CCAFS East Africa 2019-2021 - Strategy for Supporting Agricultural Transformation, Food and Nutrition Security under Climate Change - CGIAR
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CCAFS East Africa 2019–2021 Strategy for Supporting Agricultural Transformation, Food and Nutrition Security under Climate Change
Authors: Acknowledgments:
Dawit Solomon, Maren Radeny, Catherine Mungai, This work was produced as part of the CGIAR
John Recha, Tonya Schuetz and Marianne Gadeberg Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture
and Food Security (CCAFS), which is carried out
Editors: with generous financial support from CGIAR Trust
Dawit Solomon, Maren Radeny, Catherine Mungai Fund and CGIAR Donors through bilateral funding
and Marianne Gadeberg agreements. For details please visit https://ccafs.
cgiar.org/donors. The views expressed in this
Design: document cannot be taken to reflect the official
Michael Dougherty opinions of these organizations.
Cover photo credit: Contact:
Neil Palmer (CIAT) CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change,
Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), East Africa.
Correct citation: P.O. Box 5689.
Solomon D, Radeny M, Mungai C, Recha J, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Schuetz T, Gadeberg M. 2018. CCAFS East Africa Phone: +251-11 617 2000
2019–2021: Strategy for supporting agricultural Fax: +251-11 617 2001
transformation, food and nutrition security under Email: ccafsea@cgiar.org
climate change. Addis Ababa: CGIAR Research Website: http://ccafs.cgiar.org/regions/east-africa
Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food
Security (CCAFS). Available online at: www.ccafs. @cgiarclimate_EA
cgiar.org.
CGIARClimate
Creative Commons License:
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Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–NoDerivs Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS)
3.0 Unported License.
Articles appearing in this publication may be freely © 2018 CGIAR Research Program on Climate
quoted and reproduced provided the source is Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) in
acknowledged. No use of this publication may be East Africa.
made for resale or other commercial purposes.
CCAFS East Africa 2019–2021 Strategy for Supporting Agricultural Transformation, Food and Nutrition Security under Climate Change
Contents 1. Overview and development context...............................................................................................1 2. Focus countries and research sites .................................................................................................5 3. Goals and outcomes........................................................................................................................7 4. Strategic research pillars..................................................................................................................9 5. Emerging cross-cutting opportunities in East Africa.....................................................................14 6. Program structure..........................................................................................................................18 7. Delivering impact at scale..............................................................................................................20 8. References.....................................................................................................................................24 Authors: Dawit Solomon, Maren Radeny, Catherine Mungai, John Recha, Tonya Schuetz and Marianne Gadeberg Editors: Dawit Solomon, Maren Radeny, Catherine Mungai and Marianne Gadeberg Design: Michael Dougherty Cover photo credit: Neil Palmer (CIAT)
1. Overview and
development context
East Africa has the potential to feed
itself and be a major player in global
food systems, but several challenges
stand in its way—not least the
accelerating impacts of climate change.
Doyogena climate-smart landscape site, Doyogena district, Kembata Tembaro zone, Southern Nations,
Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia. Credit: Dawit Solomon (CCAFS)
What is at stake for agriculture, food Agricultural systems in East Africa face many other
and nutrition security in East Africa? constraints and barriers to sustainable growth.
Degradation of soil, land, water and ecosystems is
a persistent environmental challenge limiting the
East Africa has enormous potential, not only to feed sector’s productivity. Economic barriers, including
itself and eliminate hunger, but also to be a major lack of access to inputs, markets, capital, credit and
player in global food systems.1 This potential lies in finance, are significant. Poor infrastructure, rising
its natural resources, its people and knowledge, and land prices and structural challenges for inclusive
its huge markets. Agriculture represents a significant growth are further limiting the possibilities for
portion of this potential and constitutes a large part enhancing productivity, profitability as well as food
of East African economies. In Ethiopia, for example, and nutrition security, putting the sector under
agriculture contributed about 44% to the gross additional strain. Low human and institutional
domestic product (GDP) over the past five years, capacities, poor agro-advisory services, as well
while other East African countries generally attain as political instability and insecurity also make
about a third of their GDP from agriculture.2,3,4 The it difficult to harness the existing potential in
agriculture sector plays a key role for food and agriculture.1,5
nutrition security, sustainable natural resources
management and economic diversification. If Furthermore, socio-demographic changes in the
leveraged, the sector could boost investment, region are making improvements to the agriculture
increase intra-regional trade, provide employment sector ever more urgent. About 264 million people
opportunities, contribute to poverty eradication and live in East Africa, and the region’s population is
foster human security, stability and prosperity.1,5,6 expected to grow to one billion by 2050.5 Notably,
East Africa is a very youthful region; about 80%
Acknowledging the sector’s huge potential, East of the population is below 35 years of age. As a
African governments have made sustainable critical majority, youth will determine the shape
transformation of agriculture a priority in their of the region’s future.7 The population relying on
development agendas and long-term visions, and agriculture in the region stands at 185 million
they have increased investments in agriculture. As a people, accounting for up to 70% of the total.5
result, these countries have started to benefit from While millions of people are involved in agriculture,
growing revenue from agriculture.5 Similarly, private the number of young people directly engaged
sector companies in the region are increasingly in the sector is dropping, and the agricultural
investing in agriculture and related value chains, population is aging. Several factors are driving this
enhancing the region’s potential to provide farmers shift, including persistent changes in farmland
with improved access to inputs and services, ownership, continued competition for land and
including better seeds, fertilizers, advisory services ever-decreasing farm sizes, increasing urbanization,
and markets to improve productivity, incomes, risk a growing proportion of farmers relying on off-farm
management and on-farm decision making.1,5 employment for income and the resulting change in
the labor force towards non-farm activities. These
Despite these positive efforts and developments, changes in social structures negatively affect food
the region has seen very little improvement in and nutrition security, with around one-third of
agricultural productivity, food and nutrition security. the region’s population currently suffering from
Growth in the agriculture sector has primarily been malnutrition. The number of malnourished people
achieved through unsustainable approaches, such is estimated to increase to about 320 million by
as increasing the total area of land under cultivation 2050.8,9
or mobilizing large agricultural labor forces, without
much improvement in yield and productivity.1,5,6 What is at stake for the region’s agriculture is,
Besides, the sector is still dominated by smallholder therefore, meeting food and nutrition needs,
subsistence farmers, who are struggling with deep- raising incomes and increasing employment
rooted poverty and have few productive assets.5,6 opportunities, particularly in rural areas—all
East Africa Strategy 2019-2021 1
while reducing inequalities and protecting the temperature, potentially associated with heat
environment. This will be the most daunting waves, water stress and droughts, are likely to
challenge for East African governments during the severely disrupt rain-fed agriculture.
