START commissioned and managed research awards on the theme of climate change, agriculture and food security in Africa, with support from CDKN. The research call focused on the sustainability of ecosystem services in Africa, and how these underpin human development.

The research call aimed to commission high quality, independent, policy-relevant and credible research to:

• support policy making for sustainable development in the region;
• build the capacities of regional research partners to conduct high level research;
• create a platform for knowledge sharing at the regional level.

The US National Science Foundation and CGIAR’s Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) programme are co-funding the research call.

CDKN supported 16 awards on the implications of global environmental change for agriculture and food security in Africa, for a total value of £300,000. These 16 awards range from research on variable water security and its impact on African agriculture, to the productivity of forest ecosystems, to ecosystem services and future prospects for Africa’s drylands in a changing climate.

CDKN supported START’s core costs and a regional learning forum.

For full details of the CDKN-supported research awards on climate change, agriculture and food security in Africa, download our pdf here.