A common journey: Capacity-building in Central America to strengthen policies and decision-making for climate change adaptation and mitigation

Project description

This project aims to build capacities among institutions and experts in Central America and Colombia so that they can facilitate innovations and help bring key investment opportunities resulting in stronger policies, strategies and programs addressing climate change, centered on climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices for small producers in the region.

The main objectives of the project are:

To facilitate knowledge and experience exchange with regard to CSA policies, strategies, programs and tools between Central American countries and Colombia.
To strengthen institutional capacities of governmental bodies responsible for climate change adaptation and mitigation policies and to implement programs for small farmers and their families.
Encouraging environment and agriculture ministries to innovate policies, strategies, and mitigation and adaptation programs addressing climate change and variability and strengthen these instruments against future uncertainties.
To evaluate opportunities for future investments in CSA in Central America, supporting adaptation and mitigation at small farm level.

The project runs between July 2017 and December 2019.

Outputs

Officials and experts in agriculture and environment strengthen their capacities to implement CSA through knowledge and experiences exchanges among four Central American countries (Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador).
Experts from four countries increase their capacity to generate and use agro-climatic forecast information to guide actions in the agriculture sector, reducing climate variability effects among subsistence livelihoods of small farmers in 2019.
Development of socio-economic scenarios that contribute to frameworks and policy strategies at national level, using research results such as innovative climate services and CSA options prioritized for small farmers in 2019.
Government institutions and IFAD identify key investments in CSA practices and technologies through a portfolio for small farmers in the four target countries.

Gender

The project aims to identify investment opportunities within the CSA framework which involves increasing agricultural productivity, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve livelihoods in a context of gender and social inclusion.

Partners

The project is led by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in collaboration with the CGIAR Reserach Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). Partners include:

Regional: Central American Agricultural Council (CAC)
Guatemala: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food; Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources
Honduras: Secretariat for Agriculture and Livestock (SAG)
Nicaragua: Nicaraguan Institute for Agricultural Technology (INTA); Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources
El Salvador: Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources; Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock
The University for International Cooperation (UCI) of Costa Rica