Climate change has major implications for food security and the livelihood of smallholder farmers, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This is so in spite of the technical and technological innovations in agri-food systems over the past few decades which not only aimed to boost productivity but also be more climate smart. Evidence also suggests that the impact of climate change is not gender neutral (UN Women 2022).

Many questions and debates are being undertaken in the literature about the “context-specific transition pathways of agroecological transformations and their related conceptual, political, institutional, social, and other challenges and opportunities. Pilot projects for Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D) are key areas where these questions and related assumptions can be tested, piloted, and reported for better lessons and future conceptualization.

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).

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.

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).

This blog post is about how the female farmers of Malawi are coping with the after effects of the cyclone Freddy. The blog is based on information gathered during the first virtual field tour that took place on 4 April 2023.