Tailored Agro-Climate Services and food security information for better decision making in Latin America (AGROCLIMAS)

DESCRIPTION: Knowledge, sourced from both farmers and the science that supports them, is the backbone of the AgroClimas project. New climate information tools which include historical analyses, monitoring systems, and agroclimatic forecasts have the power to help farmers adapt to the impacts of climate variability. By delivering local information to smallholder farmers translated in conjunction with the extension services, farmers are better equipped to both protect themselves against extreme events and to take advantage of good climate conditions. The goal of the AgroClimas project is to close the gap between agro-climate information generation and its use by farmers, taking into account the needs of the Latin American agricultural sector in terms in the context of climate variability.

OUTCOMES: Outcomes: The project aims to collaborate with national stakeholders to develop and implement innovative approaches and tools based on local and scientific information for improving climate risk management by (i) taking into account gender aspects and food security indicators, (ii) combining local data on agroclimatic information with seasonal forecasts, and (iii) improving information formats and delivery to decision-makers and farmers. The project produces evidence of the technical capacity required to address those needs through collaboration with strategic partners, like national meteorological services.

Impacts: Following the theory of change of the project, impact assessment in AgroClimas is to be divided in four major outputs: a) changes in knowledge on agro-climatic forecasts and capacity strengthening, resulting (perceived) impacts on institutional actors, b) explores the benefits of generating and sharing with relevant stakeholders, agro-climatic information at a local level, c) determine the usefulness and usability of the agro-climatic information products, and d) measure what the impact is on farmers’ livelihoods, with the technicians’ that will implement food security information systems that incorporate tailored information on crop production and seasonal climate forecasts.