The primary entry point for the CRAFT Project is agribusiness/ SME/ Cooperatives level as the champion of a business case, to play an important role in aggregation, processing and delivering services to their members. On the technical side there are several entry points for initiating CSA programmes or enhancing existing CSA activities. To help navigate these entry points, CRAFT adopted the CCAFS approach for entry points, which are grouped under three Thematic Areas: (1) CSA practices and technologies at the level of the farming system and the supply chain, (2) CSA systems and/or value chains approaches, and (3) critical components of an enabling environment for CSA (https://csa.guide/#chapter-2). This range of entry points were adopted for the CRAFT project to achieve an integrated approach to Climate smart agriculture. Through these entry points, crop specific opportunities exist for productivity, adaptation, and mitigation. Entry points most relevant to the programme are summarised and elaborated in the Table below. The Table covers a ‘menu’ of opportunities to introduce climate smart practices and technologies at the level of farming systems and SMEs, as well as opportunities for interventions and changes towards climate-proofing of value chains and a nurturing enabling environment for CSA. This broad range of entry points and opportunities provide the point of departure for all interventions, workstreams and activities in the CRAFT Project.
Overview of entry points and specific opportunities for an integrated approach to Climate smart agriculture (based on and adapted from CCAFS http://csa.guide)
| Practices & technologies | Soil management | Soil cover, soil carbon levels, minimal loss of soil nutrients, zero or minimal rates of rainfall run-off and soil erosion, no accumulation of contaminants in the soil, maximising use of organic fertilisers and optimising use of inorganic fertilisers. |
| Crop production | Higher yielding or shorter-duration crop varieties, varieties resistant to climate shocks (e.g. drought, flood or salinity tolerance) and to pests and diseases, crop nutrient management, diversification and intercropping, crop rotation, perennial crops. | |
| Water management | Water harvesting, capture and retention of rainfall through soil management, water use efficiency measures, supplemental irrigation of dry-land crops, improved scheduling and application of irrigation water (incl. drip irrigation). | |
| Forestry and agroforestry | Increased production of ecosystem services, including provisioning services (food, fibre, fuel, etc.), afforestation and reforestation, integrating trees in farming systems for production, diversification, shadow trees, shelterbelts, and windbreaks. | |
| Energy management | Improving energy efficiency and reducing losses; renewable energy sources; improved access to energy sources through efficient and affordable small-scale systems, reducing reliance on fossil energy and associated costs, more sustainable usage of biomass. | |
| Systems approach | Value chains | Diversification of products and practices along the chain, climate-proofing to improve adaptive capacity at key stages of the value chain, supply chain efficiencies through waste reduction, inventory management, improved storage to reduce post-harvest losses, access to markets, improved input production, logistics, transport, reducing post-harvest losses. |
| Access to finance | Improved access to finance to leverage and accelerate climate smart investments, at the level of farming systems, SMEs, and the value chain. De-risking bankable agri-food businesses in climate smart value chains. Results Based Financing for Green energy and other climate smart technologies. | |
| Enabling environment | Index-based insurance | Index insurance, often coupled with access to credit, allows farmers to take additional risks and to invest in improved practices that increase productivity and food security, even in a situation of adverse weather conditions. |
| Climate info services | Weather information that is timely, adequate, accessible, understandable, and applicable can help farmers take decision on timing, variety and management of crops increasing productivity and input efficiency. | |
| Policy engagement (including Institutional arrangements) | Policies that create incentives and remove disincentives for adopting CSA, subsidies, rural credit programmes, input and output pricing policies, support for investment with public-good benefits, property rights, research and extension services, safety net programmes. | |
| Gender, youth, and social inclusion | Consideration of gender, youth, and social inequities in developing CSA practices necessary to create opportunities to improve livelihoods for all. CSA initiatives must recognise the different knowledge levels, perspectives, needs, risk levels and challenges of different social groups and stakeholders. |
Entry points and opportunities for an integrated approach to climate smart agriculture
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