The World Bank Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) (P173398) Appraisal Environmental and Social Review Summary Appraisal Stage (ESRS Appraisal Stage) Public Disclosure Date Prepared/Updated: 10/26/2020 | Report No: ESRSA01128 Oct 27, 2020 Page 1 of 9 The World Bank Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) (P173398) BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country Region Project ID Parent Project ID (if any) Western Africa AFRICA WEST P173398 Project Name Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) Practice Area (Lead) Financing Instrument Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Agriculture and Food Investment Project 10/22/2020 11/24/2020 Financing Borrower(s) Implementing Agency(ies) International Center for International Crops Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Public Disclosure Proposed Development Objective The Project Development Objective is to strengthen the capacity of targeted CCAFS (CGIAR Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security) partners and stakeholders, and to enhance access to climate information services and validated climate-smart agriculture technologies in IDA-eligible countries in Africa. Financing (in USD Million) Amount Total Project Cost 60.00 B. Is the project being prepared in a Situation of Urgent Need of Assistance or Capacity Constraints, as per Bank IPF Policy, para. 12? No C. Summary Description of Proposed Project [including overview of Country, Sectoral & Institutional Contexts and Relationship to CPF] AICCRA will fill a critical gap in the research-into-development continuum by helping climate information services (CIS) and climate-smart agriculture (CSA) innovations developed with input from CGIAR Centers and strategic partners reach end users. The project will support research, knowledge exchanges, and capacity building activities, to enable research and extension service providers at regional and national-level access knowledge, technologies, and decision Oct 27, 2020 Page 2 of 9 The World Bank Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) (P173398) making tools needed to produce climate advisories and make them available to end users, along with information about proven CSA innovations. The project will foster partnerships between CGIAR Centers and regional and national institutions, universities, public agencies, and private firms, for the purpose of building or strengthening platforms for the generation, exchange, and transmission of climate-informed advisory services, as well as increasing awareness of proven CSA technologies. The project will work in selected countries in Western, Eastern and Southern Africa that are particularly vulnerable to climate change and where CGIAR science has the greatest chance of producing transformational results. D. Environmental and Social Overview D.1. Detailed project location(s) and salient physical characteristics relevant to the E&S assessment [geographic, environmental, social] AICCRA funds predominantly “soft activities” such as knowledge generation and transfer, capacity building, and technical assistance. A negative list will be used to preclude investment of IDA funds in large scale works or other activities that could generate significant adverse social or environmental impacts. It supports overall the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) in Africa with an initial focus on 6 countries (Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Senegal, Mali, and Zambia). AICCRA consists of four components as follows: (i) Component 1 will support generation and sharing of knowledge and tools to address critical gaps in the provision of agricultural climate services, enable climate-informed investment planning, and contribute to the design of policies to promote uptake of CSA practices. It will generate new knowledge to enable improved targeting at regional level by public agencies and private firms of CIS and CSA technologies, and it will strengthen existing or build new delivery platforms to ensure that this new knowledge will be accessible to relevant users throughout Africa; (ii) Component 2 Public Disclosure will support building of partnerships and networks to strengthen capacity of key regional and national institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) along the research-to-development continuum to anticipate climate effects and to accelerate the identification, prioritization, and uptake of best-bet adaptive measures. A particular focus will be on planning and implementing appropriate delivery channels to promote the flow of innovative knowledge and decision support tools generated under Component 1, via regional and national partners drawn from the public and private sectors and from civil society; (iii) Component 3 will contribute to African-led initiatives being pursued at regional level to promote investment in CIS and validated CSA technologies at scale. Through collaboration with regional and sub-regional organizations and networks, AICCRA will leverage continental and regional big-ticket opportunities on CSA and CIS and facilitate scaling through regional bodies and implementation agencies. Through collaboration with national agencies, it will support the validation of CSA technologies in the field, including validation for gender and social inclusion; linking of validated CSA technology packages to technology transfer systems; and improving access by farmers and other value chain actors to climate-informed agricultural advisory services that will help them make better decisions about choice of technology and enterprise management. It will inform the planning and implementation mechanisms of regional bodies, financing and implementation agencies (e.g., African Union New Partnership for African Development (AU-NEPAD), World Bank, Africa Development Bank, World Food Program (WFP)), and African units of major private sector initiatives (e.g., through the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)); (iv) Component 4 will support project management functions. Consistent with the objective of strengthening systemic capacity in CGIAR, project management activities will be distributed among several CCAFS partners. CIAT as the Lead Center for CCAFS and recipient of the IDA grant will hold ultimate accountability for technical, administrative, fiduciary, legal, and safeguards compliance functions. The CCAFS Program Management Committee (PMC) and its Program Management Unit (PMU) will provide oversight of the technical work program, ensure coordination among and between the implementation entities, and supervise monitoring and evaluation Oct 27, 2020 Page 3 of 9 The World Bank Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) (P173398) activities and compile consolidated M&E reports documenting