A Comparative Study of Agricultural Measures in National Adaptation Plans

Abstract

This thesis looks at the degree to which contemporary states have made plans to invest in regenerative agriculture. It assesses 59 countries’ National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), each part of a voluntary process created in 2011 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. After selecting 10 NAPs with the most detailed proposals to increase the resilience and sustainability of their nations’ food systems, a case study of each is presented. A set of standardized questions guides this qualitative inquiry into the documents’ adaptation measures in the sector of agriculture. Cases are then compared to one another, resulting in a list of topics that encompasses what these nations aim to accomplish. Finally, the topics are compared to a list of policy options that the World Wildlife Foundation and Climate Focus developed, in cooperation with other organizations, toward the same goal of resilient agriculture. Five lessons learned are then discussed followed by a conclusion that includes recommendations for further research.