Presentations for Integration of Nutrition and Equity into Climate Action: The Role of Transdisciplinary Approaches

Achieving the goals of climate smart agriculture (CSA)—increased profitability, adaptation, and mitigation—and scaling climate action require explicit consideration of gender and other intersectional identities. Failing to design climate actions to include and benefit women and other vulnerable groups misses opportunities to build resilience capacities, which would enable these groups to contribute to more sustainable and equitable food systems. Moreover, ensuring that CSA contributes to the goals of improved nutrition and decent livelihoods requires a systems approach that considers and addresses the ways in which climate change affects the jobs, livelihoods, food security, nutrition and health of different groups throughout the food system.

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has advanced the joint goals of climate resilience, improved nutrition and women’s empowerment through a series of transdisciplinary programs in a range of low- and middle-income countries. This session will draw lessons from three different sets of transdisciplinary programs or approaches that jointly consider climate action, nutrition and women’s empowerment and will discuss opportunities for scaling. One program is the Gender, Climate Change and Nutrition Integration Initiative (GCAN), which works through national partners to influence climate policies and programs, and conducts research at the nexus of these topics. Other approaches include locally-led climate adaptation through Living Labs. This approach to innovation brings together scientists and marginalized rural populations to jointly pilot CSA in real world conditions. Lastly, the session will highlight AI-and non-AI enhanced extension methods that aim to reach women and other marginalized farmers. By integrating knowledge and expertise across a range of disciplines, sectors, and stakeholders, these programs aim to enhance coordination and increase the effectiveness and sustainability of climate actions.

This session will have two parts. In the first part, three different transdisciplinary approaches to integrated climate action will be presented, followed by questions from the audience. The second part of the session will feature a panel of experts on integrating gender and nutrition into climate action.