Theme 1: Adaptation to Progressive Climate Change

Build adaptive capacity and food systems that are more resilient to progressive climate change through the provision of technologies, practices and policies


Climate change means that future farming and food systems will face substantially modified environments as they struggle to meet the demands of a changing global population. Efforts to cope with the stresses caused by growth in demand for food and water will be confounded by a range of stresses for example higher temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and rising sea levels.

Significant knowledge gaps exist as to what adaptations options are available, what their likely benefits or costs, where and when they should be deployed, and what the learning processes are that can support widespread change under uncertainty. The major challenge is to enable accelerated adaptation at a rate faster than the demands that will otherwise overtake them, and without threatening sensitive livelihood systems as they strive to cope with stress.

Promising adaptation options, ranging from diversification of production systems to improved institutional settings and enabling policies, will be identified and evaluated in relation to expected future conditions. Research will examine the processes required for promising adaptation options to function (i.e. understanding and harnessing of social, economic, cultural and institutional processes of adaptation), and together will be used to provide plans and strategies to establish detailed adaptation pathways of food systems at the national, regional and global level.

The Theme will also provide a portfolio of adaptation options (including agricultural technologies, agronomic practices and community- to global- level policies) that typify how food systems will adapt to a 2030 world and beyond.

Specific objectives:

  • Analyze and design processes to support adaptation of farming systems in the face of future uncertainties of climate in space and time. A key new component will be the development of improved choices, and integration of crop, livestock, fish, agroforestry and natural resources management approaches;
  • Develop breeding strategies for addressing abiotic and biotic stresses under future climate change, including changes in the mean and variability of climate. The intention here is to try and stay ahead of future change;
  • Integrate adaptation strategies for agricultural and food systems inserted into policy and institutional frameworks

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