The International Potato Center (CIP) participated in the 6th Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) Annual Regional Conference held at Pwani University, Kilifi County from 21st to 23rd June. The conference brought together policy experts, stakeholders, youth, academia, policymakers, researchers, and development partners to discuss policy reforms, sustainable agriculture, infrastructure development, natural resource management, and digital innovation for unlocking the potential of Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs).

The “International Certificate course in Digital Agriculture,” a collaborative capacity sharing initiative by
CGIAR’s International Rice Research Institute, New Delhi, and Sri Sri University, Odisha, under the CGIAR
Digital Innovation Initiative, was organized as an online diploma program aimed at bolstering the
technical capacity of agricultural students and professionals. Spanning seven weeks and 40 hours,
including assignments, this course uniquely catered to the needs of those passionate about digital

Climate change can manifest in various ways, including altered precipitation patterns, increased temperatures, and more frequent extreme weather events. These factors can adversely affect crop yields, jeopardizing food security and the livelihoods of the majority of the population dependent on agriculture. Agriculture in Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) is a major contributor to the national economy and is estimated to contribute about 17% of SADC’s gross domestic product (GDP). Smallholder farmers in Southern Africa contribute up to 90% of food production.

Myanmar initiated economic and political reforms in 2011, ushering in a period of rapid economic transformation. The country experienced strong annual average economic growth of close to 7 percent between 2011 and 2019. The rural economy and the agriculture sector were also transforming, characterized by accelerated rural out-migration from the sector, which was facilitated by favorable policy changes, increased trade, and improved road infrastructure (Filipski et. al. 2021). Rural wages rose (Belton et. al.

This study has empirically examined the macroeconomic impact of climate change in the East African region by focusing on Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. It dealt with this effect comprehensively by focusing on economic growth, agricultural output, exports, and food security (using food supply and inflation). This is done using a suite of theoretical models from macroeconomic and macro-econometric literature. The analysis confirms that the effects of climate change in the region are real and present a macroeconomic danger to the economies of the five countries in the region.

G20 policymakers should strengthen the enabling environment for innovation in agriculture and food systems to unlock public funds to support researchers in developing their innovations. One way to implement this is through increased public funding for innovative agricultural research and development (R&D) efforts such as the Centre of Excellence in Science, Technology, and Innovation (CoE-STI) of the African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) and CGIAR Accelerate for Impact Platform (A4IP).

On September 21st, 2022, scientists from various African countries specializing in plant breeding for cassava, yam, cowpea, maize, soybean, and plantain were welcomed to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan for a three-day training on Gender Responsive Breeding. The primary goal of this training was to highlight the significance of gender and social inclusion in plant breeding research. The training provided an introduction on the definition and the application of gender- and social inclusion concepts to the breeding pipeline's design and implementation.

In rural areas where malnutrition is higher and households poorer, growing diverse fruit trees-especially indigenous fruits-can provide multiple benefits. These fruit trees can be a valuable source of secondary income in rural areas such as Guinayangan, where coconut cultivation is the primary source of income. They are also a viable strategy to promote climate-smart agriculture which can strengthen the resilience of farmers; and to diversify agricultural systems for better nutrition within the community.

The webinar, hosted by the digital innovation initiative under work package 4, focused on Food System Monitoring and featured a panel of experts who shared insights from their work in various countries. The speakers highlighted the benefits of digital transformation in agriculture, particularly in regions with limited traditional information sources.

The policy brief provides an overview of the updated Kenya Social Accounting Matrices (SAMs). The current Kenya SAM which incorporates latest rebased national accounts data, supply and use tables and household budget survey, is an update of the previous SAM compiled for 2009 transactions. SAMs are used in conjunction with analytical techniques to strengthen the evidence underlying policies. The updated Kenya SAM 2021 identifies 90 production activities and commodities (products) across agriculture, industry, and services sectors.

The Gender and Climate Empowerment Index for climate-resilient agriculture is based on four major measurable indicator domains—political, economic, agricultural, and social. Empowerment in relation to climate change relates to degree of vulnerability and ability to respond, recover from and adapt to climate change. In a context of growing climatic risks, appropriate technological solutions together with an empowering social environment are a prerequisite for ensuring food and livelihood security (Hariharan et al., 2020).