Exposure to elevated concentrations of surface ozone (O3) causes substantial reductions in the agricultural yields of many crops. As emissions of O3 precursors rise in many parts of the world over the next few decades, yield reductions from O3 exposure appear likely to increase the challenges of feeding a global population projected to grow from 6 to 9 billion between 2000 and 2050. This study est...

This explainer from IFAD highlights six critical lessons learned over a decade of implementing climate-adaptation efforts through its Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP), which has supported nearly seven million small-scale farmers across 40+ countries. Key takeaways include leveraging existing financing to scale adaptation, improving access to reliable weather forecasts, cente...

The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) is the first comprehensive and standardized measure to directly measure women’s empowerment and inclusion in the agricultural sector. The WEAI is an innovative tool composed of two sub-indices: one measures women’s empowerment across five domains in agriculture, and the other measures gender parity in empowerment within the household. The to...

This report summarizes the experience of the SIMLESA program in Mozambique, which worked to improve smallholder maize–legume farming systems through conservation agriculture and sustainable intensification practices. The document outlines how these practices aimed to increase productivity, reduce production risks, improve soil health, and support more resilient livelihoods for farming households. ...

Burning of agricultural crop residue to clear fields is a major contributor to air pollution. When rice farmers in northwestern India burn their fields, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in Delhi, the highly populated capital citylocated downwind of burning areas, spike to about 20 times beyond the World Health Organization’s threshold forsafe air.Results of this study suggest that li...

Agriculture is the second-largest contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions after the energy sector (including transport), producing 12.28% of all emissions. This page shows you where emissions come from (including direct and indirect emissions), what actions countries have proposed in their NDCs and resources for more action. Agriculture activities are responsible for more land-clearing than...

The Waste Collectors’ Toolkit is a thorough manual created to help waste-collecting specialists handle waste more effectively. Aiming to enhance waste collection procedures and contribute to a more sustainable andenvironmentally friendly waste management system, this toolkit serves as an invaluable resource and set of tools that address the challenges faced by waste collectors in daily operations....

The reports A Seat at the Table: The Role of the Informal Recycling Sector in Plastic Pollution Reduction, and Recommended Policy Changes (GRIDArendal 2022), Just Transition of Women in the Waste Management Sector (Tsakona et al. 2023), and Findings of the WOW! Global Survey II: Mapping the Status of Women in the Global Waste Management Sector (Godfrey et al. 2023) highlighted the need for a compr...

This toolkit aims at providing step-by-step guidance accompanied by tools to develop and implement “Action Plans” to close the loops of material and resources at any school level, considering a system approach and focusing on low-tech options that could be applied in any low- and middle-income settings.This toolkit was built on existing proven methodologies from the sanitation and solid waste mana...

Municipal solid waste in developing countries is often poorly managed resulting in high methane emissions and environmental harm. While carbon finance offers a promising tool to improve project viability by monetizing emission reductions, current mechanisms remain insufficient and carbon finance must be complemented by performance-based mechanisms and embedded within a supportive policy, regulator...