Impactful and measurable progress on climate-smart agriculture in corporate value chains

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and its partners have an ambition to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture and land use change by 50% and make 50% more nutritious food available by 2030 (including by reducing food loss and waste), while strengthening the climate resilience of agricultural landscapes and farming communities. Companies must accelerate progress to meet these ambitions, but measurement of progress has been limited by the availability of data, particularly on upstream and downstream GHG emissions in supply chains, climate resilience and food loss and waste. To address these gaps, WBCSD and CCAFS convened a workshop at the University of Vermont, in partnership with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), World Resources Institute (WRI) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). This info note captures the key lessons which emerged from the workshop

Accelerating innovative finance for sustainable rice

Webinar on “Accelerating innovative finance for sustainable rice” held on February 18/19 2020, hosted by the Sustainable Rice Landscapes Initiative and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Over 65 people participated during the two webinars

A Blueprint for Digital Climate-Informed Advisory Services: Building the Resilience of 300 Million Small-Scale Producers by 2030

In 2019, nearly 750 million people faced food insecurity, with that number expected to increase in the coming years. Climate change could significantly depress global crop yields, but adaptation efforts could help decrease this risk. The Blueprint for Digital Climate-Informed Advisory Services lays the conceptual foundation for building the climate resilience of at least 300 million small-scale agricultural producers by 2030. Digital climate-informed advisory services (DCAS) are tools and platforms that integrate climate information into agricultural decision-making. These services include digital mobile apps, radio and online platforms, as well as to digitally enabled printed bulletins based on climate models and extension services that use climate information platforms. DCAS can help agricultural producers and other value chain actors build resilience to climate impacts that threaten present and future agri-food systems. Scaling up efforts, while leaving no one behind, is critical to safeguarding the millions of small-scale producers vital to our global food security. This working paper outlines key principles for good practice, explores how to build the resilience of at least 300 million small-holder producers by 2030 and provides a preliminary typology of how to target investments so they reach the most vulnerable and under-resourced. Additionally, it puts forward potential next steps to accelerate growth in this community of practice and increase meaningful investment in these services. The blueprint was created by more than 150 stakeholders organized into three working groups on data quality and governance, equity and co-creation, and financially sustainable business models. These working groups were led by the International Research Institute for Climate and Society at Columbia University, the World Food Programme and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, respectively. In addition to working group reports, the blueprint was developed based on an extensive literature review and expert consultations undertaken by the World Resources Institute and the Global Center on Adaptation