Climate Change

plant Over the last few years there has been a re-emergence of attention to agriculture and food security in the context of a changing climate. Globally, the sector accounts for 13-15% of greenhouse gas emissions. In Africa, there are important concerns over the vulnerability of farmers and farming systems, also given the sector’s key economic importance across the continent.

It is increasingly clear that the focus on climate change will shape agricultural development in Africa in significant ways over the coming decades. But with the growing attention comes an increasing complexity of actors in the debate both on the nature of the problem and the most appropriate solutions.

 

The Climate Change Theme of FAC was set up to analyse this complexity and to open up critical issues for debate through case studies, briefing papers and roundtable discussions. The aim is to help broaden the policy debates on climate change and agriculture to include alternative adaptation and mitigation pathways for the sector.


Latest articles

Climate change & African agriculture, health and cities: 12 new reviews
Climate change & African agriculture, health and cities: 12 new reviews
October 24, 2014 / Climate Change
The African continent is well-recognised as being vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. While there is undisputed evidence that the climate is changing, there is much uncertainty over how this affects different regions and sectors. 12 regional papers review

‘Carbon missionaries’: saving Africa from itself?
‘Carbon missionaries’: saving Africa from itself?
July 11, 2014 / Climate Change
Carbon schemes, designed to protect and sustain forests in the global South, can conflict with the interests of those who live in and depend on them. On our blog, Joanes Atela problems with the 'missionary discourse' behind this key part

Climate adaptation in West Africa: reviewing policies & evidence
Climate adaptation in West Africa: reviewing policies & evidence
May 29, 2014 / Climate Change
Africa’s agriculture sector is commonly regarded as vulnerable to particular impacts of climate change. Adapting to climate change is an important area for research and policy development. A series of three working papers reviews research and policy on climate change

Global climate politics meets national agricultural policy
Global climate politics meets national agricultural policy
November 20, 2013 / Climate Change
Agriculture has not always had an easy ride in international climate negotiations. But even when farming and food are considered, there is sometimes conflict between global politics and local policy processes. On the blog, Joanes Atela considers how global climate

How can Africa adapt to climate change?
How can Africa adapt to climate change?
November 10, 2013 / Climate Change
As the world meets to discuss adaptation climate change at the COP19 conference, Future Agricultures research looks at how African agricultural policy is responding in different ways to this major challenge. Our work looks at how climate policy discussions are

Kenya: a changing climate of policy
Kenya: a changing climate of policy
September 30, 2013 / Climate Change
A new working paper analyses how discussions on climate change and agriculture in Kenya are driven from within and outside the country’s borders. Kenya has been ahead of many other countries in developing a national climate change strategy. But there

Warming to climate change in Ethiopia?
Warming to climate change in Ethiopia?
September 27, 2013 / Climate Change
A new paper addresses how policy responses to climate change are shaping the agricultural sector in Ethiopia, and their significance for the country’s future development. 'Warming to Change? Climate Policy and Agricultural Development in Ethiopia' highlights multiple responses, including those

Adapting to climate change: policy & research gaps
Adapting to climate change: policy & research gaps
July 24, 2013 / Climate Change
Lars Otto Naess, Climate Change convenor for Future Agricultures, presented preliminary findings from a review of research and policies for climate change adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa on 16 July. He spoke at a side event “Consultative dialogue on climate smart

How are climate impact models changing agricultural research?
How are climate impact models changing agricultural research?
June 14, 2013 / Climate Change
Is climate-crop modelling opening the way for more 'non-expert' contributions? A journal article in Climatic Change discusses the impact of climate impact models on policies and programmes. Climate change adaptation is increasingly targeted within policies, programmes and interventions across a

The politics of agricultural carbon finance in Kenya
The politics of agricultural carbon finance in Kenya
November 5, 2012 / Climate Change
A new paper questions the ‘triple wins’ claimed by Kenyan supporters of agricultural carbon finance. Supporters of agricultural carbon finance claim multiple benefits for Africa, but the reality is more complex. This working paper by Joanes O. Atela explores how,

Climate change policy in Ghana
Climate change policy in Ghana
October 5, 2012 / Climate Change
This working paper (pdf) analyses policy discussions on climate change and agriculture in Ghana, looking at their origins and what their implications are. The dominant narrative: mitigating climate change Agriculture has only recently become a central part of climate change

