Climate Smart Agriculture at country level: lessons from recent experience

1. Climate Smart Agriculture at country level: lessons from recent experience Aslihan Arslan Natural Resource Economist, EPIC-ESA FAO

2. CSA is… - Context specific - Evidence based - Assessing synergies/tradeoffs across multiple objectives • CSA is not.. - One practice that is always applicable - Prioritizing mitigation in LDC context

3. Background on the project 2009 FAO initiates program of work on FS and CC for Copenhagen Indicating considerable potential to capture synergies and link CC finance to agriculture 2010 FAO Development of CSA background paper for Hague Highlighting importance of resilience and institutional framework 2010 Initiation of discussion between EC, FAO & potential natl. partners on CSA project Driven by need for action at country level 2011 Project development; background technical studies Project plan is a framework of activities to achieve major building blocks of CSA; Designing country specific implementation plans undertaken with national partners in initial phase; Total budget: 5.3 mil. EUR (3 years; 3 countries) EC funding: 3.3 mil. EUR 2012 Project initiated

4. Activities include a range of country initiation activities: • identification of national focal points; • identifying priority areas for CSA work; • linking to natl. research partners; • initiating analyses of synergies and tradeoffs/barriers to adoption using existing datasets; • development of detailed country logframe; • support to MOA staff to attend UNFCCC meeting

5. Assessing the situation: identifying locally viable CSA practices • Understanding barriers to adoption of CSA practices • Managing climate risk • Building coherent policies • Guiding investment The Building Blocks of the Project

6. Risk profile of relevant CSA practices • Role of information under a changing climate • Test Institutional constraints • Risk-reducing tools: safety nets, insurance, diversification Benefits: Food Security, Adaptation, and Mitigation • Test Input constraints • Test Financial constraints What are relevant CSA Practices in a country? Increasing ag. returns, reducing vulnerability & emissions growth Assessing the situation Guiding Investment Understanding Barriers to Adoption Define the baseline to determine benefits of CSA activities Are CSA practices being adopted? If not, why not? Costs Identify synergies and tradeoffs of relevant practices How do Benefits & Costs of practices compare? Managing Climate Risk CSA Strategy: Technical, Institutional, and Economic Priorities Risk Management Analysis • Investment proposals Policy Levers for Adoption Financing Building Coherent Policies

7. Assessing the situation • Some CSA “best bets” so far: agro-forestry with and without CA; fertilizer use efficiency; legume rotations; • Defining the baseline and metrics • Understanding barriers to adoption of CSA practices • Limited, late, unreliable input supply • Delayed returns; opportunity cost of residue; labor constraints • CC driven uncertainty/risk affects adoption • Managing climate risk • Assessing potential of existing instruments (Cash Transfers) • Modeling efficiency/costs of alternative instruments (OECD) • 4. Building coherent policies • Working within existing agricultural policy structures (e.g. ASWAp and CAADP plans; national ag. action plan (Vietnam) • 5. Guiding investments: Assessing additional CC benefits (adaptation and mitigation), additional investment costs – and potential to link climate finance

8. Thank you!