Abstract

The severity of the climate challenge requires a change in the climate response, from an incremental to a more far-reaching and radical transformative one.

There is also a need to avoid maladaptation whereby responses to climate risk inadvertently reinforce vulnerability, exposure and risk for some sections of society.

Innovative technological interventions are critical but enabling social, institutional and governance factors are the actual drivers of the transformative process.

Bringing about this transformation requires inter- and transdisciplinary approaches, and the embracing of social equity.

In this Perspective, we unpack what this means for agricultural research and, based on our collective experience, we map out a research agenda that weaves different research components into a holistic and transformative one.

We do not offer best practice, but rather reflections on how agricultural research can more readily contribute to transformative adaptation, along with the personal and practical challenges of designing and implementing such an agenda.

Conclusion

The severity of the climate crisis requires transformative adaptation, a process of societal, environmental, and economic change, in some cases radical change.

Addressing transformation through research requires a new way of working in terms of inter-disciplinary teams engaged with multiple stakeholders in transdisciplinary networks that increasingly include scientists and others from the Global South.

Furthermore, the goal of achieving greater justice through transformation means that social equity is intrinsic to any climate response. This implies foregrounding complex inequalities, ensuring the intervention itself does not contribute to maladaptation, and making political choices about the (re)distribution of benefits.

The challenge is a daunting one from the perspective of climate change research. It requires a transformation in the way that researchers 'do research', in terms of embedding their disciplinary expertise in an interdisciplinary team.

It also means broadening their research focus from one on technological innovations per se to working with policy and practitioner partners embedded within institutions that may be far removed from the transformations one wants to engender.

Fostering transformative adaptation may face strong opposition as is evident from efforts to introduce climate change policies during recent decades. Faced with such opposition, the most effective strategy may in the short-term be incremental changes that cumulatively add up to transformative change.

Using the example of one possible adaptation pathway integrating research, we outline an approach that seeks to chart a course through the challenging and unpredictable terrain that faces any researcher as s/he grapples with designing and implementing climate change research leading to systems transformation.

In the research process, technological innovations are still critical but attention to equity, scaling and sustainability relies on an enabling social, institutional and governance environment.

The identified adaptation pathway foregrounds social equity and includes reducing risk in food systems; mitigating conflict; informing policy through participatory scenarios; enabling multi-scale governance; and attracting much-need climate finance.

The focus on systems thinking and participatory, user-oriented science is critical but enormous challenges (and opportunities) remain.

Establishing the required inter- and transdisciplinary teams and connecting research to practice takes time; often far longer than three- or even five-year funding cycles.

Moving from research outputs to outcomes and impact is a precariously unpredictable and non-linear process that depends on decisions by multiple actors as impact pathways develop.

Climate change researchers are key actors in transformative adaptation; their contribution will be much enhanced by innovative thinking, bold action, reflective learning and upfront investment in fostering inter- and transdisciplinary teams that include a strong voice from low- and middle-income countries where climate change impacts are the most intense.

The formation of these teams almost inevitably exposes different levels of power among team members, requiring a greater emphasis on capacity building and empowerment to ensure genuine systematic co-production of knowledge.

Authors

• Jon Hellin
• Giriraj Amarnath
• Andrew Challinor
• Eleanor Fisher
• Evan Girvetz 
• Zhe Guo 
• Janet Hodur 
• Ana Maria Loboguerrero*
• Grazia Pacillo
• Sabrina Rose
• Tonya Schutz* 
• Lina Valencia
• Liangzhi You

*AICCRA contributors