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Data connectors for OEMs to further improve farmer and industry connectivity

Sonata Software, a leader in Modernisation Engineering, announced its collaboration with Bayer, one of the Top 150 Global 2000 companies with business interest in pharmaceuticals, consumer healthcare products, agricultural chemicals, seeds and biotechnology products. As part of the partnership, Sonata will allow Bayer to develop new AgPowered Services for Microsoft Azure Data Manager for Agriculture that enable retrieval and integration of in-field activity data by working with leading manufacturers of farm machinery.

According to a recent announcement from Bayer, one of agriculture’s biggest technology challenges is a lack of data interoperability. Farmers have seen advancements in the ability to connect data between on-farm systems, but solutions allowing them to connect to services and opportunities beyond the farm have been largely unavailable. Companies and organizations supporting agriculture and related industries have also lacked the infrastructure and capabilities needed to best serve their customers.

This initiative will enable Enterprise users of Microsoft Azure Data Manager for Agriculture to have an integrated, one-stop solution to connect key data sources for farm machinery data in the industry, thus bringing down the cost of technical investment that companies are facing today.

Furthermore, organizations can rely on the same system to connect to additional data sources, such as in-field sensors, and weather and satellite imagery, and incorporate data-driven insights and recommendations from the suite of AgPowered Services into their customer-facing solutions. Azure Data Manager for Agriculture provides B2B customers a ‘one-stop shop’ to connect to farm machinery data, weather, imagery, and insights from AgPowered Services.

Data connectors for OEMs to further improve

The recognition of the ‘India ka Pranam Har Kisan ke Naam’ campaign is a true acknowledgement of the sweat and toil of the hardworking farmers of India

India’s leading agri-input company – Dhanuka Group’s unique brand campaign ‘India ka Pranam Har Kisan ke Naam’ has been conferred with the prestigious ‘Silver Award’ at the ET DigiPlus Awards 2023.

The recognition of the ‘India ka Pranam Har Kisan ke Naam’ campaign is a true acknowledgement of the sweat and toil of the hardworking farmers of India and is also a reflection of the contribution of the unsung heroes of our fields i.e. farmers in the nation-building.

Dhanuka launched the unique campaign on its 42nd Foundation Day to honour and appreciate the tireless efforts of the country’s hardworking farmers who have made our country a net exporter of food grains, which is in sharp contrast to the situation in the 1950s & 1960s.

The achievement of Indian farmers is significant, especially considering the fact that they had to battle many adversities, mostly natural calamities like floods, drought, storms, etc. The Group’s ‘India Ka Pranam Har Kisan Ke Naam’ salutes their immense contribution.

The Group had also launched a new TVC as a part of this special campaign, which was promoted on print, television, and digital platforms across the country.

Dhanuka Group has been at the forefront of contributing its best for the betterment of Indian farmers. Much like our hard-working farmers, the Group has been making a tireless effort to promote scientific methods of farming and is promoting products and services that are backed by research and evidence. The Group has tie-ups with well-known multinational companies, mostly Japanese, UK and US-based. 

The recognition of the ‘India ka Pranam

At least 40 per cent of the proceeds will be allocated to women borrowers, while the rest will support farmers, micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a $125 million loan agreement with L&T Finance to support financing in rural and peri-urban areas in India, particularly for women borrowers.

The funding comprises a loan of up to $125 million from ADB, and an agreement to syndicate an additional $125 million co-financing from other development partners. At least 40 per cent of the proceeds will be allocated for women borrowers, while the rest will support farmers, micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and loans to purchase new two-wheeled vehicles. 

“Rural India, with 65 per cent of the country’s population engaged in agriculture, contributes almost half of the national income,” said Suzanne Gaboury, ADB Director General for Private Sector Operations. “This partnership with L&T Finance, which has the capacity to provide credit at scale, allows ADB to support individual livelihoods and small businesses, with a specific focus on reaching women borrowers.”