Climate change policy in Malawi
Climate change policy in Malawi
October 5, 2012 / Climate Change
This working paper is among the first of its kind to analyse policy discussions on climate change and agriculture in the Malawi. In Malawi, national debates are framed as an issue of managing the risk that climate change poses to

How is climate change and agriculture policy made in Africa?
How is climate change and agriculture policy made in Africa?
October 5, 2012 / Climate Change
Two new working papers explore the changing debates around climate and agriculture policy in Ghana and Malawi. Agriculture and climate change are now firmly at the top of the research and policy agenda. The issues are attracting more and more

Policy Dialogue: Climate Chaos, Policy Dilemma in Kenya
Policy Dialogue: Climate Chaos, Policy Dilemma in Kenya
February 24, 2012 / Climate Change
The FAC Climate Change theme convened a policy roundtable in February 2012 to discuss key findings of a recent research on the status of agricultural climate change policy process in Kenya. Video and presentations have been published from the session.

Climate Change and Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa: New Concerns, Old Arguments?
Climate Change and Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa: New Concerns, Old Arguments?
December 5, 2011 / Climate Change
This is a summary of an unpublished paper by Paula Silva Villanueva and Rocio Hiraldo. The paper is due to be published soon. The purpose of this paper is to map current policy debates on climate change and agriculture in

FAC Researchers contribute to IDS Bulletin on Climate Change
FAC Researchers contribute to IDS Bulletin on Climate Change
July 6, 2011 / Climate Change
Three FAC researchers have contributed to a new IDS Bulletin focusing on the Political Economy of Climate Change:

Presentation at the “Ideas Marketplace”, Agriculture and Rural Development Day, COP-16, Cancun (December 2010)
Presentation at the “Ideas Marketplace”, Agriculture and Rural Development Day, COP-16, Cancun (December 2010)
May 23, 2011 / Climate Change
Climate change adaptation research has evolved over the past few years but how much of it is being adopted or implemented as policy? How to influence decision-makers to adopt adaptation policies based on research findings? These were some of the

Global Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change
Global Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change
October 28, 2010 / Climate Change
FAC side event at the Global Conference on Food Security, Agriculture and Climate Change. The Hague, The Netherlands, 1st November 2010 The Hague conference was among the first major international conferences linking agriculture, food security and climate change, and was

FAC Kenya Roundtable on Climate Change and Agriculture
FAC Kenya Roundtable on Climate Change and Agriculture
September 23, 2010 / Climate Change
The Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) in partnership with the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Sussex, UK and the Future Agriculture Consortium (FAC) organised a one day round table meeting for policy makers, implementers and researchers

FAC Ethiopia Roundtable on Climate Change and Agriculture
FAC Ethiopia Roundtable on Climate Change and Agriculture
September 23, 2010 / Climate Change
Future Agriculture Consortium (FAC) organised a one day round table meeting for policy makers, implementers and researchers involved in work on climate change and agriculture in Adis Adaba on 11 November 2010.

Case Studies: Kenya and Ethiopia
Case Studies: Kenya and Ethiopia
August 6, 2010 / Climate Change
The objective is to investigate how international climate change policy processes play out in national and sub-national agricultural contexts and to ascertain how these influence and are influenced by particular policy narratives, actors, networks and interests. Specifically, the study will

FAC Researchers Contribute to IDS  Bulletin on Climate Change
FAC Researchers Contribute to IDS Bulletin on Climate Change
May 19, 2010 / Climate Change
Three FAC researchers have contributed to a new IDS Bulletin focusing on the Political Economy of Climate Change:

Research to Policy for Adaptation
Research to Policy for Adaptation
February 5, 2010 / Climate Change
DFID/IDRC-funded Research to Policy for Adaptation (RPA) project provides accessible tools, methods and conceptual approaches for researchers to analyse the policy processes for climate change adaptation in a specific country. RPA is helping to build researchers’ capacity to understand and influence policy

Climate Change Adaptation Policy Processes
Climate Change Adaptation Policy Processes
August 11, 2009 / Climate Change
Two FAC members (Blessings Chinsinga and Lydia Ndirangu) are involved in collaborative research on "Linking African Researchers with Adaptation Policy Spaces". This project aims to increase the ability of partners in Climate Change Adaptation in Africa (CCAA) programme in East