July 2011
New CGIAR research programs target global food security
This week, the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR) approved six new global research programs covering a range of agriculture, food and natural resource issues. As with the CGIAR climate program, these programs will work across all 15 CGIAR centers bringing together top researchers with national agricultural research systems, non-governmental organisations, advanced research institutes, civil society organisations, farmer organisations, and the private sector.
The six programs focus on sustainably increasing production of wheat, meat, milk, fish, roots, tubers and bananas; improving nutrition and food safety; and identifying the policies and institutions necessary for smallholder producers in rural communities, particularly women, to access markets.
Bruce Campbell, Director of CCAFS, welcomes the new programs:
"We are happy to see the approval of the new CGIAR programs, and look forward to collaborating with the scientists working on them. All facets of farming and food systems are going to be impacted by climate change, so all of the programs have some elements that are key to the success of CCAFS, and vice versa. Concrete collaborative mechanisms have already been put in place with two of the already initiated programs – a shared staff position between CCAFS and the rice systems program (GRiSP), and joint work for the next UN Climate Conference (COP17) with the forests and trees program."
Read more:
PRESS RELEASE: Global Research Coalition Approves Six New Cutting-Edge Agriculture, Food and Natural Resource Programs to Sustainably Boost Food Security Worldwide. 21 July 2011.
Final report: Mapping Hotspots of Climate Change and Food Insecurity in the Global Tropics
The final report is now available for the CCAFS study "Mapping Hotspots of Climate Change and Food Insecurity in the Global Tropics". This study was coordinated by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) to identify areas that are food insecure and vulnerable to the impacts of future climate change, across the priority regions for the CGIAR centres. The research was undertaken by a team of scientists from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Read more »
Call for Proposals: Agricultural Knowledge Networks, Innovation, and Behavioral Change for Climate Change Adaptation
Deadline: 20 August 2011. The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and food Security is pleased to announce an open call for proposals for research on agricultural knowledge networks, innovation, and behavioral change for climate change adaptation. The project will be a fieldwork-based study in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh that utilizes qualitative processes (e.g., surveys at the household and/or village level, participatory mapping or diagramming exercises, etc.), in conjunction with a review of relevant secondary literature. It will feature a gender, social, and economic differentiation component, as well as a visual element, via photo and video outputs. Read more »
Call for Proposals: Understanding the Role of Local and Traditional Agricultural Knowledge in a Changing World Climate
Deadline: 10 August 2011. The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) is opening a call for proposals to do a comprehensive literature review of the available literature, across time (from ancient to contemporary) regarding applications of local traditional knowledge (LTK) to agriculture, with particular emphasis on adaptation to climatic changes in South Asia. Beyond a mere compilation or synopsis of the state of historical and contemporary knowledge, the consultant should assess the relevance of LTK in the context of external change and scale. Read more »
A model for building collaborative actions and common understanding on agricultural GHG mitigation
Agricultural climate change mitigation has been limited globally by fragmented knowledge and weak capacities. Networks can accelerate the sharing of information and enhance shared learning and collaborative action to more rapidly mobilize knowledge and action for mitigation.
A new CCAFS Working Paper provides an overview of three interelated initiatives for GHG mitigation that have facilitated communication and information sharing among US scientists, policy makers, and farmers to systematically build knowledge and stimulate action for mitigation.
The Coalition on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (C-AGG) is an open-tent umbrella initiative focused on developing agreement to promote progressive policies to incentivize GHG emissions reductions from the agricultural sector. C-AGG spawned the formation of two related initiatives – the Technical Working Group on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (T-AGG), which assembles technical experts to develop scientific and analytical works to underpin policy development; and the Market Mechanisms for Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (M- AGG), which focuses on the development of the market access tools and methodologies necessary for agriculture to participate in carbon markets. Working together, the initiatives have successfully engaged diverse perspectives to find common ground, and forge new areas of progress to advance agricultural GHG mitigation opportunities and efforts. Similar networking approaches may be effective for accelerating progress in developing countries.
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CCAFS Working Paper no. 3
C-AGG, T-AGG and M-AGG
A model for building collaborative actions and common understanding on agricultural GHG mitigation
by Lydia Olander, Debbie Reed, Daniella Malin, Karen Haugen-Kozyra
Emerging techniques for soil carbon measurements
Soil has the capacity to sequester carbon from the atmosphere, and therefore offers the possibility for climate change mitigation. In order to understand how soil carbon behaves and which agricultural practices lead to increases in soil carbon stocks, scientists need the ability to collect and analyze quantitative data of soil organic carbon.
Traditional techniques for measuring soil carbon are expensive and labour intensive, and must be completed in a lab. Luckily, recent advances in portable tools and techniques allow scientists to conduct in situ analysis to get prompt, low-cost results in the field. This increased ease of obtaining timely data will allow for more accurate soil carbon modeling and a better understanding of the complex dynamics involved in soil carbon fluctuations. A new CCAFS working paper, Emerging techniques for soil carbon measurements, provides an overview of these emerging techniques, based on research done at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) National Centre for Instrumentation.
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CCAFS Working Paper no. 2
Emerging techniques for soil carbon measurements
by Debora MBP Milori, Aline Segnini, Wilson TL da Silva, Adolfo Posadas, Victor Mares, Roberto Quiroz, Ladislau Martin-Neto
CCAFS Coordinating Unit - University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Science, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Rolighedsvej 21, DK-1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark, phone +45 35331046; Email ccafs [at] cgiar [dot] org, EAN 5790000279012
Lead Center - International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)