12 November 2008: A series of studies conducted by the
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) identify the options and
obstacles African smallholder framers face in adapting to climate change.

Farmers surveyed in South Africa and Ethiopia recognized lack of access to
credit, as well as lack of water, land, information and market access, and
insecure property rights as main constraints in developing strategies for
climate change adaptation. The study shows that successful adaptation strategies
include increased irrigation, water harvesting, soil conservation measures,
crop diversification, and changed planting dates.
Furthermore, framers who had
access to credit and extension, clear land titles, farming experience and
diverse production systems found it easier to adapt than others. The study also
projects that a significant reduction in adverse impacts of climate change in
Sub-Saharan Africa would require investments of US$2 billion per year in
agricultural research and development, rural roads, female secondary education,
irrigation and access to clean water.
The study was conducted by IFPRI, which
is part of the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research
(CGIAR) in collaboration with the Center for Environmental Economics and Policy
in Africa, the Ethiopian Development Research Institute, the Ethiopian
Economics Association, and the University of Hamburg, Germany. It is part of an
ongoing series of studies on climate change adaptation in African agriculture.
[IFPRI Press Release]
[IFPRI Policy Briefs on
Adaptation in African Agriculture]