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Africa's political leadership are acknowledging that a well performing agricultural sector is fundamental for Africa's overall economic growth, as well as for addressing hunger, poverty and inequality. However, the productivity and resilience of Africa’s agriculture is being affected by the changing climate – indeed, Africa is warming faster than the global average. On a positive note, research has shown that it is important to enhance the capacities of agricultural and food systems to cope with current climate variability to improve productivity and resilience, through a practice known as Climate smart Agriculture (CSA). CSA, therefore, seeks to integrate climate change into the planning and implementation of sustainable agricultural strategies in Africa.

To advance this concept, a series of conferences on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change have been held to mobilize action on Policies, Practices and Financing for Food Security, Adaptation and Mitigation. In Johannesburg South Africa 2013, the conference participants agreed on a roadmap directed towards the establishment and launch of the Global Alliance on Climate Smart Agriculture on 23^rd September 2014 at the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Summit to be held in New York, USA. Therefore, Africa needs to adopt a common voice in defining her role in the emerging Global Alliance on Climate Smart Agriculture.

For that reason, The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC), East African Community (EAC) and the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), plan to convene a regional workshop that will provide an opportunity for consolidating, and sharing of experiences that could inform the emerging CSA global efforts and the on-going UNFCCC negotiations.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the workshop are:

1. consider COP19 outcomes and explore ways of consolidating the common African common position on agriculture in the on-going UNFCCC, SBSTA and ADP negotiations and at the GCF Board.
2. share experiences on the development and implementation of the National Climate Change Policies/Strategies/Action Plans with a view to determining their readiness to access climate finance.
3. explore ways of enhancing synergy between the national climate change and agricultural policies and strategies.
4. assess the readiness  of African countries to access climate finance.
5. facilitate and identify CSA priority  action areas and adopt a common approach to the emerging Global Alliance on Climate Smart Agriculture.

EXPECTED OUTPUTS

The expected outputs of the workshop are:

1. Priority actions to consolidate and advance agriculture in the on-going UNFCCC, SBSTA and ADP negotiations as well as in the GCF Board.
2. Status on development and implementation of climate change policies/strategies/action plans in the region and lessons learned.
3. Status report on the synergy and complementarity of the national climate change and agriculture policies/strategies/action plans.
4. Readiness report on African countries readiness to access climate finance.
5. Africa’s priority action areas to feed into the Global Alliance on Climate Smart Agriculture.

WORKSHOP CONVENERS

• African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC).
• Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
• Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).
• East African Community (EAC)

EXPECTED PARTICIPANTS

Participants for the workshop will be:

• UNFCCC Focal Points/Ministry of Environment - custodians of national climate change policies/strategies/action plans;
• CAADP Desk Officers/FAO Desk Officers in the Ministry of Agriculture;
• NROs/SROs - CSA/Climate Scientists;
• Regional Umbrella Farmer Organizations (e.g., EAFF, SACAU); and
• Invited guests (e.g., AUC, NEPAD, RSA, FAO, WB, CCAFS, IFAD, etc).

Participation is by invite only!