March 2014: Representatives from government, international organizations, climate science and farmer organizations met at a three-day workshop to share experiences on how development and implementation of national climate change policies, strategies and action plans have interacted with the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in Africa.

With the goal of informing emerging global efforts on CSA and influencing the UNFCCC negotiations, participants underscored the need to demonstrate how Africa’s economic growth is being impacted by climate change. They called for multi-sectoral approaches to address climate changes impacts, and provided concrete approaches to integrate climate change into into planning and implmentation of agricultural strategies. The workshop, titled ‘Regional Workshop on African Agriculture in a changing climate: Enhancing the up-take of Climate Smart Agriculture,’ also considered synergies among national climate change and agricultural policies, and opportunities for accessing financing.

The meeting tool place from 11-14 February 2014, in Arusha, Tanzania. It was jointly organized by the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security Program (CCAFS), and the East African Community (EAC). CCAFS is a program of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). The meeting was one of a series that will inform Africa’s common position in the lead up to the launch of the Global Alliance on Climate Smart Agriculture on 23 September 2014, during the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Summit. [CCAFS Press Release] [COMESA Press Release] [CCAFS Workshop Announcement]