progress achieved. Under the shared accountability approach, the CCAFS implementation entities will be expected to comply with all applicable administrative, fiduciary (procurement and financial management), monitoring and evaluation, and safeguards requirements, and they will be responsible for providing information needed by the CCAFS management team and by CIAT to ensure compliance with the terms of the IDA grant. D. 2. Borrower’s Institutional Capacity The Project will strengthen systemic capacity to promote climate adaptation in agriculture and promote dissemination of the results of CGIAR climate research throughout Africa region. The project will strengthen links between regional economic communities, research organizations, climate/ meteorological agencies and farmer organizations in the targeted countries throughout Africa. These agencies have strong relationships with National Agriculture Research Services (NARS), private inputs suppliers, and civil society organizations. The Project will promote strong partnership with regional organizations such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research for Development (CORAF), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and with the private sector. The borrower for this IDA funding is the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), which serves as Lead Center for CCAFS. CIAT will on-grant IDA funds via MoUs (known as Program Performance Agreements – PPAs) to other CGIAR Centers that are partners in CCAFS, including the International Center for Research on the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), which will serve as the regional implementation entity responsible for many activities in Western Africa, and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), which will serve as the regional implementation entity responsible for many activities in Eastern and Southern Africa. CIAT as the IDA grant recipient and Lead Center for CCAFS will be accountable to the Bank for fiduciary and safeguards compliance, with day-to-day responsibility for fiduciary management and reporting, Public Disclosure and safeguards implementation and monitoring delegated to the CGIAR Partner Centers. This will require the Partner Centers to strengthen their existing fiduciary and safeguards systems. In order to strengthen its ESF capacity, one environmental specialist and one social specialist, with support from consultants, as necessary, will be recruited by CIAT and based in ICRISAT and ILRI. II. SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL (ES) RISKS AND IMPACTS A. Environmental and Social Risk Classification (ESRC) Moderate Environmental Risk Rating Moderate The TA will support agricultural research and innovations that among other aspects will focus on how to increase productivity on existing farm land and improve efficiency in the use of land and agricultural inputs to secure food while contributing to environmental goals. The activities supported by AICCRA are predominantly “soft activities” such as knowledge generation and transfer, capacity building, and technical assistance concerning agricultural innovation and research linked to adaptation to climate change. Overall, the TA outcomes will support policies and institutions and Governments to operate across the agriculture–environment nexus and build capacity on the ground as agricultural scientists and researchers engage with farmers and communities to address problems of achieving short-term production goals for food security while ensuring long-term sustainability. Any negative irreversible impacts on environment of different combinations of technologies and research activities on the agriculture will not be funded under this TA (as such a “negative” list of activities will guide CIAT and other AICCRA funds receivers such as scientific communities when approving or implementing research activities and tasks that might adversely affect biodiversity conservation or sustainable management of living resources and cultural heritage will be restricted). Oct 27, 2020 Page 4 of 9 The World Bank Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) (P173398) Some environmental risks linked to research trial process in existing research stations may be related to waste management, pest management, resource use (including water, soil, energy) and environmental health and safety (EHS) issues yet these will be of Low to Moderate level. Given that CIAT and the participatory centers are not familiar with ESF aspects, the environmental risk of this TA is considered Moderate. Social Risk Rating Moderate Per the Project's negative list, the Project will not finance activities that involve land acquisition, restrictions on land use and involuntary resettlement. It will also not finance activities that adversely affect livelihoods are affect land tenure arrangements. The Project will be implemented mainly in established agricultural research stations. The project has few social risks; these will be managed through the project’s environmental and social management system, which includes an environmental and social risk management guide for Grant recipients that has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the ESF. These include labor arrangements, stakeholder engagement and public consultation, grievance redress and sexual exploitation and abuse/sexual harassment (SEA/SH). B. Environment and Social Standards (ESSs) that Apply to the Activities Being Considered B.1. General Assessment ESS1 Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts Overview of the relevance of the Standard for the Project: The support to CGIAR under AICCRA will promote innovations in agriculture that would contribute to producing more Public Disclosure food (especially during emergencies and food crises times such as health pandemics or locust infestations) without increasing environmental pressures. Research activities will take place at agricultural research institutions and in selected farmers’ fields nearby (following some additional due diligence on environmental and social risks and impacts). The funded technical assistance is expected to support innovations at the scale of the agronomic system, the landscape, and the institutional environment. The activities will also promote evidence on the role of biodiversity in supporting progress toward higher crop yields and ensuring greater system resilience. As such, CIAT (through its implementing agencies) will endorse research activities under this TA that will underpin innovations to allow more food and biofuel to be produced in ways that alleviate rural poverty, improve diets and health, and support the environmental assets. The approach to implementation of environmental and social risk management measures is that of putting in place and continually