Asian experience in climate-smart agriculture to be discussed in workshop

Farming communities are threatened by various climatic stresses and will thus benefit from knowledge
of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices from and for various landscapes and ecosystems.

To promote climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in Asia and get the global expertise in one place, a regional workshop on CSA technologies and climate change will be held on 2-4 June 2015 in Manila, Philippines.

CSA is an approach that helps guide the transformation and reorientation of agricultural systems so that these can support development and food security more effectively and sustainably under a changing climate. It is an important step in enabling smallholder farmers to adapt to climate change while maintaining or improving productivity and sustainability of their farms.

The workshop is being organized by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) jointly with the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Government representatives from 16 countries in Asia and agriculture and climate change experts are expected to participate.

The workshop aims to (A) present features and costs and benefits of select CSA technologies; (B) identify cases of effective implementation of policies, tools, and mechanisms; (C) identify assistance and services needed to accelerate CSA upscaling and outscaling in participating countries; and (D) draft concept notes for submission to the Climate Technology Center Network (CTCN).

‟The workshop is also an opportunity to gather people who actually work on CSA, or climate change in general, to share their experiences on that aspect and also to raise the awareness of major challenges that we need to look into,” said Valerien Pede, IRRI economist and scientist.

The 3-day workshop includes an introduction to CSA, various climate-related topics, a panel discussion, and a tour of research facilities and demonstration trials at the IRRI headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna.

Participating countries are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka from South Asia; Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam from Southeast Asia; and Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia from Central and East Asia.

Full program

(Written by Rezza Mae Tolinero, IRRI and CCAFS SEA intern)

Bangladesh plans for 'alternate wetting and drying' outscaling

Workshop participants draw national strategy for AWD outscaling in Bangladesh

A national work plan to out-scale a water-saving technology called “alternate wetting and drying” (AWD) was developed at a workshop held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 20-21 April 2015.

Led by IRRI scientists Björn Ole Sander and Michael Sheinkman, together with Professor Saidur Rahman of the Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), the workshop was organized by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). IRRI leads the initiative, with funding from the United Nations Environment Programme, under the auspices of the CGIAR Program on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS), of which IRRI is a member-Center.   

Several national public sector and international organizations shared their experiences and evaluations of AWD. AWD is a technology that will help farmers adapt to water scarcity, as well as reduce the carbon footprint of the country’s rice sector.

The CCAC Paddy Rice Component coordinates project activities in Vietnam and Bangladesh. Another CGIAR center, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) coordinates research activities in Colombia.  This component conducts AWD suitability assessments in target countries, as well as develop information kiosks with relevant and easily-understandable information on rice production and mitigation options.

Participants in the workshop represented the following: Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Department of Environment (DoE), Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), Bangladesh Agricultural Development Cooperation (BADC), Department for Agricultural Extension (DAE), Rural Development Academy (RDA), Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS), InternationalFertilizer Development Center (IFDC), Asian Development Bank (ADB), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and World Food Programme (WFP)

For more information visit:

http://ccafs.cgiar.org/reducing-methane-emissions-paddy-rice