Innovation Platform to Enhance the Adoption of CSA by farmers.

Climate change Strategy 1. Resilient Farms Strategy 2. Sustainables territories Technological-Organizational-Institutional Adaptative Agronomic Practices 2014 Closed

Code:

ATN/CX-14837-RG#80

Initiative:

Extraordinary Call

Other agencies:

USD 200.000

Counterpart Amount:

USD 200.285

Execution time

42 Months

Total Amount:

USD 400.285

Participating countries:

Colombia

Honduras

Funding source:

Other agencies 50% Counterpart Amount 50%

Executive Summary

The project was implemented in Popayán, Colombia and in the Dry Corridor of Honduras with networks made up of NGOs, CIAT and farmers working together on improving adaptation to climate change. Practices and facilitation tools were tested, such as working with focus groups, simulation of the effect of innovations on food security, resilience and GHG emissions, and on-farm testing of technologies. Innovations tested by 30 producers per site increased food availability by more than 10% and resilience in allotment cultivation by 40%, through diversification and greater water access, and decreased GHG emissions by 30% with compost and reduced use of fertilizers. The number of farmers who understand climate change increased by more than 30%. 90% of the farmers adopted the practices. With additional funds from Agropolis and CCAFS, ten technologies were validated (harvest and storage of rainwater, water pump, allotments, compost, solar dryer, and improved varieties of sorghum, corn, beans and avocado) and a methodological manual with indicators and tools to analyze areas of study, define objectives, prioritize technologies, evaluate the change of knowledge of producers and analyze the trade-offs between production, adaptation and mitigation was produced. The methodology is used by CCAFS in its 36 study sites worldwide. Five technicians, with master’s and doctorate levels, were trained on innovation platforms.

Results

A methodology for the development, operation and monitoring of innovation platforms for the adaptation of agriculture to climate change and the reduction of GHG emissions was validated with the participation of local network members. It includes indicators of the coordination between actors, the increase of farmers’ knowledge about climate change and the trade-offs between production, adaptation and mitigation. The methodology developed, described in a manual, will facilitate collaboration between farmers and researchers to promote, through innovation, sustainable and resilient agriculture adapted to climate variability at the local level. Some results of simulation and testing of technologies in farms are:

30% more producers with a good understanding of climate change
10% more supply of food locally produced by participants
40% increase in resilience in participating farms
30% reduction of GHG emissions in participating farms
90% of participants adopted technologies

The methodology has already been adopted by the CGIAR CCAFS program for its application in its 36 study sites in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Beneficiaries

The direct beneficiaries were 450 farmers participating in the different activities and other actors of the NGOs and member institutions of the local network with whom the project collaborated. The benefits are summarized in the methodology for the operation of innovation platforms, technologies validated on producer farms and the training of actors on concepts related to climate change, adaptation and mitigation. A multiplier effect is expected due to the dissemination of the methodology developed and the adoption of innovations. The fact that CCAFS is using the methodology in more than 30 research sites in several regions of the globe is an important factor that will contribute to the future impact.