Mixed crop?livestock systems produce most of the world’s milk and ruminant meat, and are
particularly important for the livelihoods and food security of poor people in developing
countries. These systems will bear the brunt of helping to satisfy the burgeoning demand
for food from increasing populations, particularly in sub?Saharan Africa and South Asia,
where rural poverty and hunger are already concentrated. The potential impacts of changes
in climate and climate variability on these mixed systems are not that well understood,

National governments across East Africa are in the process of formulating and implementing adaptation and mitigation strategies to assist farmers cope with climate change. These include formulating actions, frameworks and programs to address climate change and embedding these within the long-term national development plans.

In this info note we provide a brief overview of key

agricultural practices and technologies which enhance

productivity in a sustainable manner, thus contributing to

food security and environmental goals while increasing

the resilience of farming systems.

A twinned info note considers

higher-level measures of

adaptation in agriculture, such

as policies and institutions. Updated: November 2016.

Both info notes are drawn from

longer working papers, all

freely available to download at

This paper conducts an integrated assessment of climate change impacts and climate mitigation on agricultural commodity markets and food availability in low- and middle-income countries. The analysis uses the partial equilibrium model GLOBIOM to generate scenarios to 2080. The findings show that climate change effects on the agricultural sector will increase progressively over the century. By 2030, the impact of climate change on food consumption is moderate but already twice as large in a world with high inequalities than in a more equal world.

This Working Paper summarizes projected climate change impacts on livestock across
Africa, using a combination of literature review and some new results on the projected
impacts of climate change on the rangelands of Africa. Findings show that there are
many options that can help livestock keepers adapt, but there appear to be no options
that are widely applicable which do not have constraints to their adoption. An
enabling technical and policy environment will thus be needed to ensure livestock

In East Africa, agricultural systems are highly vulnerable to climate change and variability because of high dependence on rainfall. The increasing frequency and severity of drought, heat and cold stress as well as floods are likely to lead to major food crises in the region. Rapid population growth rates, poverty and inequality exacerbate problems caused by exposure to climatic change. The region, therefore, requires long-term actions to build the capacity of its people and institutions to better adapt to climate change and climate variability, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The dual relationship existing between land-based activities and climate change has long been established. Land-based activities are responsible for about 30% (IPCC) of global GHG emissions and are at the same time particularly impacted by climate change as they are strongly dependent on weather patterns. Although physical and technical considerations may help to investigate these two kinds of issues, economic considerations are crucial to understand how agricultural producers react to climate change and to climate policies.

Agriculture – on which we all depend for our food – is under threat from climate change. There is no doubt that systems worldwide will have to adapt, but while consumers may barely notice in developed countries, millions of people in developing countries face a very real and direct threat to their food security and livelihoods. Even without climate change, many agricultural systems in developing countries are nearing crisis point. Feeding a rapidly rising global population is taking a heavy toll on farmlands, rangelands, fisheries and forests. Water is becoming scarce in many regions.

With more than 60 percent of Asian population either directly or indirectly relying on agriculture for livelihood, agriculture remains key to uplifting lives of many people in the region, as well as to providing sufficient and nutritious food for all.

In Asia, CIAT undertakes scientific research enabling smallholder farmers, agri-food businesses, and national governments to use smart technologies and innovations and make evidence-based decisions, towards achieving profitability, environmental sustainability and resiliency in agriculture.