Co-designing climate-smart farming systems with local stakeholders: A methodological framework for achieving large-scale change

The literature is increasing on how to prioritize climate-smart options with stakeholders but relatively few examples exist on how to co-design climate-smart farming systems with them, in particular with smallholder farmers. This article presents a methodological framework to co-design climate-smart farming systems with local stakeholders (farmers, scientists, NGOs) so that large-scale change can be achieved. This framework is based on the lessons learned during a research project conducted in Honduras and Colombia from 2015 to 2017. Seven phases are suggested to engage a process of co-conception of climate-smart farming systems that might enable implementation at scale: (1) “exploration of the initial situation,” which identifies local stakeholders potentially interested in being involved in the process, existing farming systems, and specific constraints to the implementation of climate-smart agriculture (CSA); (2) “co-definition of an innovation platform,” which defines the structure and the rules of functioning for a platform favoring the involvement of local stakeholders in the process; (3) “shared diagnosis,” which defines the main challenges to be solved by the innovation platform; (4) “identification and ex ante assessment of new farming systems,” which assess the potential performances of solutions prioritized by the members of the innovation platform under CSA pillars; (5) “experimentation,” which tests the prioritized solutions on-farm; (6) “assessment of the co-design process of climate-smart farming systems,” which validates the ability of the process to reach its initial objectives, particularly in terms of new farming systems but also in terms of capacity building; and (7) “definition of strategies for scaling up/out,” which addresses the scaling of the co-design process. For each phase, specific tools or methodologies are used: focus groups, social network analysis, theory of change, life-cycle assessment, and on-farm experiments. Each phase is illustrated with results obtained in Colombia or Honduras

Innovation platforms for Climate Smart Agriculture in Honduras

Innovation Platforms for the adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture for Family farmers (PIASAC) was a project aimed at creating local knowledge and capacities on climate change and finding options for adaption in a participatory way. The project took place in the municipality of Gracias, located in the dry corridor of Honduras. 38 farming families were involved in a 2-year research process facilitated by the Direction of agricultural science and technology (DICTA), with the methodological support of CIRAD under the coordination of CIAT. The project was funded by FONTAGRO

Innovation platforms for Climate Smart Agriculture in Honduras

Innovation Platforms for the adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture for Family farmers (PIASAC) was a project aimed at creating local knowledge and capacities on climate change and finding options for adaption in a participatory way. The project took place in the municipality of Gracias, located in the dry corridor of Honduras. 38 farming families were involved in a 2-year research process facilitated by the Direction of agricultural science and technology (DICTA), with the methodological support of CIRAD under the coordination of CIAT. The project was funded by FONTAGRO

Plataformas de innovación para la agricultura sostenible adaptada al clima en Honduras

Las Plataformas de Innovación para implementar una Agricultura Sostenible Adaptada al Clima (PIASAC) para los pequeños agricultores fue un proyecto que tenía como objetivo generar conocimientos y capacidades locales sobre cambio climático y construir opciones de adaptación de manera participativa. El proyecto se llevó a cabo en el municipio de Gracias, ubicado en el Corredor Seco de Honduras. Un total de 38 familias agricultoras participaron directamente en un proceso de investigación de 2 años, facilitado a través de la Dirección de Ciencia y Tecnología Agropecuaria (DICTA), con el apoyo metodológico del Centro Francés de Investigación Agrícola para el Desarrollo (CIRAD) bajo la coordinación del Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT). El proyecto contó con la financiación del Fondo Regional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (FONTAGRO)

Co-designing Climate-Smart Farming Systems With Local Stakeholders: A Methodological Framework for Achieving Large-Scale Change

The literature is increasing on how to prioritize climate-smart options with stakeholders but relatively few examples exist on how to co-design climate-smart farming systems with them, in particular with smallholder farmers. This article presents a methodological framework to co-design climate-smart farming systems with local stakeholders (farmers, scientists, NGOs) so that large-scale change can be achieved. This framework is based on the lessons learned during a research project conducted in Honduras and Colombia from 2015 to 2017. Seven phases are suggested to engage a process of co-conception of climate-smart farming systems that might enable implementation at scale: (1) “exploration of the initial situation,” which identifies local stakeholders potentially interested in being involved in the process, existing farming systems, and specific constraints to the implementation of climate-smart agriculture (CSA); (2) “co-definition of an innovation platform,” which defines the structure and the rules of functioning for a platform favoring the involvement of local stakeholders in the process; (3) “shared diagnosis,” which defines the main challenges to be solved by the innovation platform; (4) “identification and ex ante assessment of new farming systems,” which assess the potential performances of solutions prioritized by the members of the innovation platform under CSA pillars; (5) “experimentation,” which tests the prioritized solutions on-farm; (6) “assessment of the co-design process of climate-smart farming systems,” which validates the ability of the process to reach its initial objectives, particularly in terms of new farming systems but also in terms of capacity building; and (7) “definition of strategies for scaling up/out,” which addresses the scaling of the co-design process. For each phase, specific tools or methodologies are used: focus groups, social network analysis, theory of change, life-cycle assessment, and on-farm experiments. Each phase is illustrated with results obtained in Colombia or Honduras