Facilitating Change for Climate-Smart Agriculture through Science-Policy Engagement

Abstract

Climate change impacts on agriculture have become evident, and threaten the achievement of global food security. On the other hand, the agricultural sector itself is a cause of climate change, and if actions are not taken, the sector might impede the achievement of global climate goals. Science-policy engagement efforts are crucial to ensure that scientific findings from agricultural research for development inform actions of governments, private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international development partners, accelerating progress toward global goals. However, knowledge gaps on what works limit progress. In this paper, we analyzed 34 case studies of science-policy engagement efforts, drawn from six years of agricultural research for development efforts around climate-smart agriculture by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). Based on lessons derived from these case studies, we critically assessed and refined the program theory of the CCAFS program, leading to a revised and improved program theory for science-policy engagement for agriculture research for development under climate change. This program theory offers a pragmatic pathway to enhance credibility, salience and legitimacy of research, which relies on engagement (participatory and demand-driven research processes), evidence (building scientific credibility while adopting an opportunistic and flexible approach) and outreach (effective communication and capacity building).

ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF WATER HARVESTING PLUS SUPPLEMENTAL IRRIGATION FOR IMPROVING WATER PRODUCTIVITY OF A PULSE–COTTON BASED INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEM IN TELANGANA, INDIA†

“…In response to the changing nature of agriculture and farmers' needs (Zimmerman, ), the focus of agricultural extension and productivity in the past three decades has shifted away from transferring skills (Irwin and Poots, ), technologies and knowledge related to crop productivity (Singh et al, ; Wu et al, ) and water management (Knox et al, ), crop–livestock integration (Choisis et al, ) and catalysing innovation processes to climate change adaptation measures (Kakumanu et al, ) and cost (Palanisami et al, ). This shift in focus is in alignment with the need for site‐specific assessments to identify suitable agricultural technologies and practices needed for climate‐smart agriculture (Dinesh et al, ). In severe water‐stressed areas, where a lot of fresh water is withdrawn for irrigation, such as India, it can be more profitable to maximize crop water productivity rather than crop land productivity (Mbangiwa et al, ).…”

“…, technologies and knowledge related to crop productivity Wu et al, 2018) and water management (Knox et al, 2012), crop-livestock integration (Choisis et al, 2018) and catalysing innovation processes to climate change adaptation measures (Kakumanu et al, 2018) and cost (Palanisami et al, 2015). This shift in focus is in alignment with the need for site-specific assessments to identify suitable agricultural technologies and practices needed for climate-smart agriculture (Dinesh et al, 2018).…”

How Feasible Is the Scaling-Out of Livelihood and Food System Adaptation in Asia-Pacific Islands?

“…It is acknowledged that adaptation and transformation of smallholder's livelihoods and food production requires an integrated approach based on collaborative learning which can integrate stakeholders' knowledge to stimulate social innovation and action (Kristjanson et al, 2014;Ensor and Harvey, 2015), and hence induce practice change in policy and institutional mechanisms (Gillespie et al, 2015;Dinesh et al, 2018), or scalingup. Riddell and Moore (2015) propose that scaling-deep is also required, whereby values, cultural practices and the quality of relationships are transformed.…”

“…In parallel, there has been a shift from dependence on the pipeline model to an "actor innovation" model, which deliberately aims to change social and power dynamics, and institutions and governance that are shaped by these relationships (Biggs, 2007). Consequently approaches based on collaborative learning, which integrate stakeholders' knowledge to stimulate social innovation and action (Kristjanson et al, 2014;Ensor and Harvey, 2015), and hence induce practice change in policy and institutional mechanisms (Gillespie et al, 2015;Dinesh et al, 2018) are gaining in popularity, and sometimes referred to as "scaling-up." Riddell and Moore (2015) go further and advocate that for durable change to occur in complex systems, "scaling-deep" is also required, which transforms values and cultural norms by tackling the root causes of problems.…”

Strategizing beyond boundaries : policy entrepreneurship for climate-smart agriculture

“…It focuses mostly on technical discussions around CSA, presenting the crossing of boundaries and the consequent uptake of CSA policy predominantly as a matter of access to resources, strengthened institutions, and participatory decision-making processes (e.g. Lipper et al 2014, Harvey et al 2014, Steenwerth et al 2014, Dinesh et al 2018. Only recently has the literature on CSA started to engage more critically in debates on CSA.…”