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).

Universal access to affordable clean energy continues to be a challenge across the globe. Women’s and marginalised groups’ access to clean energy services and green technologies remains constrained by intersectional social factors and gender-blind policies. The recurrent failure of policies to consider differentiated gender and social inclusion needs is a significant obstacle to sustainable development.

Food waste (FW) is a key challenge on the sustainable development agenda of countries worldwide. The lack of FW data and insights from its analysis about quantities, causes, and characteristics is a significant obstacle in implementing adequate reduction and prevention interventions for different sectors. The primary purpose of the case studies was to review FW prevention, reduction, and management initiatives. Lessons and best practices that enable and facilitate solutions were identified.

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.

Rwanda has made remarkable economic progress during the past two decades, and its annual GDP growth rate reached more than 7 percent during the 2009 to 2019 period (NISR 2021). The rapid economic growth has been pro-poor, and the poverty rate fell from 58.9 percent in 2000/01 to 38.2 percent in 2016/17 (NISR 2018). The country has also emerged as a leader among sub-Saharan African countries in promoting innovation, gender equality, and an enabling business environment for development.

In recent years, northern Zambia has experienced climate change in the form of droughts and heavy rainfall, threatening the production and livelihoods of small-scale fish farmers. To help them anticipate and adapt their farming practices to changing weather patterns, local and international actors have been disseminating climate-smart information (CSI) mainly through physical trainings, radio broadcasts and roadshows.

Climate change and climate shocks are putting the most vulnerable people at risk, as extreme weather events are becoming more and more intense in many regions of the world. Extreme heat, drought, floods and unpredictable farming seasons are harming farmers and their production systems, threatening their livelihoods. In marginalized and vulnerable populations, aquaculture is a key means for sustaining livelihoods because of its contribution to food security and nutrition, but many fish farmers in Zambia endure unfavorable climates for sustainable fish farming.

Livestock production is a major economic activity in Africa, contributing significantly to food security, income generation, and employment. Extensive livestock systems support most of Africa’s livestock population, with 63%, 82%, and 70% of the continent’s cattle, sheep, and goats, respectively, raised in arid and semi-arid areas. Despite having one-third of the world’s
livestock population, the sector faces several challenges, including low productivity, disease, and poor marketing infrastructure, often exacerbated by climate variability and change.