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The document examines the potential for the EUDR and UK Environment Act to act as levers for change in Ghana's cocoa industry. It highlights that while these regulations impose strict deforestation-free and legality requirements, they offer Ghana opportunities to improve forest governance, establish a centralised traceability system, and better regulate child labour. However, the author warns of risks to smallholder farmers, who may face increased compliance costs or exclusion from the EU market, and emphasizes the need for international partnerships to support a just transition.

The document argues that Brazil's Plano Safra must align with climate goals by prioritizing low-carbon credit lines, improving rural insurance for climate resilience, and redirecting constitutional funds toward small-scale sustainable producers.

The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) is seeking funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to prepare a detailed project proposal titled "Ecosystem-based Approaches for transforming smallholder farming systems that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change in South Africa". The preparatory phase, estimated to take 9 months, involves hiring a consultancy firm to conduct a series of ten technical studies and consultations. These activities include climate risk and vulnerability assessments, pre-feasibility studies, and gender analyses across four priority provinces: KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo. The ultimate goal is to design a project that provides tailored climate information via a Multi-Hazard Early Warning System and transforms farming systems using nature-based solutions to mitigate risks from floods, droughts, and veld fires.

The PEARL project seeks USD 36.23 million from the Green Climate Fund to support 450,000 farmers in Cambodia's Northern Tonle Sap Basin. The initiative focuses on transitioning smallholders to high-value, climate-resilient crops—specifically cashew, mango, organic rice, and leafy vegetables—by improving agrometeorological services, providing access to technology via a new asset acquisition mechanism (FARM), and strengthening regulatory frameworks for agricultural certification.

The Kurna community in Kano State, Nigeria, implemented the Afforestation Drive, a locally-led adaptation project using nature-based solutions to combat extreme heat and air pollution. Led by Dr. Dahiru Muhammad Hashim and the Panacea Foundation, the initiative planted over 2,000 adaptive trees in Kurna and expanded to plant 135,382 trees across Kano State. The project utilized an open-source digital data kit for monitoring and focused on indigenous species to improve air quality, reduce respiratory diseases, and create new livelihood opportunities through fruit trading. Despite success, the project faced barriers such as government bureaucracy and lack of funding, highlighting the need for a shift from top-down climate strategies to models that devolve decision-making and resources to frontline communities.

Mountain Harvest works with 850 farmers in Mount Elgon, Uganda, to bypass commodity pricing through organic certification and premium coffee production. To combat climate-driven threats like droughts and mudslides, the organisation promotes regenerative agriculture and income diversification via macadamia, avocados, and rabbit rearing. Additionally, Mountain Harvest is addressing the poverty of female hand sorters by providing more stable employment and exploring micro-loan opportunities.

The document examines the role of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) in alleviating poverty for smallholder farmers, using a multidimensional framework of access to resources, opportunities, and power. While VSSs show strength in areas like labour rights and natural resource management, they often lack sufficient coverage of living income and climate adaptation. The brief argues that VSSs are a tool rather than a standalone solution, requiring an ecosystem of supporting actors, market demand, and government intervention to overcome barriers such as high certification costs and limited producer capacity.

The document examines the role of voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) in reducing poverty among smallholder farmers, using a multidimensional framework of access to resources, opportunities, and power. While VSS can improve crop prices and natural resource conservation, their overall impact on poverty reduction is context-dependent and often limited by high certification costs and poor market access. The brief recommends that VSS integrate living income criteria, gender equality, and climate adaptation, while governments should support these efforts by facilitating direct market links and providing financial resources.

The document argues that voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) can reduce poverty by improving agricultural prices, preserving natural resources, and strengthening producer organization, provided they are integrated into broader poverty-reduction strategies. While VSS can increase income through price premiums of 10% to 30% and promote sustainable land management, their impact is often limited by high certification costs, lack of direct market access, and insufficient inclusion of women and smallholders in governance. The brief recommends that VSS incorporate requirements for living incomes and climate adaptation, while governments should support these efforts through land regularization, financial resources, and the promotion of direct trade relationships.

The document examines the role of voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) in reducing poverty for smallholder farmers across three dimensions: access to resources, choices and opportunities, and voice and power. While VSS can improve crop prices and natural resource conservation, their overall impact on poverty reduction is context-dependent and often limited by high certification costs and lack of direct market access. The brief argues that VSS must be integrated into broader poverty reduction strategies and supported by governments and the private sector to be truly effective.

In Banishanta village, Khulna district, farmers have formed the Banishanta Weather Club to combat the impacts of cyclones, floods, and high salinity. Supported by the NGO Bangladesh Environment and Development Society (BEDS) and the Delta Research Initiative (DRI), the community uses digital tools, smartphone apps, and a Facebook messenger group called 'Banishanta Climate School' to access weather forecasts and agro-advisories. This locally led adaptation approach allows farmers to make informed decisions on sowing and irrigation, reducing the economic costs of climatic disasters and improving livelihoods for smallholder farmers and the Banojibi community.

