Chinwe Ifejika Speranza from the University of Bonn and United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), Bonn, Germany. Presentation on the current status of the science of adaptation in African agriculture. This was presented in Bonn, Germany during the SBSTA 40 CCAFS official side event on advancing readiness to fast track Climate Smart Agriculture

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Current Status of the Science of
Adaptation in African Agriculture
Prof. Dr. Chinwe IFEJIKA SPERANZA
Department of Geography, University of Bonn /
United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security
UNFCCC Sideevent: Advancing readiness to fasttrack climate smart agriculture in Africa,
Bonn climate Change Conference June 2014 Bonn, Germany
Sunday June 8, 2014

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Climate Change - one of many dynamics
2
Wiesmann et al. 2011: 248

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Adaptation to Climate Change in African
Agriculture
Behavioural Economic Technological Institutions
Farm-level
Autonomous
Policy-level
Landscape
level
Most
adaptations
NCCRS

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Integrating
Trees into
Croplands
Which institutional arrangements
enable and foster these adaptations?
Faidherbia
Acacia albida
Adansonia digitata
Adansonia digitata
Shea butter
Source: WMO/UNEP 2001
Chinwe Ifejika SperanzaChinwe Ifejika Speranza
Chinwe Ifejika Speranza
Chinwe Ifejika SperanzaChinwe Ifejika Speranza

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Conservation Agriculture (CA)
 CA => increase in soil organic matter & carbon sequestration,
fuel-, labour-, and input saving, less drudgery, stable yields -
Kenya (Majanen & Scherr 2011; Bayala et al. 2012)
 Lower the costs of tillage & weed control with subsequent
increase in net returns e.g. Malawi (Ngwira et al. 2012)
 May increase labour input for weeding – women
 Benefits depends on level of soil fertility depletion
 Need for training on use of herbicides and pesticides
Chinwe Ifejika Speranza Chinwe Ifejika Speranza Chinwe Ifejika Speranza

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Adaptation to Climate Change in African
Agriculture
Behavioural Economic Technological Institutions
Farm-level
Autonomous
Policy-level
Landscape
level
Most
adaptations
NCCRS

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Weather Forecasting and Early
Warning Systems
 Improving services & communication of seasonal
forecasts to farmers - Kenya, Nigeria
 Farmer uncertainty about their reliability (e.g. Kenya)
 Senegal - Farmers better able to adapt to climate
change & variability when they apply climate information
to choice of seed and crop (Sultan et al. 2010)
 Potential to improve the linkages between the Min. of
Agriculture & the Meteorological Agencies e.g. Kenya
(Shah et al., 2012)
 Need to improve forecast communication

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Rice Breeding for Africa
 More than 30 stress-tolerant rice varieties released in
nine African countries
 New rice varieties tolerant of salt, cold, and iron toxicity
for Africa by the Africa Rice Breeding Task Force
 In addition to the ARICA (Advanced RICes for Africa)
brand; the NERICA varieties
 Challenge: quantity of seed produced & disseminated to
farmers - a major bottleneck (Mohapatra 2014)
http://www.africarice.org/africaricesearch.html?q=adaptation

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Financing Adaptation in Agriculture
 Rural finance and micro-credit in various
countries, often used by women (e.g. Sudan,
Osman-Elasha et al., 2008, Ifejika Speranza
2010).
 Challenge: a steady stream of finance needed

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Index-Based Weather Insurance
 Index-based weather insurance (Malawi;
Hellmuth et al., 2009); weather index micro-
insurance (Tigray, Ethiopia); Ethiopia’s
Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) (Oxfam
America 2009)

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Introducing or Improving Irrigation
 Need to embed irrigation expansion within systems-level
planning (van de Giesen et al., 2010; Burney and Naylor,
2012; Laube et al., 2012).
 Rain-water harvesting in ponds; River-water abstraction;
Drip irrigation technologies - foster diversification to high-
value horticultural crops (Karlberg et al., 2007; Woltering
et al., 2011; Biazin et al., 2012).
 Improving water use efficiency for both rain-fed and
irrigated production (Weiβ et al., 2009)
 Side-effects: Risk of malaria & other waterborne (snails)
diseases IPCC 2014