coming decades.
While the precise impacts of climate variability
Emerging climate-related challenges and change on East African farming systems are
likely to vary spatially, two general predictions
for agriculture, food and nutrition can be emphasized: greater variability in
security in East Africa agricultural production and a possible decline in
crop productivity arising from more erratic and
Human activities are estimated to have caused extreme weather patterns.17 The combination of
approximately 1.0°C of global warming above changing temperatures as well as rainfall patterns
pre-industrial levels, with a likely range of 0.8°C and quantities will bring about shifts in the onset,
to 1.2°C. Global warming is likely to reach 1.5°C cessation and length of growing seasons for a large
between 2030 and 2052 if it continues to increase proportion of cropping and rangeland area in the
at the current rate.10 East Africa is among the future. It is estimated that by 2050, the combined
regions at a disproportionately higher risk of impacts of climate change could result in yield
adverse consequences of global warming. It is reductions of major staple crops, e.g. on average
extremely vulnerable to the various manifestations 14% for rice, 22% for wheat and 5% for maize.18
of climate change, and it is considered a climate This is projected to push more people into poverty,
hotspot where climate change poses grave threats chronic hunger and nutrition deficiency, particularly
to human well-being and natural environments. for the millions relying on agriculture for their
livelihoods, and to exacerbate the vulnerability of
The accelerating pace of climate change in the the malnourished population in the region.9,19
region is invariably being felt through increased
variability, which affects the frequency, intensity, Because subsistence smallholders dominate the
spatial distribution, duration and timing of extreme agriculture sector, little capacity and few resources
weather and climate events.11,12 The changes in the exist for building resilience and adaptive capacity to
frequency and severity of extreme climate events these emerging and changing realities.20 Women,
and the increasing variability of weather patterns who on average make up 73% of the agricultural
are resulting in substantial challenges for both workforce in the region, are the least prepared and
human and natural systems. To the region’s farmers, are likely to suffer the greatest consequences.21,9
these emerging changes represent an additional Pastoralists may also be particularly vulnerable as
source of risks and increased uncertainty. a result of direct impacts on livestock productivity
and indirect effects on pasture, animal feed, and
Climate variability and change are having significant increased incidences of disease and parasite
direct and indirect impacts on agricultural infestations.20
production, agricultural value chains, food and
nutrition security as well as the overall sustainable Agriculture and climate change exhibit a feedback
growth of the sector in East Africa. These changes relationship; agriculture is not only impacted by
will have a particularly devastating impact on climate change, it also contributes to climate
smallholder agriculture, in which the livelihoods of change, necessitating both adaptation and
farmers and pastoralists are subject to the vagaries mitigation strategies by East African countries.
of the weather.1 The sector is currently the main source of
national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the
Countries in East Africa are especially vulnerable region, accounting for about 46% in Uganda,
to climate change due to their reliance 57% in Kenya, 60% in Ethiopia and up to 86%
on subsistence, rain-fed agriculture.13,14,15 in Tanzania.9 The emissions from agriculture in
Approximately 95% of the food in the region is the region are largely from the livestock sector,
produced under rain-fed agriculture.16 This is which accounts in some cases for up to 96% of
important because climate change impacts are the national agricultural emissions.22 In the region,
predicted to intensify in the future. Increased, there is a general understanding that achieving
more intense and more erratic rainfall, food and nutrition security as well as related
accompanied by flooding, and changes in economic, social and environmental targets
2 CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security
requires decoupling agricultural growth from able to meet present needs and targets without
GHG emissions. It is also acknowledged that GHG endangering the capacity of natural ecosystems to
emissions from the agriculture sector must, where absorb the effects of human activities and without
possible, be reduced and opportunities to increase compromising the ability of the future generations
carbon storage in agricultural systems in soils to meet their own needs and aspirations.16 Finally,
and vegetation must be encouraged in order to addressing climate change risks in the region will not
mitigate climate change and safeguard long-term only help eliminate hunger and foster sustainable
agricultural productivity and human well-being. economic growth, but also contribute towards
reducing the risk of conflict, destabilization and mass
Considering the multitude of significant and migration.23
interrelated challenges, it is evident that agricultural
systems in East Africa must be transformed, Policies, strategies and priority
particularly through developing and promoting
sustainable agricultural strategies, policies and
actions in East Africa
programs that make the sector more efficient and
productive. This is considered key to achieving Confronted with the triple challenge of achieving
environmentally and socioeconomically viable and food and nutrition security, adapting to climate
safe agricultural food systems. To achieve food and variability and change, as well as reducing GHG
nutrition security, it is also necessary to increase the emissions where possible, national governments in
resilience of productive landscapes and strengthen East Africa have pinned the agriculture sector as a
farmers’ abilities to adapt to the emerging threats top priority. Table 1 highlights the visions, targets
of climate variability and change.16 If undertaking and priorities of the governments of Ethiopia,
these efforts, the countries in the region will be Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Table 1: Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda’s vision and priorities
Country National vision National priorities
Ethiopia24 Achieve carbon-neutral • Improving efficiency of the agricultural system to enhance production and resilience as well as
middle-income status increase adaptive capacity in an inclusive manner
