video

by Cecilia Schubert

What would smallholder farmers’ from around the world say if they got the opportunity to join the current climate negotiations in Doha? What type of results would they like to see come out of the conference? James Kinyangi, Regional Program Leader for the East Africa program of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), discusses in this video interview what we can do to make sure that the smallholder farmers' voices are heard around the negotiating table, and what they need and want from the conference. Read more »

Why is climate-smart agriculture important, and can it work? Watch this 3 minute trailer for an insight into what the challenges are, and where the solutions might lie. Originally produced to introduce the Learning Events of Agriculture and Rural Development Day.

According to a recent article in The New Agriculturist pastoralism is the best way to cope with drought. This statement is based on the findings from the report ‘An Assessment of the response to the 2008-2009 drought in Kenya’, produced by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Based on interviews with pastoralists the researchers found that the best way for them to cope with famine was to ensure that they had access to grazing and watering areas. Pastoralism was also viewed as the most productive use of drylands in the Horn of Africa and increased mobility of pastoralists could prevent future food crisis in these areas. In other words, by allowing pastoralists to move to other, unused grazing areas, they can more easily mitigate livestock losses during a drought. This is becoming increasingly problematic however, the report states, since mobility is being reduced and impeded. The report recommends that interventions targeting the removal of restrictions to mobility and access should be considered as prime activities during preparedness. To read more about the ILRI report please click here. Read more »

The 6-minute photostory documents the experiences of smallholder coffee farmers in Colombia’s southwestern Cauca department, who are already feeling the effects of rising temperatures on their crucial, high-value cash crop. It is the first in a recent three-part series documenting the challenges of climate change to smallholder farmers in South America and Africa. (Ver abajo para la descripción en español.)

Subiendo dos grados: COLOMBIA. Los pequeños productores de café en Colombia pueden vislumbrar los efectos del cambio climático en este cultivo vital y de alto valor.

La Cumbre de Cambio Climático en Cancún ha debatido y aprobado un objetivo global de aspirar a un aumento máximo de la temperatura promedio mundial de 2ºC como consecuencia del cambio climático. Aún un aumento de 2ºC, sin embargo, tendrá un impacto significativo sobre la agricultura. Una manera de demostrarlo es analizando sistemas agropecuarios que están a corta distancia geográficamente pero tienen una diferencia de 2 grados en su temperatura promedio. En esta parte de la serie “Subiendo dos grados” creada por el Centro Internacional para la Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) nos enfocamos en el café en el suroeste de Colombia. En esta región, sistemas agrícolas separados por 400 metros en altitud tienen una diferencia de temperatura de 2 grados. Cuesta abajo, en la zona más cálida se puede vislumbrar el futuro de los sistemas de café en un escenario futuro de incremento de 2 grados centígrados. Allí, los cultivos sufren efectos devastadores de las plagas y enfermedades y los productores están cambiando a cultivos menos rentables.