Despite steady rural economic growth, rural communities face significant barriers to accessing financial services. About 70 per cent of marginal farmers do not have a bank account and 87 per cent lack access to credit. Women are disproportionately affected, with only 14 per cent having access to credit.

Microloans, farm equipment loans, two-wheeled vehicle loans, and MSME loans have been identified as segments with strong growth potential anticipated in the medium term. By focusing on lending in rural and peri-urban areas of lagging states in India, the project is strategically aligned with the goals of India’s Ministry of Rural Development.

At least 40 per cent of the

The completed expansion will give local farmers greater market access and a better user experience including faster and more efficient unloading times

Cargill has completed an expansion and modernisation project at its integrated soybean crush and refined oils facility in Sidney, Ohio. The upgraded facility, which came online in September, will help Cargill better serve farmers and meet the growing demand for soy products across food, feed and renewable fuel markets.

The project nearly doubles the previous crush capacity at the facility, providing greater market opportunities for area farmers and feed customers by creating demand for soybeans and offering greater access to soybean meal and hulls. Additionally, customers will have an improved on-site experience, as they will be able to more quickly and efficiently receive soybeans and load out products.

“We’re proud to make this investment at our Sidney facility. We’ve been in business for 45 years here, and we appreciate the long-standing relationships with local farmers, food and feed customers, and the local community,” said Justin Rismiller, U.S. Crush Soy Commercial Leader for Cargill. “This has been a complex project, as we continued to run the existing plant during construction. Thanks to our dedicated team, we can provide a state-of-the-art facility to better serve our customers and the community for generations to come.”

The Cargill crush facility originally opened in 1978, with the refinery added a decade later. Today it serves as a vital link between soybean farmers in the region and customers both nearby and around the globe. The upgraded facility is among several of Cargill’s efforts to modernise and increase capacity across its North American oilseeds network.

The completed expansion will give local farmers

The BIG Sustainability Awards honour those people, teams and organisations who have made sustainability an integral part of their business practice

The Business Intelligence Group (BIG) named Cargill the recipient of the Sustainability Leadership Award and Sustainability Service of the Year in its 2023 Sustainability Awards program. The BIG Sustainability Awards honour those people, teams and organisations who have made sustainability an integral part of their business practice or overall mission.

Cargill knows agriculture plays a vital role in addressing global challenges like climate change and food insecurity. However, that is only possible when sustainable solutions are economically viable for the producers who work hard every day to feed the world. Cargill brings together farmers, industry, academics, NGOs, and policymakers to create a sustainable agricultural sector. Through concrete actions, use of technology and innovation, and meaningful investments Cargill is able to deliver impact at scale globally.

The company received awards and recognition in several of the 2023 BIG Sustainability Awards categories: 

Sustainability Leadership Award – Winner for its overall organisational impact 

Service of the Year – Winner, specifically recognising Cargill RegenConnect

Initiative of the Year – Finalist for its work supporting farmer livelihoods

“We are honoured to receive this recognition from BIG,” said Pilar Cruz, Cargill’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “When it comes to urgent challenges facing people and the planet, Cargill’s connections across the food system give us the opportunity – and responsibility – to deliver meaningful solutions. The problem-solving potential of agriculture is essential to nourishing people, supporting the livelihoods of farmers and food workers, and unlocking a more resilient and sustainable food system for generations to come.”

“We are proud to reward and recognise Cargill for their sustainability efforts,” said Maria Jimenez, Chief Nominations Officer, Business Intelligence Group. “It was clear to our judges that their vision and strategy will continue to deliver results toward a cleaner, more sustainable world.

