Blogs

by Vanessa Meadu

We recently returned from Dublin, Ireland, where smallholder farmers and global thought leaders joined to share experiences, innovations, and ways forward for Hunger, Nutrition and Climate Justice.

Here is a round-up of our reports back plus a selection of media stories featuring CGIAR work.

Connecting local with global

What happens when some of the world's thought leaders in hunger, nutrition and climate justice meet with innovators working at the frontlines of climate change in developing countries? These pairings helped bring lofty theories down to earth, infusing discussions on rights, risk, knowledge and empowerment with touching and inspiring examples from around the world. Read more…

Small farmers hold the key to tackling climate change wrote Frank Rijsberman, CEO of CGIAR, in an opinion piece for Reuters AlertNet. During his panel remarks (alongside Mary Robinson and Al Gore), Rijsberman acknowledged the importance of building on farmers’ knowledge when developing scientific solutions to climate change. 

In a passionate speech, Al Gore pinpointed climate risks for farmers. Ireland’s President Michael Higgins emphasized unequal and inadequate access to food is one of the greatest failures of the global system. Rachel Kyte of the World Bank and CGIAR Fund Council emphasized the need to focus on building climate resilience for farmers, in the context of the millennium development goals.

Watch Frank Rijsberman, Mary Robinson, Al Gore and President Michael Higgins, and others live from the conference Read more »

By Joost Vervoort

What does the future hold for food security in East Africa? How do uncertain future socio-economic developments, such as changes in the degree of regional collaboration or changes in policies oriented to rural development, change East Africa’s capacity for climate adaptation and mitigation? 

The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) has explored how different political and socio-economic futures for East Africa may affect food security and environmental change in the region, and how this may affect the region’s vulnerability to future climate change. These futures have been captured in four scenarios, developed and used by stakeholders from governments, civil society, the private sector, academia and the media in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Burundi.

WATCH: How scenarios are developed with regional partners

Read more »

by Sarah McKune and Chesney McOmber

In a world that is rapidly becoming more connected through the internet, mobile phones and other Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), climate information has a new potential to reach farmers in rural communities worldwide and make a significant difference in their ability to successfully adapt to their changing environment.

However, despite the great potential of emerging communication technologies, the question remains whether those farmers who are most vulnerable to environmental shocks are able to access and utilize the tools to effectively manage the associated risk.   Read more »