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Generating evidence on gender sensitive climate-smart agriculture to inform policy in Central America

The agricultural sector plays a key role in Central America’s economy and social fabric. In 2017, Nicaragua and Guatemala were among the countries most affected by extreme weather events. Increasing climate variability and change are among the main threats affecting family farming livelihoods, and drastic reductions in the climatic suitability of key staple and commercial crops are expected.

Climate-Smart Agricultural (CSA) options aim to help increase farmers’ resilience to climate change, improve their food security and agricultural productivity, and capture potential mitigation co-benefits. Effective design and implementation depends on a good understanding of the types of households (by age/life cycle, gender, household composition, ethnicity, and migration status, among other factors) and their specific opportunities and constraints to using CSA practices. Specifically, it is important to understand how gender dynamics influence household priorities, capacities, and needs. It is also critical to understand the complex array of factors influencing how different types of households respond to climate-related impacts.

This project is being implemented in partnership with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, located in Cali, Colombia. It will contribute to filling the knowledge gaps on the consequences of climate-related events on women and men, including access and control over resources, time use/labour, and participation in decision-making. Among the areas being studied are livelihoods, resilience, and the adaptive capacities of different types of households (including men/women/youth-headed and migrant/non-migrant). The project will also investigate the potential for CSA to buffer or mitigate the negative effects of climate change, promote equality, and empower vulnerable members of the community.

Building on an ongoing CGIAR research program on climate change, agriculture, and food security in Guatemala and Nicaragua, the project will identify adoption profiles of the most efficient and gender-sensitive CSA options, along with drivers or constraints to CSA adoption. It will also increase individual and organization-level capacities to plan for, access, and implement gender-sensitive CSA interventions that increase climate and livelihood resilience. Recommendations on social and gender-transformative CSA strategies and mechanisms to empower women will also be produced for policy dialogues at both the regional and national levels.

Project ID
108809
Project Status
Completed
End Date
Duration
24 months
IDRC Officer
Sandra Gagnon
Total Funding
CA$ 457,300.00
Location
Guatemala
Nicaragua
Programs
Climate-Resilient Food Systems
Climate-Resilient Food Systems
Climate Change
Institution Country
Colombia
Project Leader
Osana Bonilla Findji
Institution
International Center for Tropical Agriculture/Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical

Outputs

Acciones claves para el enfoque de género de la Estrategia de Agricultura Sostenible Adaptada al Clima (EASAC) de la región del SICA

Acciones claves para el enfoque de género de la Estrategia de Agricultura Sostenible Adaptada al Clima (EASAC) de la región del SICA

Informe

Author(s): Chaves, Paola, Giller, Onno

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Language: Spanish

Enfoque de género de la estrategia de agricultura sostenible ddaptada al clima (EASAC) para la región del SICA : acciones clave para la implementación de la línea estratégica de género de la EASAC

Enfoque de género de la estrategia de agricultura sostenible ddaptada al clima (EASAC) para la región del SICA : acciones clave para la implementación de la línea estratégica de género de la EASAC

Informe

Author(s): Chaves, Paola, Giller, Onno

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Language: Spanish

Generating evidence on gender sensitive climate-smart agriculture to inform policy in Central America

Generating evidence on gender sensitive climate-smart agriculture to inform policy in Central America

Report

The value addition and specific focus of the project was to deepen understanding of gender dimensions that constrain and/or enable increased innovation adoption towards enhanced livelihoods, food and climate-related security. A successful collaborative process led to the development of the practical guide “Step-by-step process to mainstream gender in climate-smart agricultural initiatives.” The project implemented a new monitoring tool that generated unique information on: gender disaggregated adoption trends; perceived impacts of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices on farmers’ livelihoods; and gender indicators in the Climate Smart Villages (CSV) of Olopa (Guatemala) and Santa Rita (Honduras).

Author(s): Bonilla-Findji, Osana, Baron, Deissy Martinez, Castellanos, Andrea, Eitzinger, Anton, Martinez, Jesus David, Howland, Fanny, Acosta, Mariola, Muriel, Juliana

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Language: English

Para la inclusión de género en iniciativas de agricultura sostenible adaptada al clima para Honduras

Para la inclusión de género en iniciativas de agricultura sostenible adaptada al clima para Honduras

Material de formación

Author(s): Acosta, Mariola, Bonilla-Findji, Osana, Howland, Fanny C., Twyman, Jennifer, Gumucio, Tatiana, Martínez-Barón, Deissy, Le Coq, Jean François, Carrillo, Bella, Duron, Marlon, Obando, Diego

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Language: Spanish

Step-by-step process to mainstream gender in climate-smart agricultural initiatives in Guatemala

Step-by-step process to mainstream gender in climate-smart agricultural initiatives in Guatemala

Training Materials

This detailed guide presents considerations for the design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation efforts of gender-sensitive climate-smart agriculture interventions, with the purpose of facilitating the work of development program designers, extension workers, and program officials. It works to raise awareness of stakeholders at national and sub-national levels regarding the importance of gender and multicultural perspectives. Social differentiation and discriminatory practices can be interrelated in what is known as intersectionality. The guide is designed to be useful at various community and village levels, as well as for project developers, extension workers, non-governmental organizations and monitoring and evaluation teams.

Author(s): Acosta, Mariola, Bonilla-Findji, Osana, Howland, Fanny C., Twyman, Jennifer, Gumucio, Tatiana, Martínez-Barón, Deissy, Le Coq, Jean François

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Language: English