The BIG Sustainability Awards honour those people, teams

Production growth to slow in step with population, while geopolitical tensions, climate change, animal and plant diseases and price volatility pose long-term uncertainty

Global agricultural and food production is projected to continue to increase over the next ten years but at a slower pace of growth than the previous decade due to demographic trends, according to a report released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2023-2032 is the critical global reference for medium-term prospects for agricultural commodity markets. While uncertainty has risen due to geopolitical tensions, adverse climate trends, animal and plant diseases and increased price volatility for key agrarian inputs, global production of crops, livestock products and fish are projected to grow at an average annual rate of 1.1 per cent during the period, half the pace recorded in the decade ending in 2015. Total food consumption is expected to rise by 1.3 per cent per annum to 2032, indicating an increase in the share of agricultural commodities used as food.

These projections assume a fast recovery from recent inflationary pressures, normal weather conditions, no major policy changes and on-trend evolution in consumer preferences. The possibility is that persistent inflationary pressures pose downside risks to global food demand and production.

In a special assessment of key farming input prices, which have risen significantly in the past two years, Outlook calculates that every 10 per cent increase in fertiliser prices leads to a 2 per cent increase in food costs, with the burden falling hardest on the poor, who spend a larger share of their budget on food. The Outlook highlights the importance of policies to ensure greater efficiency and resilience.

“The broad trends outlined in this report are heading in the right direction but need to be accelerated,” QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General said. “Promoting a faster shift to sustainable agrifood systems will bring many benefits and help usher in better lives for all, leaving no one behind.”


“Surges in agricultural input prices experienced over the last two years have raised concerns about global food security,” Mathias Cormann, OECD Secretary-General said. “Investments in innovation, further productivity gains and reductions in the carbon intensity of production are needed to lay the foundation for long-term food security, affordability and sustainability.”


The Outlook offers decadal projections for cereals, vegetable oils, dairy products, meat, sugar, and fish, as well as cotton, tropical fruits, pulses and agricultural output used for biofuels. It also includes projections for expected regional trends in greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and incorporates first-time preliminary analyses of the role of food loss and waste.  

Production growth to slow in step with

Partnership plans to come to life through several activations focusing on food security and support for smallholder farmers across the globe

International advocacy organisation Global Citizen and the PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, announced a year-long partnership and campaign focused on alleviating world hunger and promoting economic empowerment by tapping the enormous potential of rural, small-scale farming communities. The initiative seeks to provide a platform for smallholder farmers to work alongside world leaders and advocate for delivering on commitments targeting the nexus of the food and climate crises. 

The multi-faceted partnership plans to come to life through some activations focusing on food security and support for smallholder farmers across the globe, highlighting the importance in six countries: Egypt, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil, Thailand and Turkey:

The campaign will urge the private sector and philanthropists to unlock new commitments that match the scale and ambition of PepsiCo’s global Food for Good platform and support the livelihoods of farming communities in the developing world. Together, the two organisations will reaffirm PepsiCo’s $100 million commitment to the Zero Hunger Private Sector Pledge and call on the broader participation of its private sector peers and business leaders. As a global food and beverage company, regenerative agriculture is crucial to PepsiCo’s business with the company sourcing 25 crops from more than 7 million acres in 60 countries.

C.D. Glin, President of the PepsiCo Foundation and Global Head of Philanthropy for PepsiCo said, “Our partnership with Global Citizen builds on the history of collaboration between PepsiCo Foundation and local partners through programs including ‘She Feeds the World’ and ‘Agrovita’ to advance food security through gender-conscious community engagement. We’re focused on strengthening the role of small-scale women producers through sustainable and regenerative agriculture training and economic support and by improving linkages, including within the PepsiCo supply chain, to ensure sustainable and stable incomes for the farmer community. These efforts support our PepsiCo Positive commitment to Positive Agriculture and contribute to our goal to improve the livelihoods of more than 250,000 people in our agricultural supply chain and support 5 million female farmers and members of their communities by 2025.” 

Michael Sheldrick, Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact and Government Affairs Officer of Global Citizen said, “We’re happy to work with the PepsiCo Foundation to help rural farmers and their communities by sharing their stories through Global Citizen’s advocacy campaigns. These farmers, especially women, are very important for local food systems, but they often face poverty and vulnerability during crises.” 

