Adaptation Pioneers

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/175205

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Locally led adaptation and climate-smart agriculture: A review of two conceptual framings of responses to climate change in LMICs
(Journal Article, 2025-09-17) Habermann, Birgit
Climate change has an enormous impact on farming communities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Two prominent responses to support governments and communities in responding to this are locally-led adaptation (LLA) and climate-smart agriculture (CSA). LLA and CSA rarely overlap, partly because LLA is more process-oriented, and CSA is more technology oriented; additionally, they are situated in different actor-networks. Hence, there are few literatures addressing both at the same time, even though both operate in the field of climate change. With this review, I aim to elicit potential synergies between the two topically related concepts to understand what motivations become apparent when scientists use either LLA or CSA as conceptual framing in their publications; how LLA or CSA can be adapted conceptually to be more needs- and place-oriented as opposed to being driven by international donor communities and political agendas; and finally, if there is any benefit in seeking overlap between LLA and CSA. For this purpose, I conducted a systematic literature review combined with qualitative data analysis with NVivo. Following elimination through screening, most of the remaining articles were focused only on LLA; therefore, most of the review addresses LLA and then eliciting overlap and potential synergy in the final part of this article. The review of 29 studies showed that the most frequently addressed themes in LLA literature are power and agency, governance, and motivations for change, whether driven by donors, place, or local needs. Despite strong rhetorical support for LLA, implementation often falls short, with many interventions still reflecting top-down, externally driven processes that contradict LLA principles. While some case studies demonstrate that locally grounded governance systems can enable more effective adaptation, questions remain about the scalability, legitimacy, and conceptual clarity of LLA, particularly in relation to frameworks like CSA. To ensure LLA contributes meaningfully to adaptation and complements CSA, greater attention must be given to governance, locally defined priorities, and the socio-political realities of decision making. Moving forward, bridging the divide between global frameworks and local agency requires critical reflection on language, power, and the role of external actors in shaping adaptation pathways.
Positive deviance in adaptation to climate change through farmer-led practices in the Ethiopian Highlands
(Journal Article, 2025-09-11) Habermann, Birgit; Worku, Tigist; Nigussie, D.; Getahun, Elizabeth; Goshme, S.
Adapting to a new normal Colombia edition: Stories of livestock keepers navigating climate challenges
(Brochure, 2025-08-20) Vanegas, Carlos José; Moreno, J.
In this booklet you’ll read about farming families in Colombia’s Caquetá department who are leading the way in reshaping livestock production in the face of climate change. In Colombia, the Pioneer Positive Deviance approach was used to identify and learn from livestock keepers who, despite facing the same challenges as their neighbours, have developed unique and effective strategies for thriving in a changing climate. These pioneers are improving their herds, protecting forests and water sources, diversifying their farms, and sharing their knowledge with others.
Ruta de Aprendizaje: Transición hacia una Ganadería Silvopastoril Sostenible en Armonía con la Amazonía
(Brief, 2024-11-30) Vanegas, Carlos José; Moreno, J.
This report documents the implementation of the "Pioneers of Adaptation" approach under the Program for Climate-Smart Livestock (PCSL) in Caquetá, Colombia, through a partnership between ILRI, Bioversity International-CIAT, and PROCASUR. The initiative supported small-scale cattle farmers in transitioning toward sustainable silvopastoral systems in a region where livestock is the main livelihood yet faces major environmental challenges. Following a survey of 300 households, 27 Adaptation Pioneers were identified for their innovative practices in sustainable cattle ranching, with notable participation of women. Using PROCASUR’s Learning Routes methodology, three routes were organized in November 2024, engaging 86 participants through field visits to exemplary farms. The routes enabled peer-to-peer learning, validation of good practices, and the co-design of innovation plans for improved livestock productivity, animal welfare, environmental management, and climate adaptation. The findings demonstrate how farmer-led innovation and experiential learning can strengthen local capacities, diversify production, and contribute to conservation and restoration of Amazonian landscapes.
From humble beginnings to pioneers of resilient farming in Kipkewa Village – The rise of the Langat family farm
(Blog Post, 2025-07-17) Onyango, Polycarp Otieno; Maiyo, Nathan
Nicholas and Rahab are part of 50 pioneer adaptation farmers that ILRI is working with in two counties to promote farmer-led local solutions to climate change in dairy. The pioneer adaptation farmers share locally developed solutions through farmer-led networks and peer-to-peer learning.
Adaptation through diverse crop and livestock systems—The story of Edwin and Doreen, the adaptation pioneer farmers from Sotik, Kenya
(Blog Post, 2025-07-10) Onyango, Polycarp Otieno; Kiptoo, Emmaculate
Edwin and Doreen are part of about 50 pioneer adaptation farmers that ILRI is working with in two counties to promote farmer-led local solutions to climate change in dairy. The specific aim is to increase milk yields for small holder farmers, ensure low age at first livestock calving, short calving intervals, and adaptation to climate change through improved feeding practices, diverse crop and livestock systems for multiple income streams. The pioneer adaptation farmers share locally developed solutions through farmer-led networks and peer-to-peer learning. Through this system, by the end of 2024, ILRI reached 15,000 households with knowledge about improved feeding practices and climate change adaptation.
