Smallholder farmers account for approximately 80% of the world's farmers and play a central role in food production in developing countries, yet they are among the most vulnerable to climate change. In many parts of Africa and the upland regions of Asia, continuous cultivation on marginal lands and dependence on rainfed agriculture have resulted in unstable yields and persistent malnutrition. As rising temperatures and greater rainfall variability threaten future agricultural productivity, there is an urgent need to transform traditional farming systems into climate-resilient systems that simultaneously improve productivity, nutrition, and profitability. This requires science-based adaptation strategies and practical implementation models.

The project develops and introduces technologies that improve sustainability, nutritional quality, and profitability for tropical smallholder farmers, transforming traditional farming systems centered on continuous upland cropping into more climate-resilient agricultural systems.

• Crop cultivation and soil management technologies to improve the sustainability and profitability of smallholder farming systems under climate change
• Improvement of nutritional quality and environmental adaptability through the utilization of crop genetic resources
• Development of food processing technologies that improve nutrition and reduce food loss among smallholder households
• Development of implementation models for introducing cultivation, varietal, and processing technologies that drive farming system transformation

Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Zambia, Thailand, Lao PDR

Smallholder farmers, extension organizations, research institutions, and international NGOs in the target countries and regions, as well as governments, research organizations, and smallholder farmers in similar agricultural environments across Africa and Asia

ISEKI Kohtaro (Biological Resources and Post-harvest Division)