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The document argues that South Africa's beef industry reflects deep agrarian inequalities, characterized by a dichotomy between large-scale commercial production and struggling smallholder farmers. It highlights that while beef production is vital for employment, it contributes significantly to climate change and is vulnerable to its impacts. The paper concludes that a just transition requires moving beyond market-led growth strategies to address precarious labour conditions, low wages for farm workers, and the ecological impacts of intensive production, such as high water and grain use for feed.

The document argues that agroecology-aligned practices—such as agroforestry, intercropping, and legume rotation—enhance climate resilience by improving yields with fewer synthetic inputs, increasing biodiversity, and sequestering carbon. It highlights that combining multiple practices maximises benefits, which often increase over time, although outcomes remain highly context-specific. The paper also links these practices to improved farmer health by reducing pesticide exposure and suggests that agroforestry and soil carbon sequestration can significantly support Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The report outlines the development of updated eligibility criteria for agriculture production (crop and livestock) under the Climate Bonds Standard. It establishes a science-based framework for transition finance, focusing on absolute intensity pathways to reach net-zero by 2050. The document details mitigation strategies, including the reduction of methane and nitrous oxide and the enhancement of carbon sequestration, while introducing safeguards for adaptation, biodiversity, water, and animal welfare.

Tropic Coffee is a Rwandan SME that processes and exports specialty Arabica coffee, working with approximately 3,000 farmers. An assessment using the RAI Tool for Agribusiness found the company has a moderately high level of compliance with responsible investment principles, scoring particularly high in inclusive governance, stakeholder treatment, and contributions to food security. Key strengths include the empowerment of women through savings groups and specialty market access, and the provision of free shade fruit trees to farmers. However, the company lacks a formal documented business strategy on responsible conduct and faces financial constraints regarding the cost of certifications and the lack of its own dry milling facilities. The report recommends that the company formalize its RAI strategy and that the Rwandan government consider more flexible cherry pricing frameworks to better link farmer payments to international market fluctuations.

The RAI Tool is a Microsoft Excel-based reference tool developed by IISD and Cerise+SPTF to help agribusinesses align their operations with the CFS-RAI Principles and IFC Performance Standards. It focuses on seven dimensions of responsible conduct, ranging from strategy and accountability to financial transparency. The tool is intended as a management and conversation starter rather than a rating system, guiding users through a three-phase assessment process: preparation (including desk reviews), field visits and interviews, and the development of a prioritised action plan to address identified gaps.

The study analyzes LULC trends in Turkana, Narok, West Pokot, and Elgeyo Marakwet counties, finding that achieving a 10% forest cover target yields the most favorable environmental and agricultural outcomes by 2050. It warns against the 'Shamba system' of forest-to-cropland conversion and highlights the threat of invasive species, particularly Prosopis juliflora, in arid regions.

The document examines the structural exclusion of Inuit from Canada's federal climate policy and proposes a shift toward an 'Indigenous resurgence paradigm' to ensure equitable representation. It identifies barriers such as tokenistic engagement and the failure to differentiate between northern and southern regional needs. The study highlights existing frameworks, such as the National Inuit Climate Change Strategy and the Circumpolar Inuit Protocols for Equitable and Ethical Engagement, as essential guides for achieving Inuit-led climate justice.

The report examines how the interaction of climate change and globalization increases the risk of invasive pests and pathogens, threatening the global food supply. It highlights the vulnerability of monocultures and the high economic costs of biological invasions, while linking food insecurity to national security risks and armed conflict. The author advocates for a shift toward pre-invasion biosecurity, the development of low-cost detection systems, and the adoption of a One Health framework for research to build a more resilient global food supply chain.

The report evaluates a proposed land restoration project in Burkina Faso using nature-based infrastructure (NBI) to address severe land degradation and climate-driven displacement. The analysis finds that NBI outperforms grey infrastructure, offering a return of USD 14.8 in benefits for every USD 1 invested, while providing significant carbon storage and reducing conflict by stabilizing rural livelihoods.

The document analyzes the South African beef industry's 'system of provision' to argue that current 'market-centred' transition policies—which prioritize growth and technical intensification—fail to address deep-seated inequalities and the vulnerabilities of farm workers and smallholder farmers. It highlights the industry's high greenhouse gas emissions and the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized producers. The authors advocate for a transformative just transition that integrates labor reform, agrarian reform, and a shift away from corporate-led governance toward democratic, socio-ecological sustainability.