What constitutes climate change adaptation in Kenyan livestock systems: a systematic review
(Journal Article, 2025-06-02) Kihoro, Esther; Habermann, Birgit; Crane, Todd A.; Gichuki, Leah; Worku, Tigist
Supporting collaborative action for sustainable solutions: Locally-led adaptation as a policy instrument for climate change adaptation practices
(Brief, 2024-12-30) Habermann, Birgit; Crane, Todd A.
The urgency of developing climate change adaptation practices that work for smallholder farmers and herders has never been greater. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and other key climate change organizations highlight the importance of research and development for locally-led adaptation (LLA) and transdisciplinary collaboration. Such an approach to adaptation promises to find climate solutions that are effective in smallholder producers’ complex environmental and socioeconomic realities and support producers as agents of change. The urgency for innovative extension and scaling pathways is compounded by the widespread degradation in African public agricultural extension services. However, despite the urgency and the widespread interest, there are few established methodologies designed to support policymakers to engage with LLA through transdisciplinary collaboration in a robust, coherent and consistent way that considers climate justice and inclusiveness. This calls for innovative tool
The importance of partnerships in building knowledge networks for P-PD scaling: Emerging partnerships for scaling the pioneer positive deviance approach
(Brief, 2024-12-23) Habermann, Birgit; Kiptoo, Emmaculate; Maiyo, Nathan; Gichuki, Leah; Worku, Tigist; Getahun, Elizabeth
Partnerships are a key component of the P-PD approach. Adaptation pioneer households (APHs) and organizations such as government entities, NGOs, dairy cooperatives, private businesses, and other farmers interact and form interconnected partnerships dubbed ‘knowledge network’. A central pillar of such networks is social inclusion, ensuring that diverse farmers have access to knowledge, opportunities, and resources. APHs often serve as catalysts of social inclusion, where household members are used in sharing their innovations and insights with other households. A knowledge network creates a collaborative environment where farmers and their partners engage in dynamic exchanges of experiences and ideas, resulting in practical, sustainable solutions tailored to local contexts. The synergy between partners enhances access to markets, finance, training, and new technologies, supporting the well-being of farming communities and ensuring their continued progress. By fostering trust and mutual benefit, these alliances create pathways for knowledge exchange, innovation, improved productivity and sustainable agricultural development.
Experiences of pioneer farmers in Ethiopia regarding animal feed management and nutrition booklets and posters distribution workshop
(Report, 2024-08-10) Getahun, Elizabeth; Bezabih, Melkamu; Worku, Tigist; Habermann, Birgit; Adie, Aberra
A one-day workshop was held to present the booklets and posters to the representatives of the communities and extension workers. This was useful to get feedback from them, and to plan the dissemination of the materials to the wider community. We intend to increase awareness of farmers and extension workers regarding farmer-led practices that help them to adapt to climate change challenges. Well planned dissemination, knowledge sharing, and the inclusion of feedback mechanisms supports this. This approach gives special emphasis to farmer-led adaptation and innovation, to better understand how farmers adapt to climate shocks and sustain and improve livelihoods through better use of available feed resources for their animals.
Transformation from the ground: Adaptation pioneers as agents of change through climate-resilient agriculture
(Manual, 2024-12-18) Habermann, Birgit; Gichuki, Leah; Worku, Tigist; Kiptoo, Emmaculate; Crane, Todd A.; DuttaGupta, Tanaya
Adaptation to climate change is neither optional nor hypothetical. It is no longer something that we plan for in the future. The time is here and now. Smallholder farmers and herders the world over know this through their own lived experiences. Acknowledging this fact through transdisciplinary collaboration with a focus on farmer-led innovation (F-LI) for adaptation is a rising priority in the domain of climate change adaptation. However, it is often unclear how exactly to implement this in practice. While much adaptation work starts with analyzing problems and building out from that anchor, there is much to be gained in starting with climate solutions that are already effectively embedded within livelihoods and communities. Adaptation for climate-resilient agriculture needs an approach that builds on and engages with people’s agency in both generating and scaling their own climate change adaptation solutions. This approach must be built into a robust, coherent, and consistent framework that speaks to the needs of farmers – and lets farmers speak for themselves. It engages farmers and herders in a way that acknowledges their practical knowledge to be of equal value with other, more institutionalized, forms of knowledge such as science.
Assessing the effectiveness of the pioneer positive deviance approach in building farmers’ capacity to apply climate-smart livestock practices in Nandi and Bomet Counties, Kenya. MELIA study report.
