Scaling Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) through Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) Engagement

Multi Stakeholder Platforms (MSP) are used to effectively coordinate stakeholders via collaborative planning; support the diverse involvement of stakeholders; cross-leverage resources such as knowledge, skill, as well as funding; policy action plan through initiatives; and monitoring and evaluation. CSA MSP has been created to make decision-making easy through the platform. It enables all stakeholders to partner and collaborates to accelerate implementation, plan and monitor CSA. CRAFT through SNV supports capacity development activities to ensure its success and extensive usage. The platform is modelled to enable MSPs to accelerate the process of policy engagement activities and policy dialogues. This is done from local to national and regional levels. The platform aims to engage institutions at the local, national and regional to collaborate or partner in catalyzing the formation and operationalization of MSPs within the three East African countries of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, and across the region. Where needed, CRAFT backstops the local, national and regional stakeholders involved in MSP activities

Science Policy Conference on Gender-Responsive Climate-Smart Agriculture for Eastern, Central and Southern Africa

The content of this report is a mixed bag of experiences and lessons, from plain field experience and case stories to document reviews and rigorous scientific results, all generating credible evidence to inform policy. In each breakout room, participants had a very vibrant engagement with the presenters, eliciting very valuable lessons

Consultative Policy Workshop on the Implementation of Climate-Smart Agriculture in the Potato Value Chain in Tanzania: Challenges, Barriers, and Opportunities

Climate-smart interventions in agriculture, or climate-resilient agriculture, is increasingly becoming a global climate policy priority. Agriculture is increasingly gaining recognition from climate policy actors for its exposure to climate change impacts and its contribution to climate change. Investment into climate-smart agriculture (CSA) innovations are also receiving increasing attention from investors. The official climate change policy position for all countries of East Africa is to prioritize adaptation, with mitigation expected to be a co-benefit if, when and where possible

Training on the Application of Climate Foresight Data in Enhancing Agricultural Policy Implementation and Decision- Making in Eastern and Central Africa

A paradigm shift is required in policies to make food systems sustainable. The climate foresight workshop highlights the critical role of collaborations between farmers and corporate, governmental, and entities involved in extension and training services as well as research and development. The workshop demonstrates that stakeholders (Fig. 2) at different dimensions of the climate service value chain and across different industries may collaborate to achieve shared, synergistic aim

Manual for production of Chamo strain Nile tilapia fingerlings and preparation of fish feeds from locally available material

Climate change has resulted in increased local temperatures that in turn have increased evapotranspiration, and negatively affected the breeding grounds of several important fish species due to reduction in the water levels of water bodies (Ficke et al. 2007). The rise in local temperature also affects the physico-chemical properties of water, including temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and concentration of different ions in water bodies (El Morhit & Mouhir 2014). These changes negatively affect the physiological (e.g. reproduction) and behavioral dynamics of fish as well as their natural feed leading to lower production of capture fish (Chabot & Guénette 2013). To increase production of capture fish, there is need for a reliable method for mass production of fry. Although tilapia breed freely in ponds, it is important for farmers (producers) to consider using properly produced fingerlings. However, there are quality challenges with semi-natural or hormone-induced propagation of fingerlings. Quality fingerlings in tilapia aquaculture are needed for improved production. For this reason, it is advisable for farmers to generate their own fingerlings if they cannot ascertain the quality of those from other sources. Poor fingerlings result in poor harvests. Therefore, artificial propagation under controlled environmental conditions in a hatchery has become a necessity to ensure production en-masse of fry and fingerlings

Dialogue on Commercialization of Climate- Smart Agricultural Technologies, Innovations and Management Practices in Eastern & Central Africa

The Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) recognizes the critical role that the private sector, research organizations, farmer organizations, policy makers, extension workers and media play in scaling up and commercialization of climaterelevant TIMPs. However, the adoption and use of several new agricultural technologies by smallholder farmers remains relatively low in the region resulting in low production (crop yields) on farms, poor quality and high postharvest losses. Reducing the yield gap of improved crop varieties for instance requires concerted efforts of both the technology innovators and those involved in its dissemination and regulation. Based on the foregoing, ASARECA organized a dialogue on the commercialization of climate-relevant agricultural Technologies, Innovations, and Management Practices (TIMPs) in Eastern and Central Africa for the private sector, climate scientists, research organizations, policy makers, extension workers, and media to discuss commercialization of climate-relevant TIMPs

Social Seed Networks for Climate Change Adaptation in Uganda: Strategies to Improve Access to Genetic Diversity and Information. Results from a study to better understand farmers’ primary sources of seed and information in the Hoima Climate-Smart Villages

Climate change poses serious threats to smallholder farmers in Uganda. For instance, rains often start late in the season and end early, reducing the growing season. Increasing and maintaining genetic diversity is one way of combatting these climatic change-related threats (IPCC, 2014). Farmers often manage, select, and conserve genetic diversity according to their needs, but climate change is quickly eroding this genetic diversity. Accessing genetic resources and related information is therefore paramount to farmers’ ability to cope with the effects of climate change. Farmers’ seed networks are a crucial element of access to seed because they are resilient and help to maintain and conserve crop genetic diversity (Pautasso et al. 2013). In Uganda, 85% of the seed is from ‘informal’ sources consisting of seed saved from own farm as well as seed obtained from neighbours and other local sources. Research in East Africa has suggested that community-generated information sharing might support more effective farmer response to the changing seasonal and weather patterns associated with climate change (Adhikari et al. 2015). However, the influence of Ugandan farmers’ social networks in supporting adaptation to climate change is not well known

Social Seed Networks for Climate Change Adaptation in Western Kenya: Results from a study to better understand farmers’ primary sources of seed information in the Nyando Climate-Smart Villages

Kenyan smallholder farmers are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including increased temperatures and variability in precipitation, which results in shorter growing seasons in most areas of East Africa (Adhikari et al. 2015). One strategy for adapting to these climactic changes is to utilise genetic resources to mitigate the effects of abiotic and biotic stresses (IPCC 2014). Farmers could benefit from accessing and exchanging genetic resources, seed, and the information needed to use those resources effectively. Farmers’ seed networks are believed to supply about 80% of seed to farmers in Kenya, where, for example, 75-80% of seed used by farmers’ is from ‘informal’ systems. Farmer seed networks are important for accessing seed and providing genetic diversity that is vital for resilience (Louwaars et al., 2013). Research in East Africa has suggested that community-generated information sharing might support more effective farmer response to the changing seasonal and weather patterns associated with climate change (Comes et al. 2015). However, little is known about the farmers’ social seed networks in supporting adaptation to climate change in Kenya

Community-based small ruminant breeding programs with livelihood benefits are becoming the nucleus for climate-resilient scaling in Ethiopia: Results from an ongoing community-based breeding program in Doyogena, Ethiopia

In developed countries, national breeding programs have been implemented by well-organized breeder associations with full support from the state in a developed infrastructure and high-level capacity to run the breeding programs. Such breeding programs are successful in data recording and processing, and the evaluation of the best candidates for optimal breeding. However, adopting such breeding programs in developing countries was not successful due to a lack of support from government and poor infrastructure

Social Seed Networks and Climate Change Adaptation in Central Tanzania: Results from a study to better understand farmers’ primary sources of seed information in Dodoma and Singida Districts, Tanzania

Tanzanian smallholder farmers are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, especially the resultant rainfall variability. One strategy for adapting to the changing climate is to utilise genetic seed sources to resist abiotic and biotic stressors. Another strategy is to access and exchange genetic resources, seed, and the information needed to use those resources effectively. In Tanzania, ‘farmer managed’ seed networks are believed to supply about 80-90 percent of seeds to farmers (Below et al., 2015). Farmer seed networks are an important element of seed access because they are resilient and work to maintain and conserve crop genetic diversity. Research in East Africa has suggested that community-generated information sharing might support more effective farmer response to the changing seasonal and weather patterns associated with climate change (Balama et al., 2013)