Economics of climate adaptation for resilient food systems in Africa
In this chapter, we examine this nexus, focusing on the food security function of food systems, and build the evidence base for policymakers to mainstream climate risk and adaptation solutions in food system transformation efforts. We discuss climate change in the next section, invoking the examples of Kenya and Mali. The third section addresses climate risk and its components using national-level examples from Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal and farm-household-level data from Ethiopia and Niger. In the fourth section, we assess the economic implications of climate change for Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal, followed in the fifth section by a discussion of the economic potential of two adaptive production strategies—soil and water conservation measures and use of improved seed—using the cases of Kenya and Mali. In the sixth section, we examine adoption drivers for these adaptive strategies and diverse environments using the examples of Ethiopia and Niger. In the seventh section, we develop a microregion climate risk typology and, using the examples of Ethiopia and Niger, discuss how such a typology could improve the targeting as well as the efficiency of interventions that reduce the risk of food insecurity. We conclude by drawing out four key findings for policymakers.