by 2025 through • Identifying options in crop and livestock systems for reducing emissions in the context of the
implementation of the broader agricultural development and food security agenda
Climate-Resilient Green • Restoring degraded land or preventing deforestation
Economy strategy. • Improving the response capacity of the agricultural research system
Kenya6 A climate-resilient and • Addressing vulnerability due to changes in rainfall and temperature, extreme weather events,
low-carbon sustainable and unsustainable land and water management and use
agriculture that ensures • Reducing GHG emissions from agriculture
food security and • Establishing enabling policy, legal and institutional frameworks for effective implementation of
contributes to national climate-resilient and low-carbon sustainable agriculture
development goals. • Minimizing effects of underlying cross-cutting issues such as low human resource capacity and
lack of finance
Tanzania14 An agriculture sector • Improving productivity and incomes through sustainable and climate-resilient practices that
that sustainably consider gender
increases productivity, • Integrating agricultural value chains and improving infrastructure to support value addition,
while enhancing climate marketing, trade and post-harvest management
resilience and food • Strengthening policy, legal and institutional frameworks and improving institutional
security for national coordination for effective implementation of sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture
economic development. • Increasing use of climate-smart technologies in agricultural production through research and
innovations
• Improving and sustaining agricultural advisory services
• Developing financing mechanisms to mobilize resources through national, international and
public–private partnerships to support sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture
Uganda15 Climate-resilient and • Increasing agricultural productivity through climate-resilient and low-carbon agriculture and
low-carbon agricultural food systems approaches that consider gender
and food systems • Increasing the contribution of agriculture to low-carbon development pathways through
contributing to increased transformation of agricultural practices
food security, wealth • Strengthening the enabling environment for efficient and effective scaling up of climate-
creation and sustainable resilient and low-carbon agriculture and food systems
economic growth. • Increasing partnerships and resource mobilization initiatives to support implementation of
climate-resilient and low-carbon agriculture and food systems
East Africa Strategy 2019-2021 3
In addition to the national policies, strategies At the regional level, members of the East
and programs designed to deliver progress on African Community (EAC)—Kenya, Uganda and
climate-resilient and low-carbon agriculture and Tanzania—are also guided by the EAC Climate
food systems (Table 1), Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania Change Policy.16,29 In addition, a number of
and Uganda are all parties to the United Nations countries in East Africa have prepared National
Framework Convention on Climate Change Agricultural Investment Plans (NAIPs) under the
(UNFCCC). All four countries have submitted Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under Programme (CAADP) of the African Union (AU).
the UNFCCC framework, communicating their The NAIPs are designed, among other objectives,
climate goals to the international community.9,25,26 to scale up climate change adaptation and
The NDCs represent key entry points for using mitigation actions to ensure progress towards
scientific evidence to inform policies for sustainable transforming agriculture under the Africa
agricultural development and climate action in East Agriculture Transformation Scorecard, which was
Africa. In addition, these four countries, and all other announced at the 30th AU Heads of State Summit
African parties to the UNFCCC, are represented in 2018.16,30
by the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) in the
international climate change negotiations, with How CCAFS supports East
some being members of the Least Developed
Countries Expert Group.27
African countries’ priorities
In 2015, the United Nation’s Sustainable In the context of increasing climate variability
Development Goals (SDGs) replaced the Millennium and change, agriculture in East Africa is facing
Development Goals, with an aim to end poverty, enormous challenges of achieving food and
protect the planet and ensure prosperity for nutrition security, adapting to climate change
everyone by 2030. East African countries embraced and, where possible, reducing GHG emissions
the principles for sustainable development and to mitigate climate change. The CGIAR Research
adopted SDGs right from the time of promulgation. Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and
They have worked to mainstream sustainability into Food Security in East Africa (CCAFS EA) seeks
their development strategies and embarked on to support the countries in East Africa, and the
a more sustainable development pathway. Many region as a whole, in their pursuits to achieve
of the long-term strategic planning documents by their sustainable developmental goals as well as
East African countries developed during the past fulfill their national, regional and international
decade (such as Kenya’s Vision 2030) have identified climate-related commitments. To achieve this,
sustainable agricultural development among the CCAFS EA is promoting climate-smart agriculture
pillars of their national development strategies, (CSA)—a strategic approach to agriculture
along with more inclusive growth. that aims to solve the region’s increasing
developmental and climate-related challenges
The strategic role that agriculture will play in by introducing climate-smart practices and
climate change adaptation and mitigation is also technologies to sustainably increase agricultural
clearly reflected in East African countries’ National productivity and income, enhance resilience and
Adaptation Programmes of Action, National adaptive capacity, while reducing emissions and
Adaptation Plans and Nationally Appropriate sequestering carbon. Both CCAFS EA and the
Mitigation Actions.16,28 Agriculture has also become countries in East Africa recognize the relevance
a main focus of the AGN and UNFCCC focal points as and efficacy of CSA and no longer consider CSA
they work to effectively articulate Africa’s position an option, but a core necessity to transform
on agriculture and climate change, notably through agriculture to deliver food and nutrition security
contributions to the roadmap for the Koronivia Joint as well as livelihood improvements in the face of
Work on Agriculture. a changing climate.
