Agriculture represents the single most important sector in the economy of many low-income countries, and 75 per cent of the world’s population is engaged in related activities (UNFCCC, 2006). In acknowledgement of the sector’s vulnerability to climatic impacts (IPCC, 2014), countries have prioritised agriculture as a critical focus for climate change adaptation. Technologies are often highlighted as a crucial resource for ensuring effective adaptation in agriculture. Their role has been emphasised in the Fifth Assessment Report of Working Group Two of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC WGII AR5) (IPCC, 2014), and the agriculture sector has been prioritised by 84 per cent of Parties in their Technology Needs Assessments (TNAs) (UNFCCC, 2013).
The Technology Executive Committee (TEC) has recognised the need for appropriate policies to support countries in applying adaptation technologies to meet the objectives of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This brief has primarily been developed for policy makers within national and local government institutions. It draws upon lessons learned from various relevant experiences and provides recommendations for policy makers, incorporating consideration of the principles of effective adaptation (outlined in Section C-1 of the Technical Summary of the IPCC WGII AR5) and TNA recommendations for practitioners and policy makers (highlighted in the United Nations Environment Programme’s TNA Guidebook on Technologies for Climate Change Adaptation in the Agricultural Sector). Similarly, the water sector has been prioritised as a focus for policy development and a separate policy brief for this sector can be referred to for further understanding of the symmetries, co benefits and integration between the two sectors