(Report, 2024-12-19) Chesoli, Rose; Habermann, Birgit; Gichuki, Leah; Kiptoo, Emmaculate; DuttaGupta, Tanaya; Maiyo, Nathan; Getahun, Elizabeth; Elkanah, Langat; Crane, Todd
The Pioneer-Positive Deviance (P-PD) methodology presents a farmer-led solution for Farmer to Farmer (F2F) scaling of localised solutions to address the mounting challenges of climate change, particularly in the agricultural and livestock sectors. In regions like Bomet and Nandi counties in Kenya where climate variability is increasingly disrupting traditional farming systems, this approach empowers local farmers to lead the way in developing and scaling effective climate adaptation strategies without external support from projects. By concentrating on the innovative practices of adaptation pioneer households that have successfully adapted to climate challenges, the P-DP approach is aimed at facilitating peer-to-peer learning and widespread knowledge dissemination, creating a strong network for scaling proven climate-smart practices. In many contexts, traditional agricultural extension services struggle to address localized climate issues, often failing to reach the grassroots level with practical, adaptable solutions. P-PD scaling approach fills this gap by fostering collaboration, shared learning, and innovation within farming communities. This intervention aims to enhance the resilience of livestock management systems, especially dairy farming, by promoting sustainable practices that improve both livestock productivity and environmental health. Since its inception in 2022 under the Livestock and Climate (L&C) Initiative, the P-PD scaling approach has been promoted to build climate resilience at the community level through participatory climate adaptation efforts, where farmers play a central role in shaping their futures, sharing their experiences, and collectively working to mitigate the impacts of climate change. By scaling successful practices through localized networks, P-PD ensures through F2F scaling that the knowledge and solutions developed by adaptation pioneer households are widely disseminated, ultimately contributing to more sustainable and climate-resilient livestock management practices. To assess the effectiveness of the P-PD scaling approach among livestock farmer in Nandi and Bomet county, a comprehensive Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Impact Assessment (MELIA) study was conducted in August 2024. This study focused on assessing the reach of the F2F networks, the effectiveness of knowledge sharing, and changes in farming practices. Specifically, the study sought to. Assess the effectiveness of the P-PD approach in knowledge sharing and fostering learning among dairy farming households. Determine the number of households that have been reached through the P-PD scaling approach. Identify opportunities and bottlenecks in the P-PD scaling process, providing insights into potential areas for improvement and optimization.
P-PD Intervention Example: Pioneer Manual on Farmer-Led Livestock Feed and Feeding Practices for Sheep in Ethiopia
(Presentation, 2024-11-19) Worku, Tigist; Habermann, Birgit; Getahun, Elizabeth
The Role of P-PD in Enhancing the Ethiopian Livestock Extension System
(Presentation, 2024-12-19) Habermann, Birgit; Worku, Tigist; Getahun, Elizabeth
A pioneer positive deviance approach to socially inclusive scaling of climate change adaptation in dairy systems
(Poster, 2024-11-29) Habermann, Birgit; Gichuki, Leah; Bullock, Renee; Crane, Todd A.; Kiptoo, Emmaculate; DuttaGupta, Tanaya
P-PD in Kenyan smallholder dairy farming: adaptation pioneer households going to scale
(Presentation, 2024-12-21) Habermann, Birgit; Worku, Tigist
Ethiopian Extension System and Pioneer-Positive Deviance
(Presentation, 2024-11-21) Teshome, A.; Habermann, Birgit; Worku, Tigist
Transformation from the ground: Adaptation pioneers as agents of change through climate-resilient agriculture
(Presentation, 2024-12-29) Habermann, Birgit; Gichuki, Leah; Worku, Tigist; Kiptoo, Emmaculate; Maiyo, Nathan; Getahun, Elizabeth
Feedback Report: Adaptation Pioneers in Nandi/Bomet Counties
(Presentation, 2024-12-28) Kiptoo, Emmaculate; Maiyo, Nathan; Gichuki, Leah; Habermann, Birgit
Exploring the feasibility of implementing the P-PD approach in pastoral areas: Assessment in the Somali region of Ethiopia
(Report, 2024-12-28) Habermann, Birgit; Worku, Tigist
Positive deviance refers to individuals or groups of livestock keepers achieving better outcomes than their peers with similar resources in livestock management in terms of securing livelihoods and overcoming the impact of climate change. Positive deviance is a well-researched field of study emerging from public health research, originally in SE Asia (Zeitlin 1991, Marsh, Schroeder et al. 2004, Lapping, Marsh et al. 2016). The Pioneer Positive Deviance (P-PD) approach has been developed by a team at ILRI in the Programme for Climate Smart Livestock (PCSL) and the Livestock and Climate Initiative (Habermann, Crane et al. 2021, Habermann, Crane et al. 2021, Habermann, Crane et al. 2022, Habermann, Crane et al. 2022, Habermann, Gichuki et al. 2024) . It identifies and characterizes farmer-led innovations that support livestock keepers in livestock management and adaptation to climate change (Habermann, Crane et al. 2022). The approach has been tested mainly in mixed-crop livestock systems in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. In Ethiopia preliminary scoping in pastoral systems was done in Afar Region in 2019 to 2021.

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