Anticipating impacts on smallholder farmers, fishers and pastoralists, and how to engage in the UNFCCC?  Presentation by James Kinyangi, CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), at the 21 October 2015 Webinar on Agriculture in the UNFCCC Negotiations . Watch: https://youtu.be/1Qo9ZQNjsCs This two-hour webinar provided an overview of where and how agriculture is positioned in the UNFCCC climate negotiations, and it presents a series of resources for advocates and communicators to engage meaningfully in the UNFCCC process. It was aimed at climate change negotiators, their technical advisors and any agricultural organisation interested in food security and climate change.

1. Talking about Agriculture and Climate
Change Ahead of COP21:
Anticipating impacts on smallholder farmers, fishers and
pastoralists, and how to engage in the UNFCCC?

2. undertake scientific and technical work, taking
into account the conclusions of SBSTA 38, in
the following areas: March 2015
(a) Development of early warning systems and contingency plans in
relation to extreme weather events and its effects such as
desertification, drought, floods, landslides, storm surge, soil erosion,
and saline water intrusion;
(b) Assessment of risk and vulnerability of agricultural systems to
different climate change scenarios at regional, national and local
levels, including but not limited to pests and diseases;

3. undertake scientific and technical work, taking
into account the conclusions of SBSTA 38, in
the following areas: March, 2016
(c) Identification of adaptation measures, taking into account the
diversity of the agricultural systems, indigenous knowledge systems
and the differences in scale as well as possible co-benefits and
sharing experiences in research and development and on the ground
activities, including socioeconomic, environmental and gender
aspects;
(d) Identification and assessment of agricultural practices and
technologies to enhance productivity in a sustainable manner, food
security and resilience, considering the differences in agro-ecological
zones and farming systems, such as different grassland and cropland
practices and systems.

4. Two in-session workshops on the elements
referred to in bullets
(a) and (b), in conjunction with SBSTA 42,
(c) and (d), in conjunction with SBSTA 44.
Secretariat to prepare a report on each of these workshops, with the first two
reports for consideration at SBSTA 43, and the other two reports for
consideration at SBSTA 45.

5. Country Experiences
• Lack of determined triggers and indicators for early warning
systems and contingency planning for food security
• Lack of integration in quality data collection, data access
and data monitoring for early warning systems
• Lack of capacity by regional and sub regional and national
systems to downscale early warning systems for local level
action
• Lack of integration of early warning systems into
development plans due to inadequate human and financial
resource capacities

6. Processes under convention
Research and Development
• Support implementation of regional systems for inventory
and documentation of early warning systems for food
security in Africa.
• Assist to bridge knowledge gaps in the understanding of
inter-annual and intra-seasonal characteristics of rainfall
and how to link indigenous knowledge based and scientific
early warning systems in Africa

7. Processes under convention
Technology Transfer
• Support for data acquisition, tools and approaches to
downscale climate applications for extreme weather
events
Capacity building
• Strengthening capacity of regional forums/ networks for
seasonal climate forecasts
• Support capacity for early warning responses that
integrate feedback for food security contingency
planning and guide evaluation for improvement over
time.
21/10/2015

8. Processes under convention
Finance
• Provide financial support for extreme weather related
hazard, risk detection and emergency response
amongst vulnerable and marginalized populations in
Africa
21/10/2015

9. DOWNLOAD THE FULL SUBMISSIONS
AND BACKGROUND PAPERS
Coffey K, Menghestab H, Halperin M, Wamukoya G, Hansen J, Kinyangi J, Tesfaye
Fantaye K. 2015.
Expanding the contribution of early warning to climate-resilient agricultural
development in Africa. CCAFS Working Paper no. 115
Grace D, Bett B, Lindahl J, Robinson T. 2015.
Climate and Livestock Disease: assessing the vulnerability of agricultural
systems to livestock pests under climate change scenarios. CCAFS Working Paper
No. 116.
Mohan CV. 2015. Climate Change and Aquatic Animal Disease. CCAFS Working
Paper No. 117.
Ramirez-Villegas J, Thornton PK. 2015.
Climate change impacts on African crop production. CCAFS Working Paper No.
119.
Smith J. 2015.
Crops, crop pests and climate change –why Africa needs to better
prepared. CCAFS Working Paper No. 114.

10. There are various strands of work already
underway on agriculture within the UNFCCC
process
It’s especially important that these
efforts be strengthened and linked
closely together to ensure a 2015
agreement does not close the door
on agriculture.

11. Many countries have included agriculture in
their national plans for reducing greenhouse
gas emissions
In Nationally Appropriate Mitigation
Actions or NAMAS. In 2012, at least
21 officially submitted NAMAs referred
to agricultural activities and at least 30
developing countries had expressed
interest in implementing agricultural
NAMAs.

12. Countries are also developing National
Adaptation Plans (aka NAPs) within the
UNFCCC
These plans allow countries to address climate
vulnerability, and build their capacity to adapt
to current and future climatic changes. A key
focus is to integrate climate change adaptation
into development planning processes and
strategies across all sectors and at local to
national scales.

13. Negotiations now cover new voluntary offers by
countries towards achieving the goals of the
new climate change agreement.
Known as Intended National
Determined Contributions (INDCs),
these should contribute to ‘economy-
wide’ efforts to reduce emissions, as
well as adaptation action including
agriculture.