Agriculture Day Recap: Climate-Smart Agriculture, in Durban and Beyond
Although the outcomes from Durban do not go far enough to hold global temperatures at a two-degree warmer world, nor is there sufficient finance or appropriate mechanisms in place to tackle the major adaptation challenges faced by least developed countries, at least there were some outcomes that may eventually help poor farmers deal with climate change.
Now you can re-visit some of the top stories from Agriculture and Rural Development Day 2011, including the climate-smart agriculture success stories highlighted in our learning events, keynotes and plenaries, and media coverage.
Here’s a rundown of summary blogs and presentations from the day’s learning events:
- How is Evergreen Agriculture building resilience and increasing food security within a changing climate?
- What role is there for carbon finance in climate smart small holder agriculture?
- How to build the resilience of African smallholder farmers in a changing climate?
- How can integrated risk management assist poor, food insecure and vulnerable peoples to adapt and build resilience?
- What tools and policies are required to bring food security, adaptation, and mitigation together?
- What role does the private sector have to play in Climate Smart Smallholder Agriculture in Africa?
- How can we build the adaptive capacity of vulnerable African farmers by developing response farming practices?
- How can mitigation funding benefit smallholders’ food security and build climate resilience?
- How can rainwater management help support food production and smallholder farmers’ ability to adapt to climate variability and change?
- How to get climate-smart smallholder goods to market
- How the Niger Republic is building resilience of farmers to climate change and increasing food security
- How Denmark is mitigating green house gases and increasing production in the agriculture sector
- How can pastoralist traditional knowledge be combined with scientific atmospheric science and contribute to adaptation policy making? [also see related blog]
Keynotes and plenaries:
- Agriculture Raises Its Voice in UN Climate Change Negotiations. Summary of morning session including Tina Joemat-Pettersson (Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Republic of South Africa); Rachel Kyte (World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development); Kanayo F. Nwanze (President of IFAD) and Prof. Sir John Beddington (Chair, Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change).
- “Food security: A climate justice approach” Dr. Mary Robinson’s Keynote
- “Taking Food and Food Security into a New Era” High-Level Panel including Mamadou Goita (Executive Secretary, ROPPA); Caroline Spelman (UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs); Sheila Sisulu (World Food Programme); Dr. David Bresch (Director at SwissRe) and Youba Sokona (Coordinator of the African Climate Policy Center, UNECA).
Media highlights: links to a few top stories related to Agriculture and Rural Development Day (in case you missed them)
- SPECIAL COVERAGE: Agriculture and Rural Development Day at the UN climate talks – Reuters AlertNet
- Agriculture Orgs Up Pressure Ahead of Durban Climate Talks - Wall Street Journal
- Kenyan farmers share their priorities in life – in pictures – Guardian Development
- Delayed climate deal a risk to food production – ag specialists – Reuters AlertNet
- Time for a New Agricultural Revolution – InterPress Service
Keep the conversation going!
You can help ensure that innovations for climate-smart agriculture gain momentum – in Africa and elsewhere – by sharing links and opinions on our Facebook page, via twitter (using the hashtag #agclimate) or leave a comment on this blog.
Where on Earth are we going? This was the title of Maurice Strong book after Rio 92. Today is the first of January of 2012 and we still have to answer this question. Rio+20 is wainting all of you to start today to consider how we will succeed in making a transition to truly sustainable development bringing innovations for climate-smart agriculture. Let´s participate to make ARDD gain momentum. Start now – because is in your place where RIO+20 begin its journey.I am waiting for you.