EVENT NAME What’s next after the ‘implementation’ COP? EVENT DATE: THURSDAY, 01 DECEMBER, 2022 - 09:30 AM to 11:00 AM Posted Questions [10:04 AM] Geoffrey Musabani Heinrich asked : I believe that highly productive farms cannot exist in highly degraded landscapes. So to really increase climate resilience, food security and incomes, we need to work at both levels. what is the potential in USAID programming to work at both the farm and landscape levels simultaneously? 3 upvotes | 2 answers | 2 replies Ann Vaughan answered - Thanks for the good question Geoffrey and agree with your point. Through both Global Food Security Strategy and our Climate Strategy our programs should be looking/thinking more holistically at farm and landscape levels. Are you thinking about programming in a specific country? Happy to chat offline at avaughan@usaid.gov Geoffrey Musabani Heinrich replied - Thanks Ann. I am thinking generally. For example, looking at the current Extension presentation and the MIPs being promoted - it is focused only at farm level. If the environment around the farms continues to degrade, the potential of these interventions will steadily decline in impact. This is a good example of what I am talking about... Flood and drought mitigation begin at the landscape level, so I think we need to broaden our focus generally. And yes- It might be good to continue the discussion off line. Thanks. Geoffrey Musabani Heinrich replied - Thanks Ann. I will send you an email to follow-up, probably tomorrow (I am in South Africa) Best. G. Claudia Ringler answered - Dear Geoffrey, as an example, USAID is a strong supporter of Ethiopia's PSNP (social safety net) program, which is effectively a food-for-work program where work focuses on restoring upstream watersheds (exclosures, terracing, re-greening, etc). Evaluations suggest that tree coverage is larger in areas with investments, and carbon storage has increased, there are also some benefits for food production and food security but these are a bit more challenging to disentangle as participants also receive financial support. [10:38 AM] Allison Kaika asked : When you reference "improved seeds," what type of seeds are you referencing? Hybrids, genetically enhanced/modified, coated? 3 upvotes | 2 answers | 2 replies Ernest Ihedigbo answered - Hybrid seeds only Allison Kaika replied - Thank you! Chyka Okarter answered - Not genetically modified. We are referring to formally bred, high yielding, pest resistant/tolerant varieties with superb canopy coverage traits Allison Kaika replied - Thank you so much for the clarification! [10:23 AM] Susan Cantella asked : To what extent does GCAN/Agrilinks work also focus on impacts on nutrition (nutrition outcomes, diets, nutrition resilience)? 1 upvote | 3 answers | 0 reply Ann Vaughan answered - Hello, I believe further resources were posted on GCAN in the other broader chat, but please let us know if they don't answer your questions. Claudia Ringler answered - GCAN has an explicit focus on climate change-gender-nutrition linkages; https://gcan.ifpri.info/ we have worked on the role of women and dietary changes to address aflatoxin risks that are growing with CC; nutrient leaching in staple crops; crop diversification benefits for resilience and nutrition, etc. our framework explicitly considers nutrition status and nutrition well-being outcomes. Michael Saltz answered - The Agrilinks website has a topic on nutrition. You can view our posts on the topic here: https://agrilinks.org/topics/nutrition [10:36 AM] Sarah Page asked : To what extent is the Nigeria project promoting permanent cover - cover crops, mulching, minimum tillage as part of the climate smart ag approach? 1 upvote | 2 answers | 2 replies Ernest Ihedigbo answered - The project uses the Lean Methodology to identify the dominant needs of Smallholder farmers towards increased productivity and income. The CSA approaches are being rolled out on a pipeline basis Sarah Page replied - Hi Ernest. Can you share more info on the Lean Methodology? Chyka Okarter answered - Many of the improved varieties we are promoting have good canopy development e.g Soybean and Cowpeas. They are good cover crops. Kindly note that our MIPs are on a scale of most pain-point to farmers. In the next batch of MIPs, minimum tillage may likely emerge as our MIP. Sarah Page replied - thanks for the responses [10:37 AM] Judy Payne asked : Ben: are you partnering with any private digital solutions providers to use digital approaches to enhance your extension services? (You mentioned video and digital tools.) 