Lessons from Asia and Africa

Agri-food systems across Asia and Africa, where over 2.5 billion people depend on agriculture for livelihoods and food security, are at risk due to current and projected climate change. For example, in Africa, maize and wheat yields have already declined by 5.8% and 2.3%, respectively, due to increased drought frequency and warming trends (IPCC, 2022a). Across both continents and more so in Africa than Asia, rain-fed agriculture accounts for over 90% of staple crop production, making it acutely vulnerable to erratic rainfall and temperature extremes (IPCC,2022a; IPCC, 2022b). In Asia, monsoon variability, glacier retreat affecting all perennial rivers, sealevel rise, and extreme heat threaten food production in densely populated river basins and deltas, such as the Ganges, Mekong, and Indus (IPCC, 2022b). Fisheries and aquaculture, which provide more than 20% of animal protein in many Asian countries, are also increasingly disrupted by warming and ocean acidification (IPCC, 2022c).Without adequate adaptation, cereal yields could decline by 10–30% by 2050 across both regions, and suitable areas for rain-fed crops, such as maize, could shrink by up to 40% in parts of SubSaharan Africa under 1.5°C warming (IPCC, 2022a). While relatively under-researched, yields of non-cereal crops, as well as the nutritional content of all major food groups also decline at higher levels of global warming. These disruptions deepen food insecurity, affecting a disproportionate share of the 783 million people globally who are already undernourished, and exacerbating inequality for smallholders, women, and youth. A range of solutions exists, encompassing adaptation and mitigation and their various co-benefits with nutrition and related SDGs and CGIAR and partners are working to scale these solutions. Climate-smart agriculture, including drought- and heat-tolerant crops, efficient irrigation, and agroecological practices, offers immediate adaptation benefits while leveraging digital tools such as AI-powered climate services, decision-support platforms, and mobile-based advisory systems, which helps small holder producers be better prepared for climate-induced hazards like floods and droughts improved forages, green ammonia, and site-specific nutrient management are interventions that simultaneously boost productivity and reduce emissions. Scaling these solutions requires targeted adaptation finance, inclusive governance, and enabling policy frameworks and calls for a just transition in agri-food systems in Asia and Africa.