Policy Axes that can uphold Agricultural Innovations
for Climate Change Adaptation & Food Security inCentral Africa: Case of Cameroon, Equatorial Guineaand Central African Republic
TECHNOPOLICY BRIEF I No. 42

ATPS (2013): Policy Axes That Can Uphold Agricultural Innovations for Climate Change Adaptation and Food Security in Central Africa:
Case of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic. ATPS Technopolicy Brief No. 421

ATPS (2013): Policy Axes That Can Uphold Agricultural Innovations for Climate Change Adaptation and Food Security in Central Africa:
Case of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic. ATPS Technopolicy Brief No. 422

Policy Axes That Can Uphold Agricultural Innovations forClimate Change Adaptation and Food Security in Central
Africa: Case of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and CentralAfrican Republic

Mafany George Teke
Musongong née Siri Bella Ngoh
Ndeso Sylvester Atanga
Nkwatoh Athanasius Fuashi	  ATPS (2013): Policy Axes That Can Uphold Agricultural Innovations for Climate Change Adaptation and Food Security in Central Africa:
Case of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic. ATPS Technopolicy Brief No. 423

This paper should be cited as :African Technology Policy Studies Network, ATPS 2013: Policy Axes That Can Uphold
Agricultural Innovations for Climate Change Adaptation and Food Security in Central Africa:
Case of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic [Mafany George Teke,
Musongong née Siri Bella Ngoh, Ndeso Sylvester Atanga, Nkwatoh Athanasius Fuashi],
ATPS TECHNOPOLICY BRIEF No. 42© 2013Published by the African Technology Policy Studies Network

ISBN: 978-9966-030-74-0

ATPS (2013): Policy Axes That Can Uphold Agricultural Innovations for Climate Change Adaptation and Food Security in Central Africa:
Case of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic. ATPS Technopolicy Brief No. 424

Table of Contents
Acknowledgement											

5		1. Introduction 								

72. Characteristics of Climate Change 				

73. Policy Gaps and Options 						

84. Conclusion 								9Bibliography								

10ATPS (2013): Policy Axes That Can Uphold Agricultural Innovations for Climate Change Adaptation and Food Security in Central Africa:
Case of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic. ATPS Technopolicy Brief No. 425

Acknowledgement
This report was produced as part of the implementation of the African Technology Policy
Studies Network (ATPS) Phase VI Strategic Plan, 2008 – 2012 funded by ATPS Donors
including theMinisterie van Buitenlandse Zaken (DGIS) the Netherlands and the Rockefeller
Foundation. The authors hereby thank the ATPS for the financial and technical support during
the implementation of the program. The Authors specially thank Prof. Kevin Chika Urama,
the ATPS Executive Director for his visionary leadership as Program Director; Prof. Atieno
Ndede-Amadi, Program Coordinator; Dr. Nicholas Ozor, Senior Research Officer, ATPS;
Mr. Ernest Nti Acheampong, ATPS Research Officer and the ATPS Team for the technicalsupport during the research process.

ATPS (2013): Policy Axes That Can Uphold Agricultural Innovations for Climate Change Adaptation and Food Security in Central Africa:
Case of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic. ATPS Technopolicy Brief No. 426

1. Introduction
For a long time climate change debate revolved around whether climate change exists.
However, it has been incontestably proven that the climate is changing and this changeis accompanied by both desirable and undesirable effects. The undesirable effects ofclimate change far outweigh the desirable effects; and any discussion on climate changetends towards the negative impacts. In most cases, discussions are streamlined towards
mechanisms to pre-empt or cope with the negative effects of climate change and mitigate
their impact. This is more visible in agriculture in Central Africa, where agricultural system isdependent on climatic conditions. Plant diseases and pest infestations, as well as the supplyof and demand for irrigation water, are also influenced by climate. The key uncertainty is how
agricultural outlook would be in Central Africa in the midst of future climatic change and how
it will impinge on food security.
This write up accordingly focuses on policies that can promote agricultural innovations
adapted to climate change and food security in Central Africa with particular emphasis on
Cameroon, Central African Republic and Equatorial Guinea. It underscores the peculiar
characteristics of climate change, highlights the policy gaps and ends with proposals tobridge the policy gaps.

