRA with more than 25 Zambian organizations who generate, tailor, communicate, and build capacity to use climate information at the grassroots level. It responds to a comprehensive national needs assessment for climate information services and climate-smart agriculture in higher education institutions which was conducted last year.
Robert Zougmoré: A pioneer of climate-smart agriculture in Africa
Learn more about Robert Zougmoré, AICCRA's Director and a pioneer in climate action in AfricaIn a new profile feature.
Positioning AICCRA within a broader legacy of climate action, Dr. Zougmoré highlights past CGIAR research programs and its extensive current portfolio:
"This solid scientific foundation enables us to deliver solutions that are practical and relevant to farmers' needs."
Through his leadership at AICCRA and vision for sustainable, resilient farming, he paves the way for a future where African farmers not only survive but thrive amid climate challenges.
Read these stories and more on our news page or follow us on social media (@CGIARAfrica) for ongoing updates.
Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) is a project that helps deliver a climate-smart African future driven by science and innovation in agriculture. It is led by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT and supported by a grant from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank.
M&E Consultant at AGRA
2 个月It will be very helpful to read about some of the costs associated with farmers adaptation to climate change
Agronomy at PAFID
2 个月If you organise we can teach them on how to make there on fertilisers
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2 个月Inspirational