Partnership plans to come to life through

Program Supporters help build a community of sustainable agriculture practitioners and support the ecosystem

Agrograph, a global agrifintech company that delivers data-based solutions to companies with exposure to agriculture, announced its commitment to advancing the mission of Leading Harvest by enrolling as a Program Supporter.

Leading Harvest is a nonprofit organisation committed to increasing the adoption of sustainability practices in agriculture and works with farmers, landowners, and investors at all scales to independently certify sustainable farmland management and provide support through education and training opportunities.

“Agrograph’s support of Leading Harvest is rooted in our shared passion and commitment to transitioning the industry through both fiscally and environmentally responsible practices,” said Julia Lechner, Director of Business Development at Agrograph. “Our data solutions play a critical role in auditing and continuously improving the ways in which supply chains utilise natural resources.”

Program Supporters help build a community of sustainable agriculture practitioners and support the ecosystem that allows Leading Harvest’s Program Users to be successful in their certifications to Leading Harvest.

Program Supporters help build a community of

It aims to deliver curated content to farmers on time and upskill the vast network of extension workers for agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, livestock and rural livelihood missions through certified online courses.

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India signed a Memorandum of Understanding in New Delhi with Digital Green under public private partnership framework to build a national level digital extension platform. The platform will host a digital library of curated multi-format multi-lingual content, help extension workers access and deliver curated content to farmers on time and upskill the vast network of extension workers for agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, livestock and rural livelihood missions through certified online courses.

The MOU is with Digital Green, an award winning social enterprise that is leveraging the power of technology to support small and marginal farmers to enhance their productivity and income, strengthen their agency and build community level resilience. Founded by Rikin Gandhi, a technocrat and social development enthusiast, Digital Green has been working with governments in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, serving over 25 lakhs farmers and having enhanced the capacities of over 4000 front like workers.

Speaking on the occasion, Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, MoA&FW, GoI said that “The proposed national digital platform will help make our extension system more efficient and effective by connecting farmers to the strong foundation of digital agriculture ecosystem that is being built by the government. Digital capacity of this extension system is crucial to help farmers reap the benefits of digital agriculture and will serve as one of the component of digital public infrastructure for Agriculture announced recently in the Union Budget “.

There are over 200,000 extension workers in India in agriculture, livelihood and allied sectors. This ambitious initiative will converge the outreach efforts of departments of agriculture, horticulture, livestock, dairy, fisheries and rural livelihoods under a single digital platform through a decentralised content creation and targeted dissemination. To be launched within six months, the platform will have the portal and capabilities to serve the entire farming community in India and catalyse Agtech and other market actors with newer and higher value proposition.

According to Rikin Gandhi, technology has no value unless it makes a positive difference to the last mile farmer. Thanking the GoI for investing in technology to make Indian farm system future ready, he said that “we are honoured and proud to be partnering with Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and be a key stakeholder in making our small and marginal farmers thrive and proposer. He further added that the envisaged platform will contribute to and complement the national systems to emerge as a digital public good for the farm sector in India.’’

It aims to deliver curated content

 Govt will also facilitate setting up of a large number of multipurpose cooperative societies, primary fishery societies and dairy cooperative societies.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget 23 speech announced that Government will implement a plan to set up massive decentralised storage capacity. This will help farmers store their produce and realize remunerative prices through sale at appropriate times. The government will also facilitate setting up of a large number of multipurpose cooperative societies, primary fishery societies and dairy cooperative societies in uncovered panchayats and villages in the next 5 years.

For farmers, especially small and marginal farmers, and other marginalised sections, the government is promoting cooperative-based economic development model. A new Ministry of Cooperation was formed with a mandate to realise the vision of ‘Sahakar Se Samriddhi’. To realise this vision, the government has already initiated computerisation of 63,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) with an investment of ` 2,516 crore. In consultation with all stakeholders and states, model bye-laws for PACS were formulated enabling them to become multipurpose PACS. A national cooperative database is being prepared for country-wide mapping of cooperative societies.

