November 2014: The Mitigation of Climate Change in Agriculture (MICCA) Programme of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) has released a report detailing the concepts behind the scientific activities and pilot projects it is undertaking, and the results of its research on climate-smart agriculture (CSA). The pilot projects, carried out in Tanzania and Kenya, focus on supporting livelihoods, increasing productivity and lowering emissions.

The results summarized in the report suggest that: through improved feeding practices, pasture management and planting trees, smallholder dairy farms can become carbon neutral; conservation agriculture, with trees or with fertilizers, can increase maize yields without increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; and GHG estimates must include all sources to avoid missing opportunities for abatement.

The report also examines the implementation process and methods used in the projects, noting that: participatory assessments and statistical models are affordable ways to inform decision makers; field experience and scientific evidence should be incorporated into national policies; and CSA can be an effective way to address food insecurity, climate change adaptation and mitigation, national development goals and sustainability simultaneously.

The projects have been implemented in partnership with the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), the East Africa Dairy Development Project (EADD) and CARE International. [FAO Press Release] [Publication: Science to Support Climate-Smart Agricultural Development: Concepts and Results from the MICCA Pilot Projects in East Africa]