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The document examines integrated agriculture-aquaculture (IAA) systems, which recycle nutrients between crops, livestock, and fish to increase productivity and reduce external inputs. It argues that IAA is a promising climate-smart land use approach for Southeast Asia, offering benefits such as livelihood diversification, improved water efficiency, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The brief emphasizes the need for inclusive policies, gender equity, and regional cooperation through ASEAN frameworks to scale up these systems for smallholder farmers.

The document argues that agroecology, a science-based set of practices and social movement, offers a sustainable alternative to industrial agriculture, which accounts for up to 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions. It highlights that approximately 30% of global farms have already adopted agroecological principles, leading to increased crop yields, higher farmer incomes, and improved biodiversity. However, the briefing notes that scaling up these practices is hindered by governance and finance systems that heavily subsidize industrial agriculture, with only 1%-1.5% of agricultural and aid budgets currently supporting agroecological approaches. To overcome these barriers, the document recommends reorienting public funding, integrating agroecology into research and education, and increasing the participation of small-scale producers in food governance.

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) GCF Programme establishes a strategic framework for climate mitigation and adaptation, focusing on decarbonizing energy, waste management, resilient infrastructure, food security, and water security. RMI aims for net-zero emissions by 2050 and has set ambitious NDC targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 32% below 2010 levels by 2025 and 45% by 2030. The programme identifies specific pipeline projects, such as solar generation on Wotje and Jaluit Atolls and coastal adaptation works, while addressing existential threats like sea-level rise and extreme droughts. It emphasizes the need for international funding to implement science-informed policies and protect vulnerable coastal communities.

The Botswana APRM Popular Sensitisation (BAPS) Project, a collaboration between the Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO) and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), culminated in the April 20, 2021, launch of a civil society submission to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). The project identified 12 key governance issues, including human rights, sustainable development, and food security, and sought to ensure the voices of marginalised groups—such as the LGBTQI+ community and indigenous communities—were included. Government representatives indicated that the submission's recommendations would inform Botswana's constitutional review process.

The submission argues that South Africa's draft NDC targets are insufficiently ambitious, aligning with a 3°C temperature increase rather than the 1.5°C or 2°C goals necessary to protect public health. It highlights the severe health risks posed by climate change in South Africa, including drought, heat, and infectious diseases, and notes that coal-fired power stations cause over 2,200 deaths annually. The authors advocate for a 'green' recovery from COVID-19, urging a shift from fossil fuel investments toward renewable energy and a commitment to phase out coal by 2034. The document proposes specific co-benefit policies in energy (e.g., adopting the Climate Justice Charter), food and agriculture (e.g., incentivizing urban agriculture), and transportation (e.g., electrifying public transit) to simultaneously reduce emissions and improve health outcomes.

The document examines the impact of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains within the SADC region, noting that while the sector was less affected than others, the pandemic intensified existing vulnerabilities. Key challenges identified include a heavy reliance on subsistence farming, food insecurity, and the effects of climate change. The authors argue for a 'dual approach' that supports both small-scale and large-scale commercial farming, the adoption of climate-smart technologies, and the digitalisation of value chains. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is highlighted as a critical mechanism for enhancing regional trade and protecting small-scale farmers.

The document argues for a shift toward anticipatory governance in SADC to manage 'wicked' problems like climate change and pandemics. It identifies systemic failures in the region's response to COVID-19 and cyclones, advocating for a holistic, cross-sectoral approach to disaster risk reduction (DRR) based on foresight, networked systems, and feedback loops.

The report identifies 12 governance challenges in Botswana, noting that while the country has a history of good governance, it now faces rising corruption and a lack of accountability. Key areas of concern include the marginalisation of smaller parties and women/youth due to the First Past the Post electoral system, poor public service performance resulting from a lack of comprehensive decentralisation policy, and economic exclusion where many citizens remain below the poverty line despite national growth. The submission recommends a Mixed Member Proportional Representation system, the creation of a national action plan on human rights, and the development of a written overarching foreign policy framework centered on the economy.

The research evaluates NPP fluctuation in Tanzania to inform livestock productivity and vegetation adaptation. It finds that the number of grazing livestock, including cattle, sheep, and goats, will increase in Tanzanian grasslands under the studied climate scenarios, suggesting a need for improved grassland productivity and conservation for sustainable management.

The authors contend that environmental degradation and climate change are fundamental drivers of food insecurity and conflict. They highlight how resource competition in regions like the Sahel and Yemen fuels violence and extremism, while pointing to natural farming successes in India as a model for resilience. The document recommends that international security institutions acknowledge climate security risks to effectively address stability and displacement.