 Govt will also facilitate setting up of

Truterra’s 2022 carbon program will result in more than $4.5 million in payments to participating farmers for nearly 237,000 tonnes of carbon stored in soils.

Truterra, LLC, the sustainability business of Land O’Lakes, Inc., one of America’s largest farmer-owned cooperatives, announced the launch of Truterra™ sustainability services, a comprehensive suite of agronomic and financial resources designed to meet farmers where they are at every stage of their sustainability journey. This launch is part of Truterra’s broader effort to work with more farmers to encourage adoption of regenerative farming practices by working to remove one of the biggest barriers to practice change – fear of lost profitability and productivity of their acres – and develop new offerings that best fit farmers’ needs and support their transitions to more sustainable practices.

Truterra sustainability services focuses on working with farmers to plan, make and maintain sustainability practice changes, including:

Making a plan: The Truterra™ soil health assessment and plan sets quantifiable soil health baselines and provides custom recommendations to improve overall soil health and resiliency. The soil health assessment brings much-needed locally relevant context to soil health measures for farmers to understand more about their soil health status, potential for improvement and to help create a roadmap toward improved soil health. After a successful 2022 pilot across several states including Iowa, Kansas and Missouri, Truterra is expanding the soil health assessment to Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin. The soil health assessment offering builds on the robust conservation agronomy support already being delivered through Truterra and Winfield United networks of trusted local ag retail advisors and its farmer support team.

Creating a pathway to make change: Truterra’s market access program is an on-ramp for eligible farmers considering adopting new regenerative practices on their fields. Farmers can potentially receive $2/acre to begin building the baseline data required to participate in future carbon program opportunities. In addition, farmers have the opportunity to participate in the WinField United Advanced Acre® Rx prescription plan1 – a component of which provides a warranty to offset part of the risk of this practice change implementation.

Being rewarded for transition: For fields that have made eligible practice changes within the last four years, qualified farmers can potentially earn between $15-$30 per tonne of new carbon stored through Truterra’s 2023 carbon program which is now open for enrolment through February 28. Truterra offers farmers earning potential by paying based on results – carbon stored – rather than a set payment per acre.

Truterra is also working to develop additional opportunities for farmers to be rewarded for their stewardship, such as the USDA-funded Climate SMART (Scaling Mechanisms for Agriculture’s Regenerative Transformation) project to scale production and demand for climate-smart corn, soybean, wheat, cotton and milk production. 

“A journey to sustainability is never a straight line. Working through the farmer cooperative system enables us to take a comprehensive view and deploy targeted support to directly address what farmers and retailers need to best manage risk and maximise natural resources to generate a potential return on investment,” said Tom Ryan, president, Truterra. “Through the launch of our sustainability services approach, Truterra is excited to continue working with ag retailers and farmers in an effort to address cost, risk and knowledge barriers to regenerative agriculture practice adoption. In turn, we can help position them as leaders in emerging market opportunities for carbon removals, climate-smart commodities and other ways to be rewarded for their stewardship while future-proofing their businesses for the long-term.”

Truterra’s 2022 carbon program is expected to pay farmers more than $4.5 million total in cash payments for nearly 237,000 tonnes of carbon stored in soils. The program delivered 220 participating farmers an average payment per participating farmer of $24,842. Full results for the 2022 program will be released in the coming months once all payments have been finalised.

Truterra’s sustainability services are rooted in the Land O’Lakes cooperative network, which touches about 50 percent of all U.S. harvested acres, and work through its agricultural retailer network of trusted advisors to provide farmers better agronomic insights to continuously improve their operations. With Truterra’s work in supporting farmers transition to sustainable practices, WinField United’s scientific approach to crop management and the expertise of local ag retailers, the Land O’Lakes cooperative system is working to help mitigate the risk associated with converting to more climate-smart practices.

Interested farmers can learn more and find the program that is right for them at Truterraag.com/enroll or contact their local Truterra retail partner.

