“Climate-Smart” Agriculture, FAO, 2010

Surveying the climate-smart strategies already in place, this report goes on to emphasize the need for greater institutional and financial initiative to better and disseminate climate smart agriculture.  Such information is highly relevant to the CAADP agenda which emphasizes both sustainability and technological adaptation.

Access the report here.

Climate Change Adaptation Strategies: Water Resources Management Options for Smallholder Farming Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa, Rockefeller Foundation, 2010

Failure to consider and adapt to climate change will reduce the impact of otherwise efficient and effective agricultural development initiatives.  As this study points out, smallholders are extremely vulnerable to climate change.  This study reviews water resource management and adaptation strategies and offers suggestions for future intervention.

From the website: The Crop Calendar provides information about sowing and planting seasons and agronomic practices of the crops grown by farmers in a particular agro-ecological zone. It is a tool developed to assist farmers, extension workers, civil society and the private sector to be able to access and make available quality seeds of specific crop varieties for a particular agro-ecological zone at the appropriate sowing/planting season.

“Climate-Smart” Agriculture, Policies, Practices and Financing for Food Security, Adaptation and Mitigation, FAO, 2010

• Mozambique: Over 5,000 tons of maize exported to Malawi, allAfrica.com, May 2
• Uganda: Maize prices fall due to high yields, allAfrica.com, May 1
• Kenya: Food prices fall due to increased supply, allAfrica.com, May 3

• Somali militants force WFP to halt aid work, BBC, Jan. 5
• Lake Chad: Drying, drying, disappearing... IPS, Jan. 6

The weekly post, “In the News”, lists current headlines and news stories on agricultural development in Africa.

• Climate Deal Falls Short of Key Goals, Washington Post, Dec. 19
• New Trade Rules in East Africa Spur Trade in Cereals, allAfrica.com, Dec. 29
• Scientists Fence Off Land for GM Maize Trial in Uganda, allAfrica.com, Dec. 16

• Zimbabwe unveils US$10 Million Inputs Scheme, allAfrica.com, Dec. 14
• Additional U.S.$70 Million in Food Aid to Africa Announced By United States, allAfrica.com, Dec. 9
• Rwanda unveils US$848.1 million agricultural plan, allAfrica.com, Dec. 12

The Global Donor Platform for Rural Development has published a new Issue Paper which analyzes the latest text from the ad hoc working groups (AWG) overseeing climate change negotiations, such as the informal meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bonn, Germany in August, 2009. The paper identifies the issues that the meetings need to address on agriculture and poses a number of questions that need to be further considered.

An Agriculture and Rural Development Day 2009 will be held on 12 December in Copenhagen, coinciding with the United Nations Climate Negotiations (UNFCCC COP-15).