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Gender attitudes and practices investigated in Bangladesh

Submitted by Cecilia on 9th April 2013
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Project in Bangladesh assess gender attitudes and practices

by Doug Beare

“Why should we bother with gender and equality within the science of poverty reduction and improved nutrition?” asked Doug Beare during a session at the Conference on Climate Smart Agriculture in Davis, California. The special session discussed ways to increase the likelihood that research will influence changes in policies, institutions and technologies.

The answer is right in front of us. We should bother because evidence shows that by increasing female ‘agency’, food production can increase, which in turn leads to better nutritional and health outcomes. Therefore, tackling gender, social injustice and related barriers can have a profound impact on the society as a whole, Doug continued.

People need to understand the importance of gender and be willing to create capacity and competencies, and recognize that gender, does in fact matter.

So where do we go from this conviction? Doug emphasized, that what we now need is to think about how to make sure gender analysis is included in the research we conduct, and also what the challenges around this will be.

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New report reveals how climate change will hit West Africa

Submitted by Cecilia on 8th April 2013
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New report examines the immediate threats to food security in West Africa

In a joint effort, International Food Policy and Research Institute (IFPRI) and the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), have developed the West African Agriculture and Climate Change monographs. It is the first of three monographs on climate change and agriculture, featuring West, Central, and Eastern Africa. The monographs result from a research project headed by IFPRI Senior Researcher Gerald Nelson.

by Gerald Nelson 

Policy decisions are usually made in a messy process that includes incomplete information and often conflicting desires and goals of different interest groups.

Policy researchers, like me, want to improve the quality and accessibility of the information that feeds into this process. We hope that more and better information will help all parties understand the consequences of the choices being considered.

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New paper outlines gender strategy for pro-poor mitigation research

Submitted by Cecilia on 5th April 2013
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Carbon initiatives might burden women additionally

By Emily Boone and Cecilia Schubert

CCAFS is currently exploring ways to improve women’s role in climate change mitigation activities and decisions. In the light of this, our Pro-poor mitigation research theme has released a Working Paper, “A Gender Strategy for Pro-Poor Climate Change Mitigation”, which examines gender-related problems and opportunities associated with low emissions agricultural development. Read more »

"Reaching farmers with climate information is mission possible"

Submitted by Cecilia on 3rd April 2013
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Reaching women with climate information can be difficult. Text messages can help

by Arame Tall

”If we are to be successful in going from research to practice, it is important to keep farmers at the centre. This ranges from the design and delivery, to the evaluation of the participatory project.” This said climate scientist Arame Tall at a recently held side event at the Conference on Climate Smart Agriculture in Davis, California. 

The session discussed ways to increase the likelihood that research will influence changes in policies, institutions and technologies. Read more about the session on the theme "Linking knowledge with Action" in our first blog story ”Turning research into actions that matter.”

This story continues on the same topic, further investigating key aspects of research projects that will increase the likelihood that the research we conduct is transformed into actions on the ground. Read more »

Intercrop innovations may help build resilience in semi-arid areas

Submitted by Cecilia on 3rd April 2013
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New crops like sweet potatoes are introduced to supplement traditional crops

by Vivian Atakos, John Recha and Philip Kimeli

Kambi ya Mawe, a village in Wote eastern Kenya, was recently a beehive of activity when hundreds of people attended the first smallholder farmers’ field day organized by the local Ministry of Agriculture personnel in late January.

Researchers and extension agents explained to farmers the need for selecting suitable crop varieties that could help them achieve food security under a changing climate. In addition, farmers, together with the researchers and agents, as well as government officials and development practitioners, moved around on the farms, assessing how well the prepared trials of sorghum, maize, cowpea, greengram and bean intercrops had performed for the farmers. Read more »

Turning research into actions that matter

Submitted by Cecilia on 2nd April 2013
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Participatory activities increase the likelihood of research turning into action

by Patti Kristjanson

How do we make sure that the knowledge we create with our research efforts leads to real actions that matter? Actions, that in the end contribute to reducing poverty, now and forever? It turns out that we know a lot about how to do this.

During a special session at the recently held Conference on Climate Smart Agriculture in Davis, California, principles and approaches that can help increase the likelihood that research will influence changes in policies, institutions and technologies were explored. Read more »

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