1 upvote | 4 answers | 0 reply Ernest Ihedigbo answered - Yes, Digital Green, which is world renowned in digital extension is the implementing partner of Winrock in the FTF Nigeria Extension activity Jean-Pierre Rousseau answered - Judy we are also partnerring with Digital Finance solution providers to extend access to last mile financial services, especially for women. One of the DFS solutions we are working on provides an end-to-end value chain financing platform by profiling and enrolling agro-input and service providers, SHFs, extension services, and produce aggregators mapped to industrial off-takers in a single credit loop. Chyka Okarter answered - Certainly. And the beauty of our approach is that our MSMEs and Extension Agents of Agricultural Development Programs are being trained in video production by this partner and they are doing well producing videos for dissemination and scaling Jean-Pierre Rousseau answered - We are also working with Africa Rice Center to integrate the Rice Advice App into the business operations of MSMEs as a tool in their in their extension advisory support to farmers within their clusters. The app is being used by MSMEs to stimulate demand for improved inputs and the adoption of optimum fertilizer applications. The initial cohort of MSMEs—all agro-dealers—who are using the app to commercialize fertilizer and improved rice seeds and disseminate extension messages have been able to generate close to $4.8 m in sales from 6,862 farmers [10:07 AM] Deborah Walliser asked : Hi Anne- can you talk more about the blended finance model? Specifically how the guarantee model works to help secure other private funding. Thank you 0 upvote | 0 answer | 0 reply [10:16 AM] Innocent Azih asked : Thank you for a great presentation. In countries like Nigeria, both voluntary carbon market and the compliance market are absent in spite of several low-carbon activities. How do you tangibly engage to support some emerging efforts kickstarted in developing voluntary carbon market in this region? 0 upvote | 1 answer | 1 reply Ann Vaughan answered - One way we're trying to support these efforts is through participation in the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative. Our Chief Climate Officer is now on the board of this effort, but some of or Missions are also working more in this space too. https://climatechampions.unfccc.int/africa-carbon-markets-initiative/ Innocent Azih replied - Thank you Ann. Good to know. [10:19 AM] Girma Beriso asked : How is the global coverage and cooperation, is there specific criteria to become a participants of such network or ----- 0 upvote | 0 answer | 0 reply [10:34 AM] Ekanath Khatiwada asked : To address such complex needs, we need better coordination within local mission ,other donors funded projects and Gov initiatives, Where Policy cohernace among ministries such as Energy, Water, Agriculture and Environment are critical. How are we addressing these issues at the implementation level? 0 upvote | 1 answer | 0 reply Ann Vaughan answered - Good point and question Ekanath. Some of what Emily's talking about now should provide some assistance in terms of policy coherence [10:56 AM] Ali Amrani asked : how to get in touch with the speakers to further learn more about these programs 0 upvote | 1 answer | 0 reply Michael Saltz answered - you can contact info@agrilinks.org to get connected with specific speakers & projects. [11:00 AM] Grace Waithira Gitu asked : the gender lens with focus to food security, nutrition and climate change nexus is a complex. information is the most limiting factor especially to vulnerable women. Does GCAN have awareness component? 0 upvote | 2 answers | 1 reply Claudia Ringler answered - Dear Grace, I fully agree; it is challenging to juggle so many concerns at the same time and we often hear that mandates are limited to single outcomes, such as food security (and not nutrition) or climate resilience (and not nutrition) or nutrition (and not climate resilience). With growing climate change and natural resource scarcity, those barriers and mandates simply have to change, otherwise maladaptation and worse nutrition cannot be avoided. We have developed a series of policy briefs and give talks to try to grow awareness. Grace Waithira Gitu replied - thanks. hope you will invite me when in Kenya