WBCSD, WRI, WFP and others joining forces with the Global Commission on Adaption to develop an investment blueprint for financially sustainable digital advisory services

Most smallholder farmers find themselves and their livelihoods increasingly affected by climate change and variability, particularly rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and shifting pest and disease dynamics. Relevant climate information, together with agricultural and market information, is often not accessible by those who need it most. Even when this information is accessible, often it is not in a format or delivery method that promotes and sustains engagement and therefore, has minimal impact. While the market for digital advisory services has boomed over the past decade better coordination is needed to ensure these services are effective, scalable, sustainable over time, and developed with key principles of accessibility, transparency, and accountability in mind. It is to address this that the Global Commission on Adaptation has recently partnered with the World Resources Institute, the World Food Program, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and Columbia University to develop an Investment Blueprint for Climate-informed, Digital Agricultural Advisory Services, with the goal to increase the resilience of at least 100 million smallholders globally. Through an extensive process of landscape mapping, expert consultations and focus group discussions, the partners behind the Investment Blueprint have spent the last few months identifying and highlighting persistent challenges and key successes. This will enable the team to better understand and address pathways to long-term financial sustainability, institutionalization and governance, quality assurance, public-private partnerships, and engagement at scale by the final users The Blueprint will be developed and peer reviewed over the summer and months, and presented as a key outcome during the January 2021 virtual Climate Adaptation Summit.