Events

Advancing readiness to fast track climate smart agriculture in Africa

Metro room, Ministry of Transport, Robert-Schuman-Platz 1 - Bonn Germany
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Photo: UNMIL / Christopher Herwig

This is a side-event held during the UNFCCC Climate Change Conference in Bonn, 4-15 June 2014 (SBSTA40).

Theme: To fast track early action on Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), countries need to address readiness for CSA, transform their policies and strengthen institutions to ensure food security and enhance livelihoods of smallholder farmers.

The event will discuss how to leverage policy, technical and financial support to scale-up the adoption of climate smart agriculture practices in defined farming systems in Africa. Participants will explore the role of science in informing the integration of CSA into national development policies and programmes.

Key Questions

  1. What is the status of the integration of agriculture in the UNFCCC discussions and what are implications for CSA readiness in Africa?
  2. What do we need to understand about climate change and variability in order to enhance the resilience of agriculture in Africa?
  3. How can countries mainstream CSA within broader development goals? What structures (policy, financial, technical etc.) do African countries need to put in place to support the implementation of CSA?
  4. How can farmers be mobilized to undertake CSA? What measures or channels are in place or should be introduced?
  5. How can countries mobilize climate finance and encourage private investment for agriculture and rural development at all levels and scales?

Speakers

Chair: James Kinyangi, East Africa Regional Program Leader, CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS)

Manyewu Mutamba, Economics and Policy Analyst, Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions: Opening Remarks

Richard Muyungi, Vice-President's Office, United Republic of Tanzania, Former SBSTA Chair: Mobilizing Africa’s contribution to the emerging Global Alliance on Climate Smart Agriculture

Evans Njewa, Lead Finance Negotiator for the LDCs: Outlook on funding mechanisms for investment in CSA in Africa

Fred Kossam, Head of Climate Change Unit, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Malawi: Status of Agriculture in the UNFCCC negotiations

Chinwe Ifejika Speranza, University of Bonn and the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), Bonn, Germany: Current status of the science of adaptation in African agriculture

Henry Neufeldt, Head Climate Change Unit, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF): Reaching Millions of farmers with CSA in Africa

Gabriel Kissinger, Lexeme Consulting: Country CSA Readiness Frameworks

Panelist Discussion: George Wamukoya - Facillitator

Partners: CIAT-CCAFS (International Center for Tropical Agriculture), ILRI-CCAFS (International Livestock Research Institute), World Bank,  the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC), The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), University of Bonn, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), Oxfam Novib, the African Union Commision, Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU) .

This side event on climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is organized by CCAFS East Africa.

Access the full schedule of side events on the UNFCCC website

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Learn more about CSA: Climate-smart villages