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Maladaptation Challenges
 Biofuels - Promotion of Jatropha
 Use of wetlands for cropping (Hamisi et al 2012)
 Increased charcoal production (Hartmann and
Sugulle, 2009)

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Integrating Adaptation & Mitigation
 Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration
 Integrating perspectives - Governments favour mitigation
while local communities prioritise adaptation (Fisher et
al., 2010; Somorin et al., 2012).
 Jatropha - potentials and limitations (Hanff et al 2011)
 2010, the Kenya Agricultural Carbon project (World Bank
2014)
 The Ethiopia CDM afforestation project (UNFCCC CDM
2009)
IPCC 2014

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Fisheries and Aquaculture
 Aquaculture - rural southern Malawi - Integrating ponds
into smallholder farming systems increases food
production & income during times of drought (Dey et al.
2014)
 Need for more research on adaptation in fisheries and
aquaculture
IPCC 2014

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Adaptation in Livestock Production
Systems
 National Livestock Marketing Information System - SMS
& information boards - Kenya - Kariuki et al. (2009)
 Provision of shade & water to reduce heat stress from
increased temperature
 Reduction of livestock numbers – a lower number of
more productive animals leads to more efficient
production & lower GHG emissions
 Breeding - Changes in herd composition (Central Uganda
National Animal Genetic Resource Centre and Databank, Hoffmann
2008)
 Improved management of water resources (IFAD 2009;
World Initiative for Sustainable Pastoralism 2010)

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Adaptation to Climate Change in African
Agriculture
Behavioural Economic Technological Institutions
Farm-level
Autonomous
Policy-level
Landscape
level
Most
adaptations
NCCRS

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Mainstreaming Climate Change
UNFCCC
National Focal Point
National CC coordination committee/commission
Agriculture Ministry Ministry B Ministry C
Sub-national
level
Local level
? ???
???
???
Local actors
Local administration / Field Offices
Local NGOs
UNFCCCInternational Level
Development partners Intl. NGOs
Other UN-Orgs
M
e
d
i
a
Nat Research Orgs.
Research Orgs
P
r
i
v
a
t
e
s
e
c
t
o
r
Ifejika Speranza 2014
National level

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Conclusions and Outlook
 Improving efficiency - access to inputs & markets for
outputs
 Improving policy and institutional arrangements
 Monitoring and assessing adaptation
 Funding and technology transfer and support
 Strengthening institutional capacities and governance
 Strengthening capacities of scientific institutions in
Africa
 Extending small case studies to larger areas
 Science – Policy / Practice Linkages

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Thank you for your attention!
ifejika.speranza@uni-bonn.de

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References I
Bayala et al. (2012) ‘Cereal Yield Response to Conservation Agricultural Practices in Drylands of West Africa: a
Quantitative Synthesis’, Journal of Arid Environments, 78:12-25
Biazin, B., G. Sterk, M. Temesgen, A. Abdulkedir, and L. Stroosnijder, 2012: Rainwater harvesting and management in
rainfed agricultural systems in sub-Saharan Africa -A review. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 47-48, 139-151.
Burney, J.A. and R.L. Naylor, 2012: Smallholder Irrigation as a Poverty Alleviation Tool in Sub-Saharan Africa. World
Development,40(1), 110-123.
Dey et al. (2014): Development and dissemination of integrated aquaculture–agriculture technologies in Malawi. In:
The Impact of Natural Resource Management
Fisher, M., M. Chaudhury, and B. McCusker, 2010: Do forests help rural households adapt to climate variability?
Evidence from Southern Malawi. World Development,38(9), 1241-1250
Hamisi, H.I., M. Tumbo, E. Kalumanga, and P. Yanda, 2012: Crisis in the wetlands: Combined stresses in a changing
climate -Experience from Tanzania. Climate and Development, 4(1), 5-15.
Hanff, E., M.-H. Dabat, and J. Blin, 2011: Are biofuels an efficient technology for generating sustainable development in
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Related Actions

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References II
Ifejika Speranza C. 2010. Resilient Adaptation to Climate Change in African Agriculture. German Development Institute,
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References III
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