Conclusions
Transforming agricultural food systems to become more climate-smart is knowledge-intensive and innovative, as well as a multi-sector, multi-actor and multi-level process by nature. How will this gradual and complex transformation be achieved? Who will own, drive and be accountable for this transition process at country level? How can the transformation become country-owned, sustainable, and scaled up and out? What are the national and subnational capacities across people, organizations, institutions, networks and policies that need to be enhanced and how will countries be supported in this process?
This module encourages country stakeholders to apply a system-wide, inclusive and integrated capacity development approach to achieve a sustainable, country-owned transition towards climate smart agriculture at scale. This methodological capacity development paradigm shift interdependently empowers people, strengthens organizations, institutions and networks, while also fostering conducive policy and regulatory frameworks in a highly inclusive and interactive process that deepens country ownership and commitment. Transitioning towards CSA will also require enhanced technical and functional capacities among agricultural stakeholders to effectively support climate-smart agricultural development.
Operationally, facilitating a capacity development approach includes assessing system-wide capacities, designing contextualized and targeted capacity development interventions, and monitoring and documenting progress and results – activities to be undertaken jointly with stakeholders.
Moreover, practical capacity development methodologies, tools and practices as well as catalytic factors for CSA are explored. These include multi-stakeholder processes, platforms and networks, agricultural innovation systems, local institutions at the landscape level, farmer and climate field schools, indigenous knowledge and knowledge sharing, and Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) and Communication for Development.
The module suggests that applying the proposed system-wide capacity development approach will enable countries to sustainably scale up their endogenous climate action in the agricultural sectors. Thus, planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting on climate-smart agriculture interventions will be most effective, transformational, sustainable and will reach scale when conducted with inclusive, iterative capacity development across the individual, organizational, institutional and enabling environment dimensions fostering country ownership, commitment and mutual accountability in the process.