Making climate-smart agriculture work for the poor

By Elizabeth Kahurani in Durban, South Africa

Agriculture is a major driver of land use change, with negative impacts to existing biodiversity and natural resources, yet it remains the only means to feed a growing, hungry population.

Dr. Henry Neufeldt (left) with other panelists during the side event in Durban, South AfricaTo maintain a balance between increasing the ‘food basket’ while conserving the environment, Dr. Henry Neufeldt, head of climate change at the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), says there is need to shift from a business as usual approach to one that is pro-poor and climate-smart in agricultural production.

Dr. Neufeldt was speaking at a side event organized by ICRAF at the ongoing UN climate talks in Durban.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), climate-smart agriculture is one that sustainably increases productivity, resilience (adaptation), reduces or removes greenhouse gases (mitigation), and enhances the achievement of national food security and development goals.

Dr. Neufeldt explains that this can be achieved when applied at different levels. For instance, at local scale it may mean providing opportunities for higher production, while at a national level it may call for incentives that promote sustainable management. For smallholder farmers, it means greater food security and resilience against shocks.

There are various climate-smart agricultural practices that can be adopted to improve food security and increase productivity while adding value to the environment. These range from the application of conservation agriculture, integrated crop-livestock management, intercropping and agroforestry to the use of improved stoves - all depending on context. While all these are feasible, farmers may find challenges engaging in such good practices sustainably.

Dr. Tony Simons (centre), Director-General of the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), with other participants during the event.

“A recent survey conducted by the CGIAR Climate Change and Food Security programme in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia shows that short term income losses often inhibit smallholders from investing in management practices that provide long term benefits,“ says Dr. Neufedelt. Other barriers include farmer’s lack of knowledge and skills as well as insecure tenure.

At the side event, other speakers gave accounts of how these barriers have been overcome in varied places. “Communities, especially women, need to be mobilized and supported in activites that generate sustainable income,“ noted Anne Tarvainen of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. She said that Finland was funding 5 projects on investment fund  for farmers to enhance access to inputs and market production.

Overall, discussions seemed to agree on one fact - that trees and carbon are a means not an end, and therefore the needs of farmers should be at the centre in achieving a climate-smart agriculture approach.