Addressing delegates during the “Continental conference on enhancing regional and continental collaboration and informed decision making for adaptation to climate change in Africa”, in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi March 10, 2015, Kenya’s, cabinet secretary, ministry of agriculture, livestock and fisheries, Mr. Felix Koskei, in a speech read by Ms.Cicily Kariuki, principal secretary, state department of agriculture, ministry of agriculture, livestock and fisheries, thanked FARA and its sub-regional organisations, ASARECA, CORAF, CCARDESSA for championing efforts to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.

 

Koskei urged participants to agree on a mechanism best suited to stimulate sustainable policy-research linkages across the continent. He also implored the delegates to discuss in detail the economic, financial and social feasibility of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) in Africa, and zero down on appropriate institutional frameworks to promote Climate Smart Agriculture.

 

“Focus on the opportunities that may arise from the changes, the technological advances required, the evidence necessary to inform the policy and planning processes, the mechanisms to engage in linking science and research findings to policy, innovative mechanisms that may bring the youth into the playground, how to effectively engage women and the disadvantaged groups in productive systems under varying and changing climatic conditions,” Mr. Koskei said.

 

About 250 participants are attending the conference on the theme: “Providing evidence and fostering research-policy linkages to support adaptation to climate change in Africa”.They are drawn from AfricaInteract champions in each region, Regional Economic Community, Researchers from various countries on the continent, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), farmer organizations, civil society, parliamentarians, NEPAD, ACPC, and African negotiators on climate change among others.