2. Characteristics of Climate Change
To understand the policy gaps and adequately propose policy improvements, it is necessary tocontextualize these policy responses within the framework of climate change characteristics.
This is important because climate change has distinctive characteristics that influence thebenefits and costs of policy responses. Panell, D.J (2010) has substantially expounded on
the characteristics of climate change that need to be considered when formulating policy
geared towards adaptation. We review four of these policies that are relevant to the Central
African context.
2.1. Climate change is slow
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), climate change will
occur slowly over the coming century and beyond (IPCC 2007); and farmers will have time toadapt to the change as required. This slow change implies that there is time to develop new
farming technologies, plants and systems that are better adapted to the new climate.
2.2. Climate change is highly uncertain
Uncertainty is the single most important attribute of climate change as a policy problem(Panell, 2010). For example, there is uncertainty about the relationship between greenhousegas emissions and global climate because factors other than greenhouse gases (e.g.
volcanic activity) also affect climate. This has been historically corroborated by the fact that,climate has changed without changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, or priorto changes in carbon dioxide (Monnin et al. 2001). Uncertainties related to climate change
are invariably pervasive, large and difficult to resolve. This makes it difficult for farmers
ATPS (2013): Policy Axes That Can Uphold Agricultural Innovations for Climate Change Adaptation and Food Security in Central Africa:
Case of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic. ATPS Technopolicy Brief No. 427

to confidently predict climate change and the expected benefits and costs of pre-emptiveadaptations
2.3. Climate change is small relative to climate variability
In the short term, the predicted degree of climate change is small relative to year-to-year
weather variations or medium-term cycles. Even in the long term, the predicted degree ofclimate change would not stand out from historical weather patterns when viewed at timeframes of, say, a decade or less. This adds to the difficulty of interpreting information fromobservations of climate and weather, and so will delay the ability of farmers to confidently
reach conclusions about climate change.
2.4. Climate change is spatially heterogeneous
Climate change impacts vary in different parts of the world to the extent that it may be
adverse in some areas but beneficial in others. This interacts with uncertainty and slowness
to increase farmers’ difficulty in interpreting the extent of climate change impacts in different
locations.

3. Policy Gaps and Options
There are two main types of climate change adaptation options: autonomous adaptation andplanned adaptation. Autonomous adaptation is the reaction of farmers to weather patterns.
For example, change of planting and harvesting dates in response to changing precipitation
patterns. Planned adaptation measures are conscious policy options or response strategies,
often multi-sectoral in nature, aimed at altering the adaptive capacity of the agricultural systemor facilitating specific adaptations. For example, deliberate crops selection and distribution
strategies across different agro-ecological zones, substitution of new crops for old ones andresource substitution induced by scarcity. The policy options we propose below fall within thescope of planned adaptation measures which should be heralded by governments of CentralAfrica.
3.1
Re-invigoration of Extension Services
Public agricultural extension and advisory systems is the main conduit for disseminating
the information required for such decisions. However, in Central Africa, these systems havedeclined, their resources curtailed and their services outsourced to private sector or dropped.
Where extension services are functional, focus has been on inputs (seed and fertilizer) to
the detriment of market or commercial services. Effective adaptation to climate change by
farmers requires policies that will increase the capacity of farmers to make both short andlong term planning decisions and technology choices.
3.2
Networking and Agricultural Information Management Systems
In Central Africa, farmers have poor access to climate change information especially as it
relates to agriculture. This creates a void that undermines the capacity of farmers to adapt toclimate change. In most cases measures proposed by researchers and government officials
have not benefitted the farmers because they are not aware of the constraints faced by
the farmers. Networking and a functional information management system can close thisinformation gap and consequently build trust and confidence among stakeholders. This will
facilitate and improve the dissemination and access to scientific information that is essentialfor climate change adaptation. In addition, it will help mainstream the adaptation concerns
into policy.
3.3. Planning
The general welfare of any country’s citizens is the primary concern of the government.
Governments therefore need to plan in order to enhance the process of adaptation to climatechange. Climate change being a gradual phenomena, it may be possible to plan for holistic
adaptive orientation to climate change that takes into account societal problems other than
ATPS (2013): Policy Axes That Can Uphold Agricultural Innovations for Climate Change Adaptation and Food Security in Central Africa:
Case of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic. ATPS Technopolicy Brief No. 428

