Decision and Policy Analysis Research Area

Agricultural landscapes are changing rapidly. Farmers and policy makers need innovative tools and technologies to tackle the challenges of climate change, highly dynamic markets, and increasing pressures on natural resources.

Climate Change
The climate change theme aims to develop and implement novel analysis methods for guiding policies and decisions related to adapting tropical agriculture to the challenges ahead. This involves the ex ante assessment of likely impacts of climate change on agricultural productivity, ecosystem services and livelihoods. Subsequently, we analyze adaptation options to identify the best-bet policies and actions to enhance or maintain rural livelihoods despite a hostile future climate. More... 

Ecosystem Services
The ecosystem services theme aims to better understand the impacts and consequences of introducing ecosystem service management regimes in a landscape, and identify the most appropriate means by which we can ensure the optimal social, environmental and economic benefits. The theme seeks to analyze cases across the Andes and Amazon and extract lessons from policies that work for promoting the conservation and sustainable use of ecosystem services to the benefit of the poor, and secondly the output develops specific tools and methodologies for quantifying ecosystem service flows and valuing them to a variety of stakeholders across institutions and landscapes. More...

Linking Farmers to Markets
We are mobilizing efforts to promote eco-efficient agricultural science for the global poor living in the tropics. With over 3 billion of the world’s poorest directly involved in agriculture, the Markets for the Poor theme at CIAT is addressing the gap between poor farmers and market access. CIAT works in concert with a range of partners on these topics with the goal of applying targeted research capacity to drive systemic change. More...

Impact Assessment
To maximize the impact and returns on investments made in the agricultural research and development activities executed by CIAT, all phases of a project must be analyzed and assessed. Resources will therefore be used more efficiently; methodologies will continue to be improved and developed; and, most significantly, the interests of the poor will be increasingly incorporated into the design and implementation of research and development projects. More... 

Geodata
Researchers turn data into information, knowledge and insights. This section covers data development, methods, information and communication technologies (ICT) and knowledge management (KM). More...

·       Capacity Strengthening and Knowledge Management
CIAT is a living and adaptive organization of excellence that strengthens capacity, stimulates learning, and shares knowledge. For 40 years, CIAT has generated great impact through its activities to strengthen the capacity of agricultural institutions in developing countries. More than 10,000 professionals from Latin America, Africa, and Asia have benefited from training at CIAT through specialized courses, group events, individualized training, or thesis work. More ...

Participatory Research and Gender Analysis Initiative
Involving farmers, both male and female, is essential to improving agricultural research. The PRGA Program works across all CIAT research areas to make sure we develop the most relevant technologies to help farmers improve food production for all. More...