Smart integration of animals and crops to survive climate change in Africa

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The aim of the cluster is to combine research on the impacts of climate change on crop and livestock systems to evaluate risks to smallholder systems as a whole, and to develop appropriate adaptation.We focus on risks of failure of the crop or animal sides of the system, from adverse weather and pests (crop failure), or undernutrition and disease (livestock failure). Our premise is that a key component of household resilience to climate change is integration of crops and livestock, such that less affected components enable shocks to be overcome. This is well recognised in principle, yet research on effects of climate change have tended to focus either on specific components or on general social and economic resilience. By integrating scientific advances in prediction of specific climate risks, we will be better able to identify strategies that buffer risks to one component by utilising contrasting risk profiles in others. Moreover, we seek to tap into decision support systems for climate-smart agriculture that have arisen from underpinning GCRF projects but are directed at specific components, to build shared platforms for communication and capacity building around climate risks for strategic and real-time applications.