What we do
CCAFS will define and implement a uniquely innovative and transformative research program that addresses agriculture in the context of climate variability, climate change and uncertainty about future climate conditions.
CCAFS is designed to contribute to improved agricultural, natural resource management and food systems. It takes its mandate from the from the CGIAR vision, namely “To reduce poverty and hunger, improve human health and nutrition, and enhance ecosystem resilience through high-quality international agricultural research, partnership, and leadership.”
Impacts are sought in three dimensions:
- environmental, in particular related to reducing emissions and improving carbon storage;
- enhancing rural livelihoods, by reducing vulnerabilities, increasing adaptive capacity, securing assets and raising incomes;
- improving food security
While much of the focus will be on agricultural production, the entire food system will be targeted, as solutions to the challenges posed by climate change have to go beyond agricultural production. These three dimensions correspond to different groups of ultimate beneficiaries. For impact on livelihoods, the ultimate beneficiaries are resource-poor farmers and other members of the rural and peri-urban poor associated with the agricultural sector. These groups will benefit through reduced vulnerability, raised adaptive capacity and higher incomes. For impact on food security, CCAFS seeks to help not only the rural poor but also the urban poor that number among the world’s one billion undernourished. For impact on environmental health and carbon storage, there will be both local beneficiaries and a global public goods benefit.
How we do it
Working with national and regional partners, promising adaptation options will be identified and evaluated, and through modeling approaches their efficacy in adapting agricultural systems will be quantified and used to provide detailed adaptation pathways at the national, regional and global levels.
CCAFS will generate the knowledge base and toolsets needed to empower farmers, policy makers, researchers and civil society to manage agricultural and food systems successfully so as to strengthen food security, enhance rural livelihoods and improve environmental health in the context of the challenges arising from current climate variability and progressive climate change.
CCAFS will explore and jointly apply approaches and methods that enhance knowledge to action linkages with a wide range of partners at local, regional and global levels.