June 2017: A number of recent developments related to capacity building and technology development and transfer have focused on agriculture and food security. This Update discusses a methodology to track the adoption of climate technologies in the agricultural sector, and climate-smart approaches implemented in Africa and Asia.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), in collaboration with the International Energy Agency (IEA), developed a methodology to help countries and investors track climate technology trends and uptake. Titled ‘Adoption of climate technologies in the agrifood sector,’ the methodology helps decision makers assess the market penetration of climate technologies and evaluate relevant policy and investment opportunities. The EBRD and FAO collaboration on climate technologies is carried out under the umbrella of the Finance and Technology Transfer Centre for Climate Change (FINTECC) initiative, which is funded by the EBRD and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). [Adoption of Climate Technologies in the Agrifood Sector] [EBRD Press Release] [FINTECC Website]

The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) South Asia, in collaboration with local partners and stakeholders, implemented a project titled ‘Scaling up Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) in Nepal.’ The project aimed to: identify, test and screen CSA practices and technologies suitable for various agro-ecological zones; develop pathways for scaling up champion CSA options; and enhance stakeholders’ capacity and generate evidence-based knowledge materials to support the dissemination of climate-sensitive agricultural technology and practices. The project contributed to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 (no poverty), 2 (zero hunger) and 13 (climate action). [Climate-Smart Agriculture in Nepal: Champion Technologies and Their Pathways for Scaling up] [Publication Landing Page] [CCAFS Press Release]

CCAFS published the June 2017 issue of the CSA Learning Platform (CSALP), South Asia, Quarterly Newsletter discussing: the implementation of the Climate-Smart Village (CSV) approach in Nepal; solar irrigation pumps, the Underground Taming of Floods for Irrigation (UTFI) project and the role of remote sensing technology in climate-resilient farming in India; and mitigation co-benefits of increased water and nutrient efficiency in irrigated rice, and contributions of the CCAFS Regional Agricultural Forecasting Toolbox (CRAFT) to food security planning in Bangladesh. [CCAFS Climate-Smart Agriculture Learning Platform, South Asia, June 2017 Quarterly Newsletter] [Publication Landing Page]

The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and local partners conducted a training of trainers (ToT) workshop on the Participatory Integrated Climate Services (PICSA) approach in Huye, Rwanda, from 12-16 June 2017. Part of the USAID-funded and CCAFS-supported ‘Rwanda Climate Services for Agriculture’ project, the workshop provided training on how to use local climate information from historical data and seasonal forecasts to reduce risks associated with climate variability. [CCAFS Press Release] [Rwanda Climate Services for Agriculture Project Webpage]