8 November 2017: What is the best strategy to simultaneously adapt agriculture to climate change while reducing GHG emissions and increasing food production? Given that food systems are diverse, no one strategy can apply everywhere. The members of the CGIAR System Organization have therefore presented a full set of innovations to tackle adaptation and mitigation under diverse conditions.

In the report titled, ‘10 Best Bet Innovations for Adaptation in Agriculture,’ and a series of blog posts, the CGIAR members outline adaptations for agriculture to achieve the linked goals of achieving food security under a changing climate while delivering mitigation, environmental, health and livelihood co-benefits. The publication, which is a part of the UNFCCC National Adaptation Planning (NAP) Technical Guidelines, includes descriptions of the following innovations:

• “Agroforestry to diversify farms and capture carbon;
• Aquaculture to enhance nutrition and diversify incomes;
• Stress-tolerant varieties to counter climate change;
• Improving smallholder dairy for enhanced incomes and greater climate resilience;
• Alternate wetting and drying in rice systems;
• Micro-irrigation powered by solar, expanding access to affordable irrigation and enhancing resilience;
• Digital agriculture from tailored advice to shared value with millions of farmers;
• Climate-informed advisories to enhance production and resilience;
• Weather index-based agricultural insurance for countries and farmers; and
• Scaling up financing for climate change adaptation in agriculture.”

Building on past CGIAR research, the publication aims to support countries in developing geographically-tailored adaptation strategies that will also contribute to achieving other SDGs. Each innovation chapter includes guidance on geographic suitability, appropriate time frames for planning and implementation, and indicators for measuring progress and impact. The conclusions reiterate the need for a portfolio of innovations that can be tailored to local circumstances, supported by an enabling environment that mobilizes and directs finance, encourages innovative business models, and supports scaling up of innovations. [CGIAR Press Release][10 Best Bet Innovations for Adaptation in Agriculture: A Supplement to the UNFCCC Technical Guidelines][Agroforestry][Aquaculture][Stress tolerant varieties][Improving smallholder dairy][Alternate wetting and drying in rice systems][Micro-irrigation powered by solar][Digital agriculture][Climate-informed advisories][Weather index-based agricultural insurance][Blended finance]