Increasing Inclusive Employment in Agriculture through Climate-Smart Agriculture

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to fostering sustainable development in developing and emerging countries. GGGI's mission is to advocate for "green growth," which includes economic advancement, environmental sustainability, poverty alleviation, and social inclusion. Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) is a transformative approach to addressing the dual challenges of climate change and food insecurity while fostering inclusive economic growth. By adopting CSA practices, countries can enhance agricultural productivity, build climate resilience, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions—all while creating dignified employment opportunities, particularly for rural communities. The Global Green Growth Institute actively supports investments in Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) projects across developing countries in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Additionally, GGGI conducts policy research to provide evidence that enables practitioners to understand the transformative potential of CSA in creating quality employment, uplifting rural communities, and driving inclusive development. Therefore, through the presentation of GGGI’s report: "Employment Impacts of Deploying Climate-Smart Agriculture Practices" and panel discussions with agricultural employment experts, this event will convene policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to highlight the employment potential of CSA and its role in inclusive green growth, share evidence-based strategies for scaling CSA adoption, and address challenges and opportunities in labor conditions, gender equity, and youth engagement in the agriculture sector. Objectives As agricultural systems face unprecedented climate stress, deploying Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices not only reduces environmental degradation but also creates dignified livelihoods through inclusive and high-quality employment. This side event seeks to highlight the relevance of CSA for sustainable economic growth by: Showcasing CSA’s potential in creating green jobs and boosting rural livelihoods through research evidence and case examples Discussing challenges in agricultural employment linked to climate change impacts and how CSA practices can improve labor conditions Informing about skilling/reskilling pathways and employment policies to drive CSA deployment/adoption. Highlighting the collaboration gaps between stakeholders - governments, educational institutions, farmers, and industry - to create an enabling environment and suitable workforce for CSA and greener agricultural value chains. Through this event, agricultural stakeholders will gain a deeper understanding of the importance and implications of implementing CSA practices to accelerate agricultural employment and achieve climate targets.