Change for the betterThe CCAFS 2015 Annual Report

In 2015, agriculture gained prominence in the global climate agreement, and CCAFS science increasingly informed initiatives to enhance millions of farmers’ resilience to climate impacts and help them reduce emissions.

A message from the directors

“It was a crucial year for climate research and action”

“There will be much more good news to come”

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V. Atakos (CCAFS)

Impacts through policies and partnerships

Outcomes & Impacts
India protects its farmers from climate change
Outcomes & Impacts
Climate-proofing agricultural development in Africa
Outcomes & Impacts
Projecting the future to guide today’s agriculture, climate and development policies
Outcomes & Impacts
Strengthening the national plans that will deliver the Paris Climate Agreement
Outcomes & Impacts
Informing national science and food security strategies in Ghana and Myanmar
Outcomes & Impacts
Costa Rica, Nepal and Uganda adopt crop diversity policies as part of climate-resilience planning
Outcomes & Impacts
Agriculture is integrated into Paris UNFCCC agreement
Outcomes & Impacts
A new climate-smart agriculture alliance for West Africa
Outcomes & Impacts
Scaling up water saving technology to benefit rice farmers in Bangladesh and Vietnam
Scaling up private sector engagement in climate-smart agriculture
Institutionalising the development of low emissions agriculture
Outcomes & Impacts
African partnerships set sights on scaling up climate-smart agriculture

M. Koningstein (CIAT)

Capacity development and innovative communication

J. L. Urrea (CCAFS)

Breakthrough science and innovation

G. Smith (CIAT)

Integrating gender and harnessing local knowledge

Regional Highlights

East Africa
In East Africa, CCAFS scientists are working closely with national policy partners to develop climate plans, through future scenario approaches combined with agricultural economics models. At the same time, ICRAF, CIAT and ILRI are helping countries plan large-scale investments in climate-smart agriculture. In Kenya, ICRAF worked with the dairy sector to develop and disseminate climate-smart practices that can reduce emissions, and ILRI has bred new climate-smart ‘super’ goats that are less vulnerable to drought. In Uganda, IITA helped clarify the impacts of gender-sensitive programmes on a household’s investments. To help farmers plan in unpredictable climates, CIMMYT, ICRISAT and CIAT helped develop a user-friendly forecasting system.
West Africa
In West Africa, CIAT science helped climate-proof investments in coffee and cocoa production, while IWMI and ILRI heped farmers establish climate-smart farming systems through integrated water storage and crop-livestock systems. CCAFS scientists looked at ways to develop mobile phone apps that deliver locally-tailored weather and climate information. A new regional climate-smart agriculture alliance was launched, informed by scientific outputs from a range of CGIAR centers and partners. And Ghana used a framework developed by ICRISAT, to design and implement its national climate-smart agriculture and food security action plan. Journalists from Senegal learned about climate information services and climate-smart villages through an interactive workshop and field trip.
Latin America
In Latin America, CCAFS scientists are working closely with national policy partners to develop climate plans, through future scenario approaches combined with agricultural economics models. In Colombia, CIAT supported local committees with vital scientific information that goes directly to farmers and decision makers, and worked with governments to incorporate gender perspectives into their livestock mitigation policies and programs. A summer school hosted by CIAT and partners helped promote climate change mitigation in smallholder crop and livestock systems in the region. Bioversity and partners helped Costa Rica safeguard its supply of genetic resources, that will help develop new climate-resilient crop varieties.
Southeast Asia
In Southeast Asia, CCAFS scientists worked closely with national policy partners to develop climate plans, through future scenario approaches combined with agricultural economics models. IRRI supported journalists from the region to become more informed about climate change issues. Myanmar used a framework developed by IRRI, to design and implement its national climate-smart agriculture strategy. CIAT trained northern Vietnamese farmers to collect vital local geographic information that will support planning of climate-resilient farming methods, and helped farmers learn about the benefits of intercropping cassava with forage grasses, that improve production and soil fertility. IRRI scientists helped Vietnam’s government make plans to scale up the use of an innovative water-saving, emissions-reducing technology for rice production.
South Asia
In South Asia, India has put into place important policies to safeguard farmers from climate impacts, with 11 million farmers now covered by improved weather-based crop insurance, and 500 new climate-smart villages launched in Haryana’s rice-wheat systems. CIMMYT, IFPRI and IWMI have all contribute to this large-scale success. In Bangladesh, IRRI scientists helped the government make plans to scale up the use of an innovative water-saving, emissions-reducing technology for rice production. In Uttar Pradesh, India, IWMI has developed an innovative system to excess water during rainy periods and store it in natural aquifers underground. In Nepal, Bioversity and partners are helping to safeguard the country’s supply of genetic resources, that will help develop new climate-resilient crop varieties.