Humanity depends on the existence of healthy soils, both for the production of food and for ensuring a healthy, biodiverse environment, among other functions. COVID-19 is threatening food availability in many places of the world due to the disruption of food chains, lack of workforce, closed borders and national lockdowns. As a consequence, more emphasis is being placed on local food production, which may lead to more intensive cultivation of vulnerable areas and to soil degradation.

Participatory rangeland management (PRM) is an innovation developed by ILRI and partners in Ethiopia. USAID is investing USD$30 million in scaling up PRM through its Resilience in Pastoral Areas project.

The present report aims to provide a climate and vulnerability analysis of the Green Innovation Centres (GIC) target commodity value chains. Herein we identify climate change- related vulnerabilities, hazards, and opportunities for adaptation to the same. Ultimately, our goal is to foster awareness of risks and adaptation priorities in the selected value chains and inform climate investments and planning through the recommendations on priority innovations to manage climate risks.

In general, government agricultural extension services were low or inadequate in many communities. Farmers reported not having adequate information on sound farm management practices and when they do come, they come in late. The gendered differences on access to information were also evident. Most people who access extension services were men with bigger cocoa farms. Women and youth receive less extension services which was attributed to their poor resource base.

The Programme for Climate-Smart Livestock Systems (PCSL) is an initiative designed to enable key actors in the livestock sector to increasingly include climate change adaptation and mitigation in their farming practices, sector strategies and investment projects. PCSL is financed by GIZ and commissioned by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. GIZ has commissioned the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the World Bank to implement the programme activities. ILRI’s programme activities are based in Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda.

Adoption of smart-valley increased from 110 ha in 2012 to 474 ha in 2014. Recent evidence show the approach has reached 45,000 ha in Nigeria. In 2019, the total area increased to 1030.94 hectares in Benin and Togo and adopted by 6110 farmers. In Sierra Leone, the total area tracked was 179.3 hectares and adopted by 460 rice farmers. Results show that the impact of the smart-valley on the rice income is 439.65 US$/ha in Sierra Leone & Liberia

Many development countries are currently undergoing major demographic shifts as the percentage of young people of the total population rapidly increases. This shift is associated with high rates of migration, unemployment and instability. In policy discourses, engaging youth in commercial agricultural is often presented as a measure to control or even counter these trends. In Uganda, a country with one of the youngest populations in the world, we investigated whether young people themselves see a career in farming as an option.

Contamination of key staples with aflatoxins compromises the quality of food and feed, impedes trade, and negatively affects the health of consumers whereas acute exposure can be fatal.