climate change. This will justify and make relevant public spending in other domains of publicinterests.
3.4 Research and Development
Research is usually skewed towards the development of improved plant or animal species
and novel farming systems that may be better adapted to changed climate conditions. Given
the unpredictable future of climate conditions, such research needs to increase resilience
across a range of potential climate conditions, rather than attempt to respond to particularclimate prediction. To be adopted quickly, the technologies produced by this research willneed to outcompete with current options under current climatic conditions. Most researchcarried out in this domain has long lead times. It may take 10 to 20 years for commercially
viable varieties of novel plant species to reach the stage of widespread availability. Substantialchanges to known species allowing novel applications (adaption to a new regional setting)can usually be achieved more rapidly, but rarely in less than a decade.
3.5 Provision of IncentiveIncentive payments should be given to farmers who have demonstrated ability to innovate
climate change adaptation measures for increased food productivity and food security. Since
most of the measures are autonomous, it is important to provide incentives as this canguarantee sustainability of innovations.
3.6 Infrastructure
Climate change may prompt a need for investment in infrastructure. In relation to agriculture,
the most commonly discussed type of infrastructure relates to water storage and delivery.
In Central Africa where there exist abundant water resources, storage may not be
primordial. Delivery through irrigation schemes and improvement of roads will be beneficial.
Communication infrastructure should be extended to the rural areas where most farmers arelocated. This will facilitate networking through mobile phones and as such enhance rapid
information dissemination and exchange.
3.7 Finance
In Central Africa, public spending on agriculture is usually low (below 25% of the GDP). Majorityof agricultural investments comes from private domestic sources including from farmers
themselves and loans. Remittances from abroad significantly supplement domestic private
funding. Sustainable development of agricultural innovations for climate change adaptationand food security is costly and requires large scale investment (FAO.2010). Meeting thesefinancial challenges requires innovation, cooperative action and political will to urgently andadequately address current and projected shortfalls for adaptation and mitigation. Private
financing alone is inadequate and public financing cannot single-handedly sustain the efforts.
Public-private partnership is the gateway to sustainable funding.

4. Conclusion
This paper sought to find policies that can promote agricultural innovations for climatechange adaptation and food security in Central Africa. Given the characteristics of climatechange and policy gaps as shown above, it is imperative to pursue policy options to promoteagricultural innovations adapted to climate change and food security in Central Africa. The
following have been proposed:
1. Institutional and financial support is required to enable farmers make transition to planned
adaptation strategies and improve on automated innovative strategies.
2. Strengthened institutional capacity (e.g. extension services) is needed to improve on thedissemination of climate information to agricultural stakeholders.
3. Greater network among agriculture, food security and climate change stakeholders isnecessary at regional, national and international levels.
ATPS (2013): Policy Axes That Can Uphold Agricultural Innovations for Climate Change Adaptation and Food Security in Central Africa:
Case of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic. ATPS Technopolicy Brief No. 429Bibliography
FAO 2008b. Financing climate change adaptation and mitigation in the agriculture andforestry sectors in UNFCCC; submission by FAO and IFAD Rome.
FAO 2010 Climate-smart Agriculture: Polices, practices and financing for food security,adaptation and mitigation.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2007). Climate Change 2007: WGI: The
Physical Science Basis, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Monnin, E., Indermühle, A. Dällenbach, A., Flückiger, J., Stauffer, B., Stocker,T.F., Raynaud, D.
and Barnola, J-M. (2001). Atmospheric CO2 concentrations over the last glacial termination,
Science 291(5501), 112-114.
Pannell, D.J. (2010). Policy for climate change adaptation in agriculture, http://cyllene.uwa.
edu.au/~dpannell/dp1003.htm

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Case of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic. ATPS Technopolicy Brief No. 4210

ATPS (2013): Policy Axes That Can Uphold Agricultural Innovations for Climate Change Adaptation and Food Security in Central Africa:
Case of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic. ATPS Technopolicy Brief No. 42

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ATPS (2013): Policy Axes That Can Uphold Agricultural Innovations for Climate Change Adaptation and Food Security in Central Africa:
Case of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic. ATPS Technopolicy Brief No. 42

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ISBN: 978-9966-030-74-0