4 CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security2. Focus countries
and research sites
CCAFS East Africa aims to contribute to a
climate-resilient region that is food and nutrition
secure and has equitable access to livelihood
opportunities for all.
Livestock farmers in the district of Lushoto, in the Tanga region of Tanzania. Credit: Georgina Smith (CIAT)
CCAFS EA carries out its research and engagement In these focus countries, CCAFS EA has established
activities in four focus countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, six research sites to introduce, test, evaluate
Tanzania and Uganda. These countries were and promote technological and institutional CSA
selected because their farming systems face a wide options for addressing climate variability and
range of climatic, agro-ecological, environmental change in agriculture (Figure 1). These research
and socioeconomic challenges. Besides, the sites cut across the main agro-ecological zones
agricultural communities in these countries are and farming systems in East Africa. The sites
highly vulnerable to climate risks and have very include Nyando (Kenya), Lushoto (Tanzania),
low adaptive capacities, leading to very fragile Hoima (Uganda) as well as Borana, Doyogena
existence. and Basona Werana (Ethiopia). These sites have
East Africa Strategy 2019-2021 5been established as Climate-Smart Villages (CSVs), and fisheries schemes, multi-strata agroforestry
a concept developed by CCAFS. The CSVs act as systems, market and financial services, as well
‘lighthouses’, allowing communities to test, co- as multi-stress tolerant new crop varieties and
develop and adopt integrated portfolios of CSA livestock breeds are among the most successful
practices. The CSVs are expected to continue to interventions piloted in the CSVs in East Africa.31
provide a solid framework through which the
program can investigate how and when CSA Outside the four primary focus countries, the
practices and technologies can be adopted, program is working in Rwanda to build capacity
building the evidence base to support future for national climate services and to improve
scaling up and out of CSA in the region. The climate risk management for agriculture. In
interventions tested vary depending on the climate southern Africa, the program is working in Malawi,
risks of the village, level of development, as well Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe to make value
as the capacity and interests of farmers, local chains and business models more inclusive and
government and development partners. Agro- to provide incentives and innovative finance for
meteorological services, integrated crop, livestock scaling of CSA.
Figure 1: CCAFS East Africa focus countries and research sites
Key
CCAFS EA focus countries
Additional East and Southern Africa
countries in which CCAFS works
Climate-Smart Villages (CSVs)
Basona Werana
Borana
Ethiopia Doyogena
Hoima
Uganda Kenya
Rwanda Lushoto
Tanzania Nyando
Malawi
Zambia
Mozambique
Zimbabwe
6 CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security3. Goals and
outcomes
CCAFS EA aims to address persistent
constraints and challenges in agriculture
through innovative technologies and
practices, policies and enabling environments,
Livestock market in Wajir, northern Kenya.
Credit: Riccardo Gangale (ILRI)
as well as conducive investments.
CCAFS EA aims to contribute to a climate-resilient By promoting CSA, CCAFS EA aims to address
East Africa, which is food and nutrition secure persistent constraints and challenges in agriculture
and that has equitable access to livelihood through innovative technologies and practices,
opportunities for all. Complementary objectives policies and enabling environments, and conducive
that support these goals include increasing investments. Figure 2 shows CCAFS EA’s theory
carbon storage in agricultural systems as well as of change, including assumptions, approaches
reducing GHG emissions from food systems and and pursued outcomes in support of East African
agricultural value chains to mitigate climate change countries’ priorities. This represents the revised
and supporting enabling policies and increased regional impact pathway, designed to effectively
investments in agriculture and natural resource operationalize the strategy under the CCAFS flagships
management. These goals are in line with CCAFS’ and cross-cutting learning platforms (LPs) (see Figure
overarching aim to catalyze positive change 3). The program’s envisaged outcomes ultimately
towards climate-smart agriculture, food systems contribute to the CGIAR System Level Outcomes and
and landscapes.32 The goals are also aligned with the SDGs. The program’s detailed outcomes and
the national policies and priority actions of East targets, which are aligned to the CCAFS flagships and
African countries. cross-cutting LPs, are presented in Annex 1.
