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.

The purpose of this brief is to share insights on agriculture and NAPs with national-level decision makers in developing countries and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), multilateral agencies, UNFCCC negotiators and donors. This brief explores how countries are overcoming the biggest challenges in developing NAPs, outlines examples of successful cross-sector adaptation planning, explores influence and leverage necessary for successful NAP processes, and offers specific recommendations.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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,

Climate change demands new approaches to agriculture: farmers’ practices will need to change to adapt to and mitigate the effects of changing conditions. Addressing gender inequality is key to ensuring this outcome. Agriculture is a fundamental part of women’s livelihoods globally, most markedly in least developed countries, where four-fifths of economically active women report agriculture as their primary economic activity1 . More women are moving into agriculture as men move elsewhere for seasonal or paid labor.