Project: Scaling-up climate smart agriculture through policies and institutions: linking national agenda with food security

About the Project:

The projects aims to scale up the concept of 'climate smart villages', being implemented by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). This is being done through improved policies and innovative institutions leading to mega-programs at national and sub-national levels. It will first develop decision support tools to prioritize climate smart investment options, and then evaluate alternative policies and institutions, assess their trade-offs to meet the multiple goals, and evolve policies, programs and institutions for their implementation and up-scaling.

This project will also develop capacity of key stakeholders for effectively implementing the outputs of the proposed research. Initially it will work in three South Asian countries, namely Bangladesh, India and Nepal at national and sub-national levels, with national research systems, government departments, development organizations and CGIAR centers by engaging key stakeholders, including poor and women farmers.

This project is led by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and funded by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS)

Divided into three activity areas:

Activity 1:

Title of the Activity: Development of a scheme on 'Climate Smart Agriculture for Development'

What is the Challenge:

Several promising interventions on climate smart agriculture (CSA) are available but need to be up-scaled to improve national food security, reduce climate risks and meet the post-2015 agenda of Millennium Development Goals. Linking these goals with current and future policies requires actionable pro-poor policies and appropriate institutional modifications. This research will first develop schemes and programs at sub-national levels, assess their feasibility using decision support system, and link these with on-going government programs (such as Rastrya Krishi Vikash Yojana (RKVY), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Integrated watershed Development Program, etc. in India). After understanding the processes, the project will develop a mega program on `Climate Smart Agriculture for Development' (CSA4D). Decision-makers will be involved in the evolving the most appropriate policies and institutions derived through modelling and consultations. Furthermore institutional arrangements and governance structure for effective implementation of these policies will be also designed by involving government departments/ministries, private sector and other stakeholders. Capacity development to different stakeholders will be given high priority for implementing proposed program. It is expected to substantially increase funding either by respective governments and/or donors. The activity will be undertaken in close consultation with the key ministries in different countries and CCAFS. The activity will also develop guiding principles for executing the proposed program.

Basic Information about the Activity:

1. Develop an inventory of promising climate smart practices and technologies; undertake choice experiments to assess farmer's choices and willingness to pay for various interventions.
2. Develop pilot schemes at sub-national levels in selected locations in Bangladesh, India and Nepal, and undertake scenario analysis of different policy and institutional options to arrive at pro-poor policies for scaling-up climate smart concept
3. Develop mega schemes/programs on 'climate smart agriculture for development' for Bangladesh, India and Nepal
4. Organize workshops to share the schemes/program and guidelines to key stakeholders for refining the processes

Collaborators:

CCAFS, National Agriculture Research Systems (NARS), Ministries of Agriculture from Bangladesh, India and Nepal

Outputs:

Project outputs will contribute to increased investments by the governments and donors at national and sub-national levels, and will include a large-scale program on climate smart agriculture for development.

Activity 2:

Title of Activity: Develop innovative institutions to engage socially and marginalized groups

What is the Challenge:

It is evident that socially and marginalized groups are more vulnerable to climate change. To engage them in new policies and programs related to adoption of climate smart intervention, appropriate institutional arrangements are two necessary conditions. The proposed activity is intended to evolve institutional arrangements for engaging and empowering socially and marginalized groups in policies and programs for climate smart agriculture. It will first document and understand existing policies and programs that mainstream them in development process. It will then seek to better understand existing rural institutions and social landscapes to design processes and institutional arrangements for including the socially and marginalized groups for sharing larger benefits of climate smart agriculture.

Basic Information about the Activity:

1. Document existing government policies and programs for mainstreaming socially and marginalized groups
2. Evolve processes for mainstreaming socially and marginalized groups for larger adoption of climate smart practices and technologies
3. Develop guidelines for effective institutional arrangements for engaging socially and marginalized groups in climate smart agriculture

Collaborators:

IFPRI, BRAC, BAIF Development Research Foundation and NDRI

Outputs:

Project outputs will contribute towards enhanced inclusion of socially and marginalized groups, focusing on social mobilization of farm communities to adopt climate smart practices and technologies.

Activity 3:

Title of activity: Design training manuals and guidelines

What is the Challenge:

The proposed activity is to enhance capacity of key stakeholders to implement the climate smart policies and programs and also influence policy makers and donor community to accept the research outputs to allocate resources for climate smart agriculture and implement the program. The activity will undertake need assessment for capacity building and develop training manuals, and guidelines and organize training programs at different levels for implementing climate smart practices and technologies. The activity will also evolve an effective policy communication and media strategy that will be employed for transforming knowledge system to the benefit of poor, women and marginalized groups. The proposed activity will target key stakeholders in government, private sector, development agencies, civil society organizations and farmers' groups for policy communication and capacity building program.

Basic Information about the Activity:

1. Develop capacity building manuals and organize capacity building programs for behavioral change of policy makers and functionaries to implement the CSA4D
2. Organize visits of stakeholders to CCAFS sites and other locations to demonstrate the importance of CSA
3. Prepare material for print and electronic media
4. Develop policy briefs and policy communication materials based on empirical analysis
5. Organize policy workshops and conferences to sensitize implementation of the proposed program by the respective governments and donors

Collaborators:

IFPRI and CCAFS.

Output:

Project outputs will contribute to the adoption of the large-scale programs and increased resource allocations in regards to climate smart agriculture.