The document examines how solar photovoltaics, batteries, and information and communications technology can revolutionize food production and address structural rural development challenges. It specifically highlights the role of solar-powered irrigation and the feasibility of solar-powered electric cookers in Kenya to improve gender equality and social inclusion.

The report finds that Austrian supermarkets have poor sustainability standards for aquaculture, with none meeting half of the evaluated indicators. It highlights the environmental and social costs of 'reduction fisheries' used to produce fishmeal and fish oil, and argues for a decoupling of aquaculture from wild-capture fisheries through alternative feeds.

The report analyzes three types of food system shocks—the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2015–2016 Southern African drought, and the US-China trade war—to argue that existing WTO rules are insufficient to prevent harmful trade measures during crises. It highlights how climate change will increase the frequency of extreme weather events, further destabilizing food markets. The authors propose 13 recommendations centered on four objectives: ensuring food access for the poor, safeguarding farmer livelihoods, improving market functions through sustainable resource allocation, and restoring multilateral trust. Key proposals include banning export restrictions on humanitarian aid, cutting high tariff peaks, and establishing a special safeguard mechanism for low-income countries.

The report analyzes the role of trade policy in managing food system shocks, using the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2015-2016 Southern Africa drought, and the US-China trade war as case studies. It argues that current WTO rules have gaps regarding export restrictions, high tariffs, and harmful agricultural subsidies. To enhance resilience, the authors propose four policy goals: ensuring food access for the poor, protecting farmer livelihoods, improving market functioning through equitable resource distribution, and restoring trust in multilateral institutions. Key recommendations include exempting humanitarian food purchases from export bans, reducing 'tariff peaks' in major importing countries, and establishing a special safeguard mechanism for low-income producers.

The report analyzes how pre-pandemic economic conditions in 60 developing nations create vulnerabilities to COVID-19-induced trade shocks. It examines five key markets—production, trade, capital, currency, and labour—to identify risks such as global value chain disruptions, 'sudden stops' in foreign investment, and currency crises. The analysis emphasizes that countries with high reliance on specific sectors like international tourism or those with significant trade deficits and foreign-denominated debt are most at risk. The author urges the diversification of global value chains over protectionism to build long-term resilience.

The Republic of the Marshall Islands is developing a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) using a participatory, bottom-up consultative process known as the "Reimaanlok" Process. The NAP is intended as an umbrella document to mobilize financial resources and guide sustainable adaptation interventions across urban centres, intermediate centres, and outer atoll islands. Key milestones include a 2021 climate vulnerability assessment for Majuro Atoll and an expected completion date for the full NAP in June 2022. The process is overseen by the Tile Til Eo Committee (TTEC), which coordinates policy advice and decision-making on climate priorities. Priority sectors for adaptation include water, food security, fisheries, health, education, infrastructure, livelihood, coastal resources, and policy development. Observed and anticipated climate impacts include sea-level rise, loss of fresh water, drought, salinization of groundwater, and declining coral reef health.

The document argues that while most Southern African NDCs mention agriculture, they often lack quantifiable commitments, detailed financing plans, and inclusive governance. It recommends that revised NDCs explicitly include farmers as active agents of change, integrate gender and youth considerations, and establish multi-stakeholder platforms to ensure agricultural interests are reflected in climate action and sustainable development goals.

The report evaluates Botswana's governance across 12 thematic areas, including human rights, separation of powers, and sustainable development. While acknowledging Botswana's global reputation for stability and economic management, it highlights systemic failures such as high gender-based violence, a lack of true separation between the Executive and Parliament, and significant economic inequality. It recommends structural reforms to the electoral system, the decentralisation of public services, and the establishment of a National Human Rights Institution to ensure more inclusive and accountable governance.

The policy brief argues that climate adaptation measures often have cross-border effects that can redistribute vulnerability or create 'maladaptation' if not managed through a lens of justice and connectedness. It introduces a framework combining procedural and distributive justice with a systemic understanding of global connectivity to prevent the shifting of risks from wealthy to vulnerable actors. Using case studies from the Brazilian coffee supply chain and the Blue Nile Basin, the authors demonstrate how coordinated international action and improved efficiency can mitigate regional tensions and human security risks. The brief concludes with recommendations for strengthening multilateral cooperation, developing shared normative principles, and crafting incentives to prevent 'risk-dumping'.

The OffgridSun project installed nine solar pumping systems in Zimbabwe's Lupane and Makoni districts to improve water access and food security. Funded primarily by a grant from AICS, the initiative provided solar-powered wells that increased agricultural productivity by 15% and created income opportunities for 135 people.