The relationship between climate change and conflict is a complex one, and Bangladesh is often cited as an example of a country where climate change is leading to conflict. However, the situation on Hatiya Island, a densely populated sandbar in southeastern Bangladesh, suggests that the relationship between climate change and conflict is more nuanced than is often portrayed.

The slow, limited, and uneven progress on women’s empowerment and gender equality over the last decade clearly shows that rural transformation, with its focus on efficiency and productivity, is leaving women behind in addition to having negative impacts on the environment and nutrition. New inclusive models of rural transformation are called for. The study argues that treating gender equality and women’s empowerment as key in the process of rural transformation will lead to a more inclusive and resilient transformation of rural spaces.

Gender inequalities remain deeply entrenched in many agri-food systems (AFS), limiting the potential of women—especially those from agriculture-dependent communities—to be empowered and to build social and economic resilience to climate change challenges. The Harnessing Gender and Social Equality for Resilience in Agri-food Systems (HER+) initiative will generate learning and evidence on where and how to intervene at a deeper level to disrupt the foundations of inequality in AFS. This effort requires high-quality data.

In the face of transforming agri-food systems (AFS) and climate change, it is critical to uncover potential pathways through which gender equality and resilience of AFS can be simultaneously addressed. In this quasi-experimental impact study, we assess the effects of two interventions in Kishoreganj district in Bangladesh—a climate hotspot—on women’s empowerment, intrahousehold gender equality of climate resilient capacities and AFS outcomes.

Prominent climate change events such as heavy rainfall, windstorms, heatwaves, and drought pose detrimental effects on the livelihoods and resilience of women and men actors in agri-food systems (AFS). This study explored the difference in coping mechanisms employed by women and men cassava smallholder farmers in the face of such climate change adversities.

Maize is recognized as the queen of cereals, with an ability to adapt to diverse agroecologies (from 58oN to 55oS latitude) and the highest genetic yield potential among cereals. Under contemporary conditions of global climate change, C4 maize crops offer resilience and sustainability to ensure food, nutritional security, and farmer livelihood. In the northwestern plains of India, maize is an important alternative to paddy for crop diversification in the wake of depleting water resources, reduced farm diversity, nutrient mining, and environmental pollution due to paddy straw burning.

Intersectionality provides a powerful framework for understanding the intricate connections between different dimensions of social identity and their influence on individual experiences of discrimination and privilege. When applied to gender-transformative approaches (GTAs) in agri-food systems, intersectionality becomes critical for unraveling inequalities, including how existing inequalities are exacerbated by shocks and long-term stressors such as malnutrition, conflict, and climate change.

As climate change relentlessly threatens the livelihoods of smallholder farmers regionally and globally, persistent gender disparities in the use of climate change adaptation strategies continuously impede achievement of resilience efforts. This study explored one research question: what specific strategies can be implemented to improve the inclusivity of bean value-chain innovations in Tanzania, Malawi and Burundi and enhance climate resilience?

Kenya grapples with climate change challenges, experiencing erratic weather patterns, prolonged droughts, and floods that significantly limit agricultural productivity and natural resources availability. This not only exacerbates food insecurity but also heightens the potential for conflicts. The Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), especially in northern counties like Turkana, are particularly vulnerable, experiencing a surge in climate-induced food shortages compounded by escalating conflict risks.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is
extremely vulnerable to climate change and is also the
most gender unequal region in the world. According to the
Global Gender Gap report, the gender gap is highest in the
MENA region (60.9 percent progress toward parity), and “at
the current relative pace, it would take an estimated 142.4
years to close” (World Economic Forum, 2021: 26).
Agriculture in the MENA region is becoming increasingly
feminized, with women representing more than 50 percent

Extreme climate events such as flood, drought, and high temperature are expected to increase in frequency and intensity with climate change. Mapping and characterization of food production areas at risk can help in better targeting innovations and in enhancing the resilience of affected communities.