East Africa Strategy 2019-2021 7Figure 2: CCAFS East Africa Theory of Change
1
ASSUMPTION
There is political and institutional readiness to implement CSA at scale in
East Africa resulting in a climate-resilient, food- and nutrition-secure region
2
WAYS OF WORKING
In order to achieve this, CCAFS EA has found four ways of working:
With implementing partners to With policy partners to With finance and policy With research and
understand how information understand what works for partners to understand knowledge partners to
strengthens national policy and enabling what works for inclusive build scientific evidence for
institutions and services in EA environment in EA investment CSA across scales
3
APPROACHES
Country, inter-center and CRP Partnerships, Knowledge management, Gender, youth and Monitoring, learning
collaborations and inclusive engagement and capacity open access and social inclusion and evaluation
regional research strategy building for scaling CSA communication
4
OUTCOMES
Evidence-informed, gender-sensitive CSA Increased investments and scaling of
and food and nutrition security policies, d institutiona CSA to promote inclusive business
strategies and plans for climate-resilient y an lc
h models, climate-proofed value chains
and inclusive food systems developed ic a and innovative financing mechanisms
l
ng
Po
Climate-
e
African position on agriculture and food Low-emissions strategies and policies
security in global climate change
negotiations informed by science
resilient, food- and for agriculture and livestock that feed
into MRVs and NDCs developed and
nutrition-secure implemented
East Africa with
Clima
e
Increased access to and control over Increased participation of women and
a focus on
scal
productive assets and resources for youth in decision making about
women and youth low-emissions development in
smallholder agriculture and livestock
te
at
farmers
-s
d
a
m
te
Improved incentives for and packaging of rt Improved governance for demand-
gender-sensitive CSA technologies and ag en driven gender-sensitive digital climate
ricu lem
practices for climate-smart lture imp services and agricultural advisories for
multifunctional landscapes early-warning systems and insurance for
climate risk management
5
INDICATORS
Number of policy decisions Amount of new investments in Number of institutions and Number of organizations Number of site-specific
and strategies taken (in part) CSA based (in part) on CCAFS major initiatives using CCAFS adapting plans to increase targeted CSA technologies or
based on CCAFS science and priority setting outputs for services helping women’s access to decision practices evaluated
knowledge products farm households manage making and control over
climate risks resources
CGIAR SYSTEM LEVEL OUTCOMES
Improve Improve
Reduce food and natural resources
poverty nutrition and ecosystems
security services
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
NO ZERO GENDER RESPONSIBLE CLIMATE LIFE LIFE
POVERTY HUNGER EQUALITY CONSUMPTION ACTION BELOW WATER ON LAND
AND PRODUCTION
8 CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security4. Strategic
research pillars
CCAFS EA supports the ongoing regional and
national efforts to sustainably transform
agriculture and achieve food and nutrition
security under climate change through scaled
Agroforestry in East Africa. Credit: Dawit Solomon (CCAFS) up implementation of inclusive CSA initiatives.
CCAFS EA recognizes that with increasing national and regional policy makers. In February
climate variability and change, East Africa is 2018, the program organized a regional strategy
facing significant challenges in meeting national revision workshop in Arusha, Tanzania. This
development objectives, international climate strategy workshop brought together research and
commitments and the SDGs. Transforming the implementing partners, farmer organizations, non-
region’s agricultural system requires a shared governmental organizations (NGOs), private sector
vision among the different stakeholders in the organizations, CGIAR centers in East Africa, CCAFS
development and food security sectors. Success flagship leaders and other relevant stakeholders.
will only be possible through collective actions
of national governments, international research As a result of this workshop, CCAFS EA identified
organizations and development agencies as well as four interconnected strategic research pillars and
through regional and international cooperation. a number of emerging opportunities to guide
Therefore, CCAFS EA is continuously undertaking the program’s research initiatives, engagement
extensive engagement and consultation with activities and communications for 2019–2021.
East Africa Strategy 2019-2021 9These priorities are in line with the CCAFS Phase water stress and drought; vi) improved agronomic
II proposal, the directions provided by CCAFS’ practices; vii) aquaculture to enhance household
Independent Steering Committee and the regional nutrition and diversify incomes; and viii) inclusive
focus countries’ national policy and priority actions. business models and financing instruments, such
CCAFS EA’s revised research strategy puts greater as local rotating savings and credit association
emphasis on enhancing agricultural productivity schemes, to allow smallholder farmers to pool their
and incomes, boosting food and nutrition security, financial resources and invest in climate-smart
building resilience and adaptive capacity, and, technologies.
where possible, reducing GHG emissions and
sequestering carbon in agricultural systems. The CCAFS EA will also promote drought-tolerant
program plans to focus more on cross-cutting perennial crops with the potential to sequester
transformative actions, including using big data greater amounts of soil and biomass carbon to
and digital solutions to enhance implementation increase the potential for farms and landscapes
at scale to benefit smallholder farmers and other to mitigate climate change. Overall, the program
vulnerable groups. The program’s strategy also will develop and promote solutions that are
supports the ongoing regional and national efforts customized to different agro-ecologies and farming
to sustainably transform agriculture and achieve systems in East Africa. Promoting a portfolio of
food and nutrition security under climate change contextualized CSA technologies and practices
through scaled up implementation of inclusive CSA for resource-poor farmers, including women and
initiatives. The future CCAFS EA research priorities youth, will be a key priority. Climate, food and
and emerging opportunities, many of which can nutrition security scenario analyses will also be
be pursued as integrated research activities, are as undertaken to provide evidence for multilevel
follows: gender- and nutrition-sensitive policies and to
guide targeted investments in and implementation
Climate-smart technologies, of CSA.
innovations and policies
Climate information, agro-advisory and
To transition to CSA at scale, CCAFS EA will
insurance for climate risk management
test, evaluate, increase access to, and promote
technologies and innovations to enhance The frequency and severity of extreme climate
agricultural productivity and incomes, build events such as droughts, dry spells, heat
resilience and adaptive capacities as well as waves, storms and floods is increasing in East
to meet farmers’ needs. The technologies and Africa, making it difficult to progress towards
innovations include: i) high-yielding, early maturing more sustainable and productive agriculture.12
and multi-stress tolerant crop varieties (adapted Effective climate services, early-warning systems
to e.g. elevated temperature, drought, flood and and climate-informed agro-advisories are part
salinity) as well as varieties resistant to emerging of an enabling environment for the transition
diseases and pests triggered by climate variability towards CSA. Therefore, CCAFS EA will develop
and shocks; ii) improved livestock breeds that such services to ensure that farmers are well
are heat and disease tolerant and have high informed of climate risks and protected by well-
feed conversion efficiency and productivity to targeted safety nets. The program will focus on
build resilience in the region’s livestock systems early warning, innovative insurance products and
and value chains; iii) multi-strata agroforestry climate-informed agro-advisories and market
to diversify farms and enhance resilience; iv) services to help build farmers’ capacity for acting
integrated soil and water management as well on such information and managing climate risks.