The report analyzes the socioeconomic and productive profiles of smallholders in the Caatinga and Cerrado biomes of Brazil. It highlights significant disparities in productivity, water access, and poverty levels between the two regions, noting that smallholders in the Caatinga are more likely to engage in subsistence farming and face higher poverty rates. The analysis emphasizes that a 'rural just transition' requires tailored policies that address these regional differences, specifically targeting the needs of women and black farmers who often manage smaller plots. It identifies critical barriers to sustainable transition, including low education levels, deficient technical assistance, and limited access to climate-resilient inputs. The report argues for a shift from extractive to regenerative models by supporting a subset of smallholders interested in commercialization through labor-intensive, low-carbon agricultural practices.

The PrAda II+ project is a proposed five-year initiative in Madagascar designed to transition the agricultural sector toward climate resilience. Focusing on five key value chains—coffee, clove, peanut, pepper, and vanilla—the project targets six regions (Androy, Anosy, Atsimo-Atsinanana, Vatovavy, Fitovinany, and Atsinanana) where poverty is high and climate hazards like droughts and cyclones are frequent. The project employs a three-pronged approach: introducing climate-resilient agricultural (CRA) technologies, expanding financial services (including a public subsidy mechanism via the Agricultural Development Fund), and improving entrepreneurial and institutional environments. It aims to directly benefit 374,800 people and indirectly benefit over 2.5 million others, with a total indicative cost of EUR 54.7 million.

The Kappahl pilot project aimed to increase supply chain visibility for organic cotton baby apparel by mapping suppliers from farm to retail. Using the SupplyShift platform, the project successfully mapped three tiers down to spinners or ginners for four garment lines, enabling the collection of data on greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and wages. Key opportunities identified include the ability to identify climate-related supply risks and build trust with suppliers. However, the project faced challenges with data quality and low participation from middle-tier suppliers (Tiers 2 and 3) due to technical barriers and 'information request fatigue'. The study concludes that combining top-down and bottom-up mapping, leveraging Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSSs), and using flexible technology are essential for achieving end-to-end transparency.

The ADAPT Jamaica project targets six parishes in Central Jamaica to protect the livelihoods of approximately 503,372 persons. It addresses vulnerabilities to drought, hurricanes, and flooding through a combination of technical training via Farmer Field Schools, the installation of rainwater harvesting and irrigation systems, and the creation of a data-driven agricultural services portal. The project also focuses on reducing food loss (estimated at 30-40%) and improving financial inclusion for smallholders through a partnership with the Development Bank of Jamaica to create customized credit products and risk-management tools.

The document examines the interplay between regulatory requirements and voluntary sustainability standards in the agricultural sector. It highlights how these instruments can drive sustainable production but may also create trade barriers for smallholder farmers and MSMEs in developing countries. The brief advocates for a 'smart mix' of mandatory and voluntary approaches, supported by technological advances in traceability and the potential development of a global 'Codex Planetarius' for minimum environmental standards.

The study finds that integrating indigenous chicken enterprises with crop-based climate-smart agriculture practices, such as improved maize seeds and soil management, significantly increases farm income and reduces food insecurity for smallholder farmers in semi-arid Kenya compared to adopting single technologies.

The St. Kitts and Nevis Climate Smart Agriculture Project (SKN CSA-P) is a USD 21.645 million initiative aimed at addressing severe water scarcity and climate vulnerability in the federation's agriculture sector. The project focuses on four main outcomes: strengthening the enabling policy environment, enhancing decision support systems through agrometeorological data, mainstreaming low-carbon resilient practices (such as hurricane-resistant greenhouses and solar-powered irrigation), and improving knowledge management. It specifically targets smallholder farmers, women, youth, and disadvantaged groups, utilizing a CSA Matching Grant Fund to catalyze private investment. The project is implemented by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

The document examines the greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint of palm oil, noting that emissions range from -0.3 to over 20 kgCO2e/kg CPO, with an average of approximately 6 kgCO2e/kg CPO. The primary drivers of these emissions are land-use change (LUC), particularly the conversion of tropical forests and peatlands, and the degradation of palm oil mill effluent (POME). The report highlights that emissions are highly spatially heterogeneous, with peat-based production being significantly more carbon-intensive than mineral-soil production. Mitigation strategies focus on preventing further deforestation and peatland development, managing water tables in existing peatlands, and implementing POME treatment technologies such as biogas capture and composting. The document also compares production characteristics across key regions, noting that Southeast Asia has the highest yields and production volumes, while West Africa has the lowest.

The document analyzes GHG emissions from coffee production, ranging from 3 to over 40 kgCO2e/kg roast coffee, with an average of approximately 20 kgCO2e/kg. It identifies land-use change, fertilizer use, and wet-processing effluent as the primary emission drivers. The briefing highlights that while polyculture systems sequester more carbon than monocultures, the overall footprint is highly variable based on location and practice. Key mitigation strategies include preventing deforestation, treating processing effluent, and improving fertilizer management, though implementation is challenged by the prevalence of smallholder farming.