Facilitating Change for Climate-Smart Agriculture through Science-Policy Engagement

Dhanush Dinesh, Robert B. Zougmore, Joost Vervoort, Edmond Totin, Philip K. Thornton, Dawit Solomon, Paresh B. Shirsath, Valerien Pede (), Isabel Lopez Noriega, Peter Läderach, Jana Körner, Dries Hegger, Evan H. Girvetz, Anette E. Friis, Peter P. J. Driessen and Bruce M. Campbell
Additional contact information
Dhanush Dinesh: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Km 17, Recta Cali–Palmira CP, 763537 Cali, Colombia
Robert B. Zougmore: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), West & Central Africa Regional Office, BP 320 Bamako, Mali
Joost Vervoort: Environmental Governance Group, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8a, PO Box 80115, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
Edmond Totin: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), West & Central Africa Regional Office, BP 320 Bamako, Mali
Philip K. Thornton: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), PO Box 30709, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
Dawit Solomon: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), PO Box 30709, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
Paresh B. Shirsath: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), New Delhi 110012, India
Isabel Lopez Noriega: Bioversity International, Via dei Tre Denari, 472/a, 00054 Maccarese, Fiumicino, Italy
Peter Läderach: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Km 17, Recta Cali–Palmira CP, 763537 Cali, Colombia
Jana Körner: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Km 17, Recta Cali–Palmira CP, 763537 Cali, Colombia
Dries Hegger: Environmental Governance Group, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8a, PO Box 80115, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
Evan H. Girvetz: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Km 17, Recta Cali–Palmira CP, 763537 Cali, Colombia
Anette E. Friis: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
Peter P. J. Driessen: Environmental Governance Group, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8a, PO Box 80115, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
Bruce M. Campbell: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Km 17, Recta Cali–Palmira CP, 763537 Cali, Colombia

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 8, 1-21

Abstract: Climate change impacts on agriculture have become evident, and threaten the achievement of global food security. On the other hand, the agricultural sector itself is a cause of climate change, and if actions are not taken, the sector might impede the achievement of global climate goals. Science-policy engagement efforts are crucial to ensure that scientific findings from agricultural research for development inform actions of governments, private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international development partners, accelerating progress toward global goals. However, knowledge gaps on what works limit progress. In this paper, we analyzed 34 case studies of science-policy engagement efforts, drawn from six years of agricultural research for development efforts around climate-smart agriculture by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). Based on lessons derived from these case studies, we critically assessed and refined the program theory of the CCAFS program, leading to a revised and improved program theory for science-policy engagement for agriculture research for development under climate change. This program theory offers a pragmatic pathway to enhance credibility, salience and legitimacy of research, which relies on engagement (participatory and demand-driven research processes), evidence (building scientific credibility while adopting an opportunistic and flexible approach) and outreach (effective communication and capacity building).

Keywords: climate change; agriculture; science-policy interface; science-policy engagement; agricultural research for development; adaptation; mitigation; food security; climate-smart agriculture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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