as integrated soil fertility and crop nutrient Climate information services and early warning
management to reduce land degradation, enhance advisories may be shared via SMS, radio or word of
soil health, boost productivity, build soil organic mouth.
carbon and improve fertilizer use efficiency
focusing on type, amount and time of application; Innovative insurance products, such as index-based
v) solar-powered irrigation to expand access agricultural insurance, are an attractive approach
to affordable irrigation, enhance resilience and to managing climate risks as they rely on direct
improve water use efficiency to combat recurrent measurement of the loss or damage suffered
10 CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food SecurityBox 1: Sharing better climate information for effective and
timely farming decisions in Tanzania and Ethiopia
In Lushoto, Tanzania, CCAFS EA is coordinating The service, which began in 2012, now reaches
an initiative to provide farmers with improved more than 1,000 households in Lushoto, enabling
climate information, enabling them to make them to make better farming decisions.
sound and timely farming decisions, such as what
and when to plant, and when to harvest. The In the northern and southern highlands of Ethiopia,
initiative combines indigenous knowledge with CCAFS EA is using information and communication
scientific meteorological weather forecasting. technologies (ICT) to disseminate climate services
Three weather forecasting teams using indigenous and market information to smallholder farmers.
knowledge have been formed in Lushoto, The initiative is carried out in partnership with the
representing three different agro-ecological zones Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock
(humid, sub-humid and lowlands). Every three Resources, research and development partners
months these teams meet with experts from the and a private sector partner (Echnoserve).
Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA) to compare Echnoserve has developed a tool, called YeZaRe,
indigenous forecasts with seasonal outlook with an embedded geographic information
forecasts from TMA. Following the meetings, system technology that allows farmers to receive
the forecasts are integrated and packaged for information specifically tailored to their location.
dissemination. The forecasts are shared through The YeZaRe phone app and SMS service are also
a variety of tools: i) a farm SMS tool that sends available through a web-based system. It provides
climate forecast information to subscribing farmers, three-, ten- and thirty-day forecasts as well as
allowing them to receive timely alerts, advisories seasonal forecasts. The ten-day forecast also comes
and weather forecasts that are issued by TMA in with agro-advisory services, enabling smallholder
the national language, Swahili; ii) a more traditional farmers to make informed decisions and take
mechanism involving dissemination in the relevant actions for optimal agricultural productivity.
community through word of mouth; and iii) printed Currently, the service is reaching 1,000 farmers, with
flyers that help broaden the reach of the forecasts. the potential of reaching 55,000 farmers within the
next three years.
Farmer with her phone in Dodoma, Tanzania. Credit: Cecilia Schubert (CCAFS)
East Africa Strategy 2019-2021 11by individual farmers. CCAFS EA, together with support these commitments, CCAFS EA will work
national, regional and international partners, will with governments, the private sector, NGOs,
explore various index-based insurance approaches international development partners and other
and develop tools and approaches to reduce the relevant stakeholders to raise awareness on low-
risk of livestock loss, crop yield reduction or crop emissions development (LED) systems in crop
failure. This can help increase farmers’ short- and and livestock sectors and to assess the economic
long-term resilience and adaptive capacity. With and social feasibility for smallholder farmers to
insurance, farmers will experience reduced risks scale LED technologies and practices. Critical
and may be incentivized to invest in on-farm first steps include establishing baselines for
innovations to increase agricultural productivity current emission levels from crop and livestock
and resilience. Finally, CCAFS EA will provide activities, gathering evidence on how low-
evidence to inform policies and investments emissions technologies and practices contribute
related to climate information services, agricultural to food and nutrition security, and identifying
advisories and insurance products to ensure that farm- and landscape-level mitigation co-benefits.
the most significant risks are being addressed, thus The objectives of the program’s LED research will
providing maximum benefits to vulnerable farmers. be to i) understand the challenges and barriers
for LED in crop and livestock sub-sectors; ii) test
Low-emissions development whether contextualized LED pathways can reduce
agricultural GHG emissions and contribute to food
pathways for agriculture security; iii) explore how LED in crop and livestock
sub-sectors provides farm- and landscape-level
East African countries have pledged in their mitigation co-benefits; and iv) effectively support
NDCs to reduce GHG emissions, in adherence the development of an enabling environment and
to the Paris Agreement of the UNFCCC.33 To policies for undertaking LED at scale in public–
Linking adaptation and mitigation and
capitalizing on their synergies in agriculture is
vital in East Africa, and should form the core of
national and regional climate policy planning
and implementation.
Credit: Dawit Solomon (CCAFS).