The document evaluates a small and medium-sized licensed buying company (LBC) in Ghana's cocoa sector using the RAI Tool for Agribusiness. While the company demonstrates high compliance in inclusive structures and stakeholder treatment, it shows significant gaps in formal strategy, human resource development, and environmental impact management. The study highlights the challenges faced by local SMEs competing with multinational enterprises, including limited access to affordable finance and climate-related yield declines. It recommends digitizing transaction processes, formalizing grievance mechanisms, and developing a structured strategy to move beyond ad hoc responsible business conduct.

The report evaluates Mahembe Coffee, a small and medium-sized enterprise in Rwanda that produces, processes, and exports specialty coffee. Using the RAI Tool for Agribusiness, the study finds that the company generally maintains high compliance with responsible investment principles, largely driven by the founder's commitment to community development. Key strengths include fair pricing for farmers, inclusive governance, and environmental risk management. However, the report identifies risks related to the informal nature of its operations—such as a lack of written employment contracts—and the potential for this culture to wane as the business transitions to new shareholders. It recommends formalizing policies and procedures to ensure the continuity of its social and environmental standards.

The report evaluates Madagascar's cold chain infrastructure, focusing on medical vaccines and four agricultural value chains: potatoes, tomatoes, fisheries, and dairy. It identifies significant gaps in electricity access and road infrastructure that lead to high post-harvest losses and inequitable vaccine coverage. The analysis proposes electrification scenarios for healthcare facilities and investment roadmaps for agricultural cooling, emphasizing the high return on investment for fisheries and dairy.

The document analyzes produced capital—the value of human-made assets—in Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Trinidad and Tobago, noting that levels remain low compared to developed nations and are concentrated in few sectors. It highlights a critical need for increased investment in renewable energy and agriculture to meet climate and food security goals, while noting that a lack of regular measurement by national statistical offices hinders policy-making.

The report identifies several systemic barriers to development in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including poor governance, lack of industrialization, and inadequate infrastructure. To overcome these, it recommends investing in climate-resilient agricultural technologies, diversifying the economy through downstream value addition, and deploying renewable energy mini-grids to improve electricity access. Additionally, the document emphasizes the need for human capital development through revised education programs and expanded access to modern contraceptives.

The document outlines the ongoing efforts by WTO members to expand the 2022 Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. It focuses on draft rules circulated on April 12, 2024, by the chair of the Rules Negotiating Group, aimed at preventing government financial support from creating excessive fishing pressure and harming marine resources.

The document describes La Niña as the cool phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, characterized by the movement of cold water to the central and eastern Pacific surface. For 2024, there is an 85% chance of a transition to neutral conditions between April and June, and a 60% chance of La Niña developing by June to August. The text highlights that multi-year La Niña events are increasing in frequency, with five of the last ten occurring in the past 25 years. While La Niña temporarily lowers global average surface temperatures by about 0.1C, it does not offset human-caused warming; recent La Niña years have been among the top 10 hottest years ever. Regional impacts include drier conditions in East Africa and the southern US, and wetter conditions in Southeast Asia, India, and northern South America, affecting various crop yields and increasing the risk of floods and droughts.

The authors call for a transformation of the international financial architecture during the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings to better support climate adaptation and resilience in fragile contexts. They argue that failing to improve access to finance for climate-vulnerable nations threatens global security by exacerbating risks such as irregular migration and political instability.

The report identifies that climate change creates systemic stressors for the UK Home Office, ranging from direct threats to public health and infrastructure to indirect risks like societal polarization and organized crime. It argues that the Home Office must move from a reactive to a proactive posture by establishing a high-level climate security policy initiative. The proposed Action Plan is built on four pillars: exercising sustained leadership, understanding and anticipating risks through better data and literacy, collaborating with domestic and international partners, and implementing specific preventative measures to protect citizens and maintain social cohesion.

The Acumen Climate Action Pakistan (ACAP) Fund is a USD 90 million blended finance facility, requesting USD 28 million from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), to support venture and growth-stage agribusinesses in Pakistan. The fund targets three investment themes: Farmer Platforms and Financial Solutions, Smart Farming, and Post-Harvest Technologies. It aims to benefit approximately 13.1 million people by improving farmer incomes, increasing the adoption of climate-smart agriculture, and reducing post-harvest losses. The program includes a USD 10 million Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) to support portfolio companies in areas such as gender initiatives, ESG reporting, and climate adaptation. ACAP seeks to demonstrate the commercial viability of adaptation-focused business models to catalyze further private sector investment in Pakistan's agriculture sector.