Agreement is required and conditions, restrictions and service fees apply. Percentage goals for the crops’ Approved Yield range from 95–105 percent for corn and 95–100 percent for soybeans. Only available to corn and soybean farmers who enrol a minimum of 250 acres of an individual crop in the program.

Truterra's 2022 carbon program will result in

Kellogg ‘s InGrained helped farmers implement climate-smart irrigation practices that achieved a reduction of more than 1,600 metric tons of greenhouse gases.

Kellogg ‘s InGrained™, a five-year partnership with Lower Mississippi River Basin rice farmers to help reduce their climate impact, is reporting early positive results. During the pilot year of the program, InGrained helped farmers implement climate-smart irrigation practices that achieved a reduction of more than 1,600 metric tons of greenhouse gases1 – the equivalent of taking more Kellogg piloted the program in Northeast Louisiana in collaboration with leading agricultural greenhouse gas measurement firm Regrow Ag, rice producers, Kellogg supplier Kennedy Rice Mill LLC and agribusiness firm Syngenta. 

Rice production emits several greenhouse gases, most significantly, methane. Methane contributes approximately 1.5 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions3 and is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

“Not only are we helping farmers implement new practices on their farms, but farmers are telling us that just as importantly, the quality of their rice was not affected by the adjusted irrigation practices,” said Stacey Shaw, Syngenta’s Senior Sustainability Lead. 

Much of the rice sourced from the Louisiana River Basin is used in iconic foods like Kellogg’s® Rice Krispies® cereal and Kellogg’s® Rice Krispies Treats®. 

“Kellogg’s™ Better Days environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy is committed to supporting 1 million farmers and reducing Scope 3 GHG emissions across our value chain by 15 percent by the end of 2030,” said Janelle Meyers, Kellogg Company’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “Programs like Kellogg’s InGrained™ contribute to this ambitious goal, create positive impacts on the planet and support the livelihoods of farmers who grow the rice for some of our most iconic foods.”

Kellogg and its InGrained partners are making adjustments as they transition into the second year of the program, while ensuring both financial and technical support continue to help farmers with these new practices. Kellogg is also exploring expanding the program to include various regions with different weather patterns and soil types to determine if similar positive impacts are found.  

Kellogg 's InGrained helped farmers implement

Newly raised funds to be utilised as growth capital in increasing dealership business presence and enhancing technology to organise supply channels. 

MeraTractor, a Pune-based start-up and a ‘Phygital’ marketplace catering to farm mechanisation products, has raised Rs 5 Cr in Pre-Series A funding, bringing total capital raised to Rs 7.25 Cr post this round.

The funding round was led by Vibhor Sahare, CEO & Co-founder of ANS Commerce and Ex-CEO & Co-founder of Gaadi.com, Real Time Angel Fund and Digital Futuristic Angels Network. The newly raised funds will be utilised in increasing dealership network presence and enhancing technology to organise supply channels.

“We liked the holistic ecosystem approach that the MeraTractor team is using to solve structural issues in the used tractor space. It’s a unique niche within the broader agri-tech space that can have a substantial impact in democratising tractor ownership” said the lead investors.

Agritech start-up, MeraTractor is trying to create an entire ecosystem to become a one-stop solution for all stakeholders engaged in the farm mechanisation sector. Despite being asset-light, the company, which is a dealer-owned and company-operated model, controls the entire transaction and creates a sustainable business proposition for farmers, dealers, financiers and new tractor OEMs. Its dealership network is based out of rural locations which are slated to eventually become its gateway for tapping into the entire rural business opportunities related to them.

Commenting on the problem that the start-up is trying to solve, Sajith Abraham Co-founder MeraTractor said “There has been significant work in crop cultivation, in ensuring better yield, farm gate solutions and a push from the government to improve farmer income. However, farm mechanisation for Indian farmers of which over 85 percent are smallholders, has been vastly missed out because of purchase capabilities. This creates challenges starting from discovery, financial facilities, and other key milestones in the process, making it difficult for an unassuming farmer. As a solution, MeraTractor is looking at bridging the gap between a smallholder farmer and access to farm mechanisation/financial products.

