Introduction
Rice is a major source of nutrients, largely contributing to the food and nutrition security for millions of
people in Africa although most countries still rely on huge imports to meet local demand. Extreme
temperatures, drought, flooding, and high salinity are climate change related stresses that negatively
affect rice yield and grain quality. Thus, tackling these constraints is a critical action to increasing rice self sufficiency in Cameroon and Africa in general.
Methods

Livestock production and productivity are very low in Ethiopia. Poor quality and inadequate quantity of feeds are major constraints in the Ethiopian highlands. The farming system in Bale zone, where AICCRA project has been operating, is dominated by production of wheat as a major food and cash crop. Most grazing lands changed to cultivated lands due to increasing human population. Wheat straw has been the major livestock feed in the area, which is low in palatability and nutritional value. As a result, livestock production and productivity have been declining from time to time.

Over the last decade in India, farmer producer organizations (FPOs) have emerged as a means of collectivizing smallholder farmers and providing them access to extension, innovation, and market services. FPOs that center women farmers, traditionally at a disadvantage vis-à-vis their male counterparts in access to resources and extension, can serve to enhance women’s agency and collective action in agricultural value chains.

With the acknowledgment of climate change as a key development concern, the concept of climate resilience to combat its impacts has gained research and policy impetus. Further, there has been a growing emphasis on gender in climate resilience, given that women are documented as experiencing greater vulnerabilities and adaptation challenges.

This paper draws implications for understanding the link between empowerment and resilience among rural and smallholder agricultural communities in developing contexts. While existing evidence shows that women’s empowerment promotes their individual and household well-being, women smallholder farmers continue to exhibit limited capacity to cope with climate change– induced agricultural shocks. This is exacerbated by the existing social systems and structures which hinder women’s resilience and empowerment.

The combined effects of climate change, COVID-19 and rising prices shape vulnerabilities of rural communities, differentiated by gender, livelihood, asset ownership (including land and livestock), and type of social protection received. Do gender-responsive socialprotection and complementary programs targeting rural women help strengthen capacities to cope with and adapt to overlapping shocks and stresses? And do they simultaneously reinforce vulnerabilities and reproduce inequalities, as unintended consequences?

IFPRI is participating in the 2023 annual CGIAR Gender Research Conference. This conference is co-hosted by the CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and will take place in New Delhi, India, on October 9-12, 2023.

Locally led climate action has emerged as a critical approach to address the challenges posed by climate change at the grassroots level. As the impacts of climate change intensify, communities around the world face a wide range of vulnerabilities such as extreme weather events, water scarcity, rising sea levels, and disruptions to lives and livelihoods. In this context, locally led climate action emphasizes the importance of empowering local communities to take ownership of their adaptation strategies.

The Global Initiative for Gender-transformative Approaches promotes and strengthens women’s land rights through the integration of gender-transformative approaches in International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) rural development interventions by sharing learning to improve policies, tools and practices across projects across six countries.

The gender gap in agriculture is a global pattern in which women in agriculture have limited access to land, productive resources, financial capital, information, technology and advisory services when compared to male farmers. Given that women comprise a significant portion of the agricultural workforce, it is crucial to ensure climate-smart agriculture (CSA) policies and interventions are gender responsive. Embracing a gender-responsive approach in CSA entails addressing the distinct gender needs, roles and lived realities of farmers.

The benefits derived from the expansion of trees outside forests (TOF) can vary greatly for women, men and other socially diverse groups due to their distinct roles, responsibilities, and access to resources like land and trees. Therefore, it is essential to ensure the meaningful participation of both women and men from diverse social and economic backgrounds in these initiatives. Additionally, interventions should be tailored to address their specific needs and interests to achieve an equitable distribution of benefits.