Informing climate-smart agriculture in low resource settings for practitioners: A review and analysis of interactive tools [version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]

Background Agricultural producers in developing countries are uniquely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and have the least ability to adapt. While there is a growing consensus that more financing and resources are needed to address these impacts, information on how to direct funding and s...

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Main Authors: Kirsten Franzen, Daniel Lapidus, Tyler Ovington, Caleb Milliken, Jenny Frankel-Reed
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: F1000 Research Ltd 2024-03-01
Series:Gates Open Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://gatesopenresearch.org/articles/8-16/v1
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author Kirsten Franzen
Daniel Lapidus
Tyler Ovington
Caleb Milliken
Jenny Frankel-Reed
author_facet Kirsten Franzen
Daniel Lapidus
Tyler Ovington
Caleb Milliken
Jenny Frankel-Reed
author_sort Kirsten Franzen
collection DOAJ
description Background Agricultural producers in developing countries are uniquely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and have the least ability to adapt. While there is a growing consensus that more financing and resources are needed to address these impacts, information on how to direct funding and support adaptation is dispersed and difficult to find. Agricultural development stakeholders and investors can leverage increasingly available data from a range of online sources to inform their climate smart agriculture investments, but it is not always clear which data tools are easily accessible and which can support different aspects of their programs. Methods This analysis aims to inform stakeholders how different tools can inform their climate smart investments. Hundreds of interactive tools were reviewed from multiple sources and a set of criteria was developed to simplify and elucidate the landscape of resources available that support adaptation and GHG mitigation for agricultural producers in low-income countries. The search strategy included a literature review, discussions with key stakeholders, and a review of existing databases of tools (e.g., NDC Partnership Toolbox). Results Ultimately 29 tools were identified and compared in terms of how they address both climate risk, adaptation, and mitigation. The data sources behind the tools were also compared, and illustrative user groups were identified. Many valuable, easy-to-use tools exist offering non-climate experts’ opportunities to gain insights into the relationship between climate and small-scale farming systems. However, the tools available are insufficient and should not be relied upon exclusively for informing investments. Conclusions This review provides a valuable resource for those looking to inform investments and programming in small-scale agriculture. This set of tools can provide insights that can be leveraged in various ways for a wide range of users, but they also have considerable limitations. This review can help users understand how these tools can be useful and the types of additional context-specific and local information that should be sought.
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spelling doaj-art-e942d37a2f054fd5b786bd6b73b687672025-01-08T01:00:00ZengF1000 Research LtdGates Open Research2572-47542024-03-01816647Informing climate-smart agriculture in low resource settings for practitioners: A review and analysis of interactive tools [version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]Kirsten Franzen0Daniel Lapidus1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9604-2058Tyler Ovington2https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4907-7256Caleb Milliken3https://orcid.org/0009-0005-1756-7745Jenny Frankel-Reed4RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USARTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USARTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USARTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USABill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington, USABackground Agricultural producers in developing countries are uniquely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and have the least ability to adapt. While there is a growing consensus that more financing and resources are needed to address these impacts, information on how to direct funding and support adaptation is dispersed and difficult to find. Agricultural development stakeholders and investors can leverage increasingly available data from a range of online sources to inform their climate smart agriculture investments, but it is not always clear which data tools are easily accessible and which can support different aspects of their programs. Methods This analysis aims to inform stakeholders how different tools can inform their climate smart investments. Hundreds of interactive tools were reviewed from multiple sources and a set of criteria was developed to simplify and elucidate the landscape of resources available that support adaptation and GHG mitigation for agricultural producers in low-income countries. The search strategy included a literature review, discussions with key stakeholders, and a review of existing databases of tools (e.g., NDC Partnership Toolbox). Results Ultimately 29 tools were identified and compared in terms of how they address both climate risk, adaptation, and mitigation. The data sources behind the tools were also compared, and illustrative user groups were identified. Many valuable, easy-to-use tools exist offering non-climate experts’ opportunities to gain insights into the relationship between climate and small-scale farming systems. However, the tools available are insufficient and should not be relied upon exclusively for informing investments. Conclusions This review provides a valuable resource for those looking to inform investments and programming in small-scale agriculture. This set of tools can provide insights that can be leveraged in various ways for a wide range of users, but they also have considerable limitations. This review can help users understand how these tools can be useful and the types of additional context-specific and local information that should be sought.https://gatesopenresearch.org/articles/8-16/v1Climate tools Climate smart agriculture Adaptation Mitigation Small scale agriculture Agricultural developmenteng
spellingShingle Kirsten Franzen
Daniel Lapidus
Tyler Ovington
Caleb Milliken
Jenny Frankel-Reed
Informing climate-smart agriculture in low resource settings for practitioners: A review and analysis of interactive tools [version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]
Gates Open Research
Climate tools
Climate smart agriculture
Adaptation
Mitigation
Small scale agriculture
Agricultural development
eng
title Informing climate-smart agriculture in low resource settings for practitioners: A review and analysis of interactive tools [version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]
title_full Informing climate-smart agriculture in low resource settings for practitioners: A review and analysis of interactive tools [version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]
title_fullStr Informing climate-smart agriculture in low resource settings for practitioners: A review and analysis of interactive tools [version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]
title_full_unstemmed Informing climate-smart agriculture in low resource settings for practitioners: A review and analysis of interactive tools [version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]
title_short Informing climate-smart agriculture in low resource settings for practitioners: A review and analysis of interactive tools [version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]
title_sort informing climate smart agriculture in low resource settings for practitioners a review and analysis of interactive tools version 1 peer review 1 approved 2 approved with reservations
topic Climate tools
Climate smart agriculture
Adaptation
Mitigation
Small scale agriculture
Agricultural development
eng
url https://gatesopenresearch.org/articles/8-16/v1
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