12 CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Securityprivate partnership schemes. The research will
also benefit national LED efforts by developing
and strengthening tools for better emissions
Women often carry the
measurement, to improve measurement,
reporting and verification (MRV) systems that can brunt of the climate burden,
feed into the countries’ NDCs, and by building
both technical and human capacities to implement but keeping their challenges
LED at scale.
in mind when designing
The primary beneficiaries of the program’s LED
research, technologies and
research are the region’s smallholder farmers,
for whom LED practices can contribute to food policies can help create
security and climate resilience by increasing
yields, reducing input use and improving natural equitable opportunities and
capital. The research will also benefit the private
sector and national LED efforts by providing better climate resilience.
emissions estimates, improving technical capacities
to implement and monitor LED, and supporting
policy development.
efforts will focus on i) supporting the development
Gender, youth and socially of gender-sensitive and socially inclusive CSA
policies; ii) developing strategies that encourage
inclusive growth investments to increase access to and control over
productive assets and resources by women, youth
Resource-poor women, youth and other already and other marginalized groups; iii) supporting
marginalized groups are particularly vulnerable to gender-sensitive, socially inclusive community
the impacts of climate change and often face higher efforts that provide greater opportunity for
risks.9 These groups have inadequate access to women, youth and other vulnerable groups to
and control over productive assets and can rarely adopt CSA technologies and practices; and iv)
participate in decision making and labor markets, designing initiatives that increase access to CSA
making them unable to effectively contribute technologies and practices, information and
to climate-related planning, policy making and decision making by women, youth and other
implementation of CSA initiatives. In addition, marginalized groups.
men and women often have different preferences
and priorities, which need to be considered The program will also prioritize building capacity
when piloting or scaling CSA. Women often play of policy leaders to better integrate gender
a critical role in addressing climate-related risks considerations into climate change policies and
due to their local knowledge and leadership in programs at national levels. Making CSA more
sustainable natural resource management practices attractive and accessible to youth will be another
at household and community levels.34 CCAFS EA important focus, and potential strategies include
recognizes that development and implementation improved linkages between education and
of policies that do not take women’s meaningful business, inclusive financial services and business
participation into account could further widen the models, better access to markets and equitable
gender gap. CCAFS EA will conduct research to transfers of technology and skills.
inform, catalyze and target climate-smart solutions
to women, youth and other vulnerable groups In addition to the strategic research pillars outlined
to increase their control over productive assets above, the revised CCAFS EA strategy will explore
and resources as well as enhance their access to and maximize the following emerging cross-cutting
information and participation in decision making. opportunities that can help transform the region’s
agriculture. In doing so, the program will seek to
CCAFS EA will address gender, youth and foster South–South partnerships among CCAFS’
social inclusion-related challenges and engage regional programs and seek out various bilateral
stakeholders to achieve these goals at multiple opportunities to scale up the main research
scales. The program’s research and engagement priorities outlined above.
East Africa Strategy 2019-2021 135. Emerging cross-cutting
opportunities in East Africa
benefits of CSA at scale as well as trade-off analyses
Integrated ecological approaches and foresight modeling to help inform policy
decisions. CCAFS EA’s research is also intended to
for climate-smart and resilient help governments and the private sector prioritize
landscapes and food security CSA investments and to provide smallholders with
access to climate finance. This can help overcome
East African countries, and their international sustainability- and scaling-related constraints to
development partners, have identified climate- achieving climate-smart and resilient landscapes.
smart, multifunctional landscapes as an important
climate change adaptation and mitigation Strengthening and climate-
strategy. CCAFS EA recognizes that landscapes
are multifunctional and provide benefits and
proofing value chains
services to a wide range of ecosystem processes
and species as well as to the region’s increasing Climate extremes and weather hazards could lead
population. The program seeks to support to severe economic and financial consequences for
research on contextualized, integrated planning agricultural value chains and markets across East
and management of landscapes that i) considers Africa, affecting both farmers and private sector
the interests of multiple stakeholders; ii) identifies actors.22,35 Farmers’ production is in many instances
synergies on productivity, food and nutrition inextricably linked to agri-businesses, and a changing
security, income, adaptation and mitigation co- climate could likely jeopardize the relationship,
benefits; and iii) analyzes and negotiates the trade- putting businesses that depend on farmers at risk,
offs among different uses. Identifying landscape and vice versa.
approaches that integrate sustainable management
of ecosystems with livelihood considerations, Recognizing the emerging challenges from climate
including crop–livestock management, agroforestry, variability and change, it is critical to include climate
sustainable fisheries, afforestation and reforestation, into vulnerability assessments across agricultural
and improved rangeland management, will be an value chains. This will allow stakeholders, including
integral part of the regional program’s priorities. smallholder farmers and agri-businesses, to identify
the risks, develop and strengthen contingency plans,
CCAFS EA will also work with relevant stakeholders create possibilities for responding with climate-
and CGIAR partners to offer opportunities for smart adaptation measures to minimize risks and
reversing deforestation and land degradation as well climate-proof value chains, improve efficiency and
as for creating synergies between climate change reduce costs. At the same time, opportunities to
adaptation and mitigation. Such efforts will include reduce GHG emissions and capitalize on the ensuing
quantifying carbon sequestration potentials and new business opportunities can be created.
benefits of climate-smart and resilient landscapes
as well as of large-scale land management and Strengthening agricultural value chains in support of
agro-ecosystem rehabilitation projects. The goal CSA represents an opportunity to increase climate
is to learn how to effectively use landscapes and resilience in the region. Climate risks can be reduced
agro-ecosystems to reduce GHG emissions, without by making inputs available and improving access
compromising agricultural productivity or food and to market information to incentivize smallholders
nutrition security. to invest in CSA; developing and strengthening
contingency plans for responding to climate risks;
Making such large-scale changes requires improving improving efficiencies and reducing costs along
the enabling policy environment and setting the value chain; and creating opportunities to
priorities for targeted investments. The program reduce GHG emissions. CCAFS EA will work with
will provide decision makers with evidence on the countries, private sector partners and communities
14 CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food SecurityIt is time to look ahead for big opportunities:
digital systems and technologies, climate
financing and resilient value chains are
some of the most promising. Beneficiary of Takaful insurance payout in Wajir, northern
Kenya. Credit: Riccardo Gangale (ILRI)
to i) identify key agricultural value chains in the program focused on climate-proofing agricultural
region; ii) conduct socioeconomic and bio-physical value chains for Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in
feasibility and environmental benefit assessments collaboration with the Netherlands Development
with special focus on local smallholder farming Organization (SNV), Wageningen University and
communities and the natural environment, Research, Agriterra and Rabobank, and with support
acknowledging their essential roles within business from the Government of the Netherlands.