Highliting the opportunities that lay ahead, Monak Gohel, Co-founder MeraTractor said, the farm mechanisation sector is on the verge of massive disruption and has created an environment or innovation that will help start-ups like MeraTractor address the inefficiencies in the sector. We believe farm power is an essential input in Agriculture; hence, we are excited about the fundraise as it will help us accelerate our journey in growing the network further by tapping into massive rural business opportunities that lie ahead.

Newly raised funds to be utilised as

CS-MAP is a participatory approach that integrates local knowledge and science-based researches in developing maps of climate-related risks and adaptation plans for crop production

To provide technical support on participatory climate-risk mapping and adaptation planning, the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR) Initiative on Asian Mega-Deltas conducted a training workshop on Climate-Smart Mapping and Adaptation Planning (CS-MAP) for local research partners in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The workshop introduced the CS-MAP approach as the tool for conducting the mapping activities in the AMD target provinces in Cambodia, such as Kandal, Takeo, Prey Vieng, and Svay Rieng.

Developed and implemented by the Department of Crop Production of Vietnam and the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security in Southeast Asia from 2016 to 2020, CS-MAP is a participatory approach that integrates local knowledge and science-based researches in developing maps of climate-related risks and adaptation plans for crop production, suitable to location-specific conditions. It has been effectively implemented in five ecological regions of Vietnam, including the Mekong River Delta region, in order to help farmers mitigate climate-related risks, such as flooding, drought and salinity intrusion.

Bui Tan Yen, Senior Scientist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) – Vietnam, emphasised that “CS-MAP is the methodology and not the maps”. He shared that CS-MAP takes into consideration the local specific conditions and the conflicts in natural resources management, and support climate-smart management of food production.

Yen also explained the scientific basis of implementing CS-MAP in Cambodia’s context. He presented the historical statistics of climate-related risks in Cambodia and current gaps in risk management in agriculture. He also demonstrated how multiple layers including spatial risk data, land cover, main food products and other spatial data are combined to produce the base-map for the participatory CS-MAP process.

To give a better context of the local food systems and vulnerability risk in the targeted provinces in preparation for CS-MAP activities, Trang Vu, Associate Scientist at IRRI Vietnam, presented the findings of the AMD team’s field visits to Kandal and Takeo provinces in October 2022. She reported on the key agricultural products (i.e., rice, vegetables, fish, and poultry) and main climate-related risks that had strong effect on agricultural production (i.e., drought, flood), as well as the current system for disaster warning and response in these areas.

Trang also discussed the four supporting tools for participatory discussion and mapping, such as focus group discussion, key informant interview, climate risk listing, and pairwise ranking. These are the tools to be used in conducting the participatory mapping process.

Using hands-on approach, Yen introduced each of the steps in the CS-MAP process, including the objectives, outputs, methods, required materials and equipment, and specific activities for each step. The participants were divided into two groups to practice developing risk map and adaptation plans for Kandal Stueng district and S’ang district of Kandal province. They were also given the opportunities to lead the facilitation, especially the participants from Department of Agricultural Land Resources Management (DALRM) – General Directorate of Agriculture, WorldFish Cambodia, and IRRI Cambodia, as they will lead the CS-MAP process in the four AMD target provinces

In her closing remarks, Rica Joy Flor, Innovation Systems Scientist at IRRI Cambodia, said that the workshop is a great start for the participants to make a solid contribution to the AMD initiative. She stressed that “now we have the tools and the capacity in us to bring this down (the CS-MAP process) to the level of our partners in the provinces.” She encouraged all the participants to work on this together to deliver results that can be shared at the national level and can influence the production systems at the farmers’ level.

CS-MAP is a participatory approach that integrates