1 April 2013: The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has released a report that uses modeling and available data to develop future scenarios exploring the range of climate change consequences for agriculture, food security, and resource management in West Africa, and offers recommendations to national governments and regional agencies.

Titled “West African Agriculture and Climate Change,” the report urges policy makers to incorporate climate change considerations into agricultural and food security policies to increase resilience while meeting the growing food demand. It also calls for increased capacity building initiatives as part of efforts to adapt to, and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Other recommendations formulated in the report include: promoting research in climate-resilient crops; improving productivity and production; and increasing data collection efforts to inform policy and strategy.

Presented at the Regional Workshop to Mainstream Climate Change in the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme, the publication provides both country- and regional-level policy recommendations in order to prepare for the impacts climate change and increase resilience while ensuring economic growth.

The report is a collaboration among IFPRI, the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security Program (CCAFS), the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD), and scientists from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

IFPRI and CCAFS are members of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). [IFPRI Press Release] [Publication: West African Agriculture and Climate Change]