December
2008: The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is
looking for an institution to host the secretariat of its recently approved
Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security Challenge Programme (CCCP). The
CCCP is a collaborative endeavor between CGIAR and partners, and the Earth
System Science Partnership (ESSP). It is aimed at overcoming the additional
threats posed by a changing climate to achieving food security, enhancing
livelihoods and improving environmental management in the developing world.

The
Programme was approved by CGIAR in October 2008, and it will be officially
launched in 2010. It has a ten-year timeline with anticipated funding amounting
to US$12 million for the first year, US$25 million for every year up to year
five, and subsequent funding levels to be determined in a mid-term review.
Thomas Roswell, Director of the International Council for Science, has been
appointed as CCCP Chair. Subsequent steps include the establishment of a
steering committee, the selection of theme leaders, and the establishment of a
secretariat to be hosted by an ESSP or CGIAR member institution.
The
CCCP’s objectives are: closing knowledge gaps regarding tradeoffs between food
security, livelihood and environmental goals under climate change conditions;
developing adaptation options to inform agriculture and development policies
and donor strategies; and developing monitoring tools to assess and adjust
responses to climate change. CGIAR and ESSP and their partners, together with
other research institutes and regional and national institutions, will
implement joint research projects under six themes: diagnosing vulnerability
and analyzing opportunities; unlocking the potential of macro-level policies;
enhancing engagement and communication for decision-making; adaptation pathways
based on managing current climate risk; adaptation pathways under progressive
climate change; and poverty alleviation through climate change mitigation. [CCCP Website] [CCCP Description] [Call for
expressions of interest for hosting the CCCP secretariat]