How Does Climate Change Alter Agricultural Strategies to Support Food Security?

Abstract

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), established in 1975, provides evidence-based policy solutions to sustainably end hunger and malnutrition and reduce poverty. The Institute conducts research, communicates results, optimizes partnerships, and builds capacity to ensure sustainable food production, promote healthy food systems, improve markets and trade, transform agriculture, build resilience, and strengthen institutions and governance. Gender is considered in all of the Institute's work. IFPRI collaborates with partners around the world, including development implementers, public institutions, the private sector, and farmers' organizations, to ensure that local, national, regional, and global food policies are based on evidence. CGIAR RESEARCH PROGRAM ON POLICIES, INSTITUTIONS, AND MARKETS The CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM) leads action-oriented research to equip decisionmakers with the evidence required to develop food and agricultural policies that better serve the interests of poor producers and consumers, both men and women. PIM combines the resources of CGIAR centers and numerous international, regional, and national partners. The program is led by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). www.pim.cgiar.org CGIAR is a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future. Its science is carried out by the 15 research centers that are members of the CGIAR Consortium in collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations. www.cgiar.org

Sustainable intensification: What is its role in climate smart agriculture?

“…As such examples show, sustainable intensification is a cornerstone of CSA, as increased resource use efficiency contributes to both adaptation and mitigation via effects on farm incomes and reduced emissions per unit product [28]. While SI is but a small part of the adaptation agenda, CSA elements such as crop and livestock insurance and use of climate information can all facilitate SI uptake.…”

Drought Adaptation and Coping Strategies Among the Turkana Pastoralists of Northern Kenya

“…Despite this exposure and sensitivity to frequent droughts, pastoral economy in the ASALs' of Kenya accounts for 90 % of all employment opportunities and 95 % of family income and livelihood security (Kenya ASAL Policy 2012). Given the changing global climate, coupled with expected increase in evapotranspiration due to increased temperatures, the ASALs are expected to experience frequent climatic extremes, increased aridity, increased water stress, diminished yields from rain-fed agriculture, and increased food insecurity and malnutrition (Thornton and Lipper 2014). Adaptation and coping practices are therefore necessary to reduce vulnerability to drought stresses as well as to prepare for possible future extreme climate events.…”

Transformational adaptation of agricultural systems to climate change

“…Initial discussions on adaptation as transformational change in agriculture have mentioned issues such as the planting of biofuel crops instead of food crops and the replacement of subsistence‐based agriculture with modern, science‐based agriculture while not defining them as transformation (Thornton & Lipper, ). Later works have aimed to define the concept, and its meaning and application to agriculture, often through examples from different systems.…”

“…While the debate started with the need for transformational change and TA as an adaptive response to large and uncertain impacts on agriculture and limits to agricultural production systems and crops (Nelson et al, ; Pelling, ; Smith et al, ; Thornton & Lipper, ), later works by Rickards and Howden () and Kates et al () provided a more elaborate and focused understanding of the concept in case of agriculture. Rickards and Howden define it as a “major, purposeful action undertaken at the farm or supra‐farm level in response to potential climate change impacts and opportunities in the context of other drivers.” They also emphasized the two main forms of TA in agriculture as a change in goal (major changes in land use pattern) and change in location (migration and abandonment of farm lands), which intersect with other adaptations and broader change processes.…”