value chains; iii) ascertain drivers, such as shocks
and disturbances, and hotspots for risks across value Big data and climate-informed
chains; and iv) evaluate key value chains’ robustness,
resilience, adaptability and capacity to withstand
digital systems for improved
and absorb shocks.36 agricultural advisory services
The program will aim to identify leverage points In the developed world, big data libraries,
and opportunities for smallholder farmers, agri- integrated digital technologies and advanced
businesses and other private sector stakeholders analytics are already transforming agriculture,
to develop and implement preventive actions that making farm operations more insight driven
build robustness, address stressors and enhance and efficient. However, the application of digital
reactive capacities of value chains. In this way, value technology in agriculture and other sectors
chains can better respond to shocks and adapt to remains limited in East Africa.
short- and long-term climate risks, thus creating
benefits for private sector partners, communities CCAFS EA will pursue the application of big data as
and the environment. well as digital systems and solutions to strengthen
agricultural extension systems and advisories for
To support such efforts, CCAFS EA has recently smallholder farmers. Existing agricultural advisory
developed a large-scale climate and food security systems are not designed to draw on location-
East Africa Strategy 2019-2021 15specific and accurate data, such as soil type and more attractive to the youth and have potential to
health, crop and livestock diseases and pests, and enhance involvement of the youth in transforming
market prices. Instead, advisory services tend to East African agriculture.
be generic and centrally controlled, with limited
options to engage with and respond to the needs Innovative financing mechanisms
of private sector actors, farming communities,
women and youth. Opportunities for improving Lack of vigorous and sustainable agricultural
the use of digital solutions must be considered, productivity and growth as well as prevalent
including increasing ‘last-mile connectivity’— unsustainable approaches are among the main
as facilitated by the rapid expansion of mobile causes of food insecurity in East Africa. On
technology and large investments in telecom the other hand, robust growth in agricultural
services, which makes it possible to reach even productivity, achieved through sustainable,
more smallholder farmers. Similarly, digital demand-driven and market-oriented agricultural
decision-support tools (DSTs) that benefit from big transformation, can drive the productivity
data have the potential to support policy makers, increases crucial for food and nutrition security,
private sector investors and farmers to make better poverty reduction and achievement of the SDGs
decisions. under a changing climate. Clearly, there is need
for scaled investment in agriculture to meet the
CCAFS EA recognizes that increased use of digital existing challenges and support adaptation to
technology and ICT has the potential to accelerate climate change.
agricultural productivity, improve food security,
and boost job opportunities and incomes across Accordingly, in 2003, the countries in East Africa
the region. Therefore, the program will work agreed to dedicate 10% of their national budgets
with smallholder farmers, national and regional to agriculture in the Maputo Declaration on
partners, CGIAR centers and CGIAR research Agriculture and Food Security in Africa. Since
programs (CRPs), NGOs, women and youth groups, then, agricultural investments in the region have
the private sector, and other relevant stakeholders been growing.37 However, due to competing
to undertake strategic research in order to i) needs, pressure on public resources is increasing.
understand the priorities, policies and systemic Therefore, additional investments in agriculture,
bottlenecks for developing climate-informed made possible through innovative financing
digital advisories and solutions; ii) support the mechanisms, will be critical to strengthen the
development of integrated national digital sector’s resilience and adaptation to climate
agricultural data hubs; iii) explore opportunities for variability and change.
developing digital, demand-driven and inclusive
agricultural advisories, DSTs and services; and iv) CCAFS EA will work towards supporting private
test such digital systems at scale to help transform and public sector partners and other stakeholders
the region’s agriculture. in the region to identify and nurture innovative
financing mechanisms that can generate
These strategic efforts are expected to support positive returns on investment and synergies for
the development of national agricultural digital sustainable development. Such mechanisms may
hubs, which integrate climate, soil, crop, livestock provide incentives to scale up implementation
and market information, as well as agricultural of CSA and climate-smart landscapes, generating
decision-support platforms that can engage adaptation and mitigation co-benefits. Potential
women and youth. Through public–private financing opportunities include i) private
partnerships, the program will strive to develop financing for climate adaptation, benefitting
agro-ecosystem-specific, demand-driven, and from the private sector’s ability to mobilize
climate-informed agricultural advisories, DSTs, finance for agriculture;38 ii) impact investment
climate and insurance services to be delivered in attractive agricultural projects with social,
through digital mechanisms (e.g. web-based environmental and other development benefits;
services, smart phone-based apps, SMS, interactive iii) blended finance where development finance
voice response, video and radio) or through and philanthropic funds are used to incentivize
face-to-face interactions, particularly for climate and leverage private sector capital for CSA,
services, agricultural advisories and insurance. for example in the form of grants and loans
These efforts are expected to make agriculture to smallholder farmers and small agricultural
16 CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food SecurityYou can also read