strengthening an environmental and social management system in line with the requirements of the Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework (ESF). CIAT, with support from the Bank, will prepare an Environment and Social Risk Management (ESRM) Guide, which will be included in the Project Operations Manual. The guide will address environmental and social risks and impacts in the project and provide requirements and tools for CIAT and the institutions receiving grant funding from CIAT. This includes: screening tools; appropriate and proportional mitigation measures, based on the ESF, the Bank’s Environmental Health and Safety Guidelines (EHSGs) and Good International Industry Practice (GIIP); monitoring and evaluation; and capacity-building. Simple Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs) or ESMP Checklists, Pest Management Plans (PMPs), Labor Management Procedures and local Stakeholder Engagement Plans will be prepared by Grant recipients prior to the commencement of subprojects. In addition to preparing the ESRM Guide, the project will include: (i) Ex-ante review by CIAT of the environmental and social risks and impacts of CCAF’s work program, with support from the Bank; Oct 27, 2020 Page 5 of 9 The World Bank Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) (P173398) (ii) Ex-post review (annual environmental and social monitoring report) of IDA-funded activities, which includes information on sub-projects; and (iii) Explicit exclusion of activities on a "negative list" (e.g. no genetically modified organisms (GMOs), economic and physical displacement, adverse impacts on biodiversity and cultural heritage, unsustainable practices that may introduce invasive alien species, etc.). CIAT will be accountable for ensuring that agencies receiving grants undertake project and subproject activities according to the requirements of the ESRM Guide, which has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the ESF and international instruments related to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (International Plant Protection Convention, International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management, International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for food and Agriculture, The Global Plan of Action on Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, The Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources). The project's monitoring and evaluation system will track activities and flag environmental and social risks and impacts that need to be managed. ESS10 Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure The Bank and CGIAR counterparts will continue to design an impactful program that benefits Sub-Saharan Africa and promotes climate resilience, while complying with CGIAR and Bank policies and systems, by directly supporting the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) in Africa. CCAFS is an established multi-partner program involving numerous CGIAR research centers and multiple regional and local partners, Public Disclosure dedicated to mobilizing cutting-edge climate science for the benefit of vulnerable populations in Africa and worldwide. The project has prepared a SEP to ensure that CIAT and the other project stakeholders are regularly consulted about the project, and can provide input during project preparation and implementation. The SEP takes into into account social distancing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The SEP includes a grievance mechanism to address complaints. The project ESRM Guide includes measures for Grant recipients to prepare local SEPs and establish grievance mechanisms in conformity with the project SEP and GRM. B.2. Specific Risks and Impacts A brief description of the potential environmental and social risks and impacts relevant to the Project. ESS2 Labor and Working Conditions The ESS2 standard applies to staff working in CIAT on the project. CIAT is preparing Labor Management Procedures which address terms and working conditions, equality of opportunity, workers' associations, grievance redress and include provisions that do not allow for forced or child labor. The project includes measures to address OHS (e.g. pesticide and fertilizer use, equipment use) and SEA/SH risks. The project also includes a grievance mechanism for labor complaints. The ESRM Guide includes labor management procedures for employees of agencies receiving grants under the project, based on the provisions of ESS 2 summarized above, and taking into account national law and regulations. The draft LMP for CIAT will be disclosed before approval of the project. ESS3 Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention and Management Oct 27, 2020 Page 6 of 9 The World Bank Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) (P173398) The ESS3 standard is relevant. The Project will finance agricultural technologies that will promote more efficient use of resources and will support improvements in achieving water and fertilizer use efficiency especially at the level of small-scale farmers to ensure land conservation and productivity. The TA may fund relevant capacity building and training on proper use of fertilizers for farmers (e.g., use of nitrogenous fertilizer is essential for modern agriculture, yet its misuse has negative impacts on water quality and climate through emissions). A Capacity building program supported will also be tailored to provide lessons to users on how to efficiently manage scarce resources and share international good knowledge on technological innovations in water management. The project does not have high water demand and is not going to support any large investmets in irrigation sector, therefore no detailed water balance is needed to be prepared for this operation. The ESRM Guide proposes mitigation measures to possible natural resorce depletion and to pollution prevention and management isssues as relevant to ESS3 requirements including water use, air pollution, and waste management. These will also be inlcuded in the ESMPs and followed during project activities. Linked to pest management and use of fertilizers, the ESRM Guide also provides safety measures while handling treated seeds and applying pesticides and a template for the Pest Management Plan (PMP) to be used by farmers/agricultural research institutions. The grant recipients will acknowledge and follow the existing national pest management framework and plans, other national Guidelines such as the Biosafety and Biosecurity Guidelines, which some research centers have developed already, the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management, FAO Guidelines, as well as the WBG’s Environmental Health and Safety Guidelines (EHSGs) and Good International Industry Practice (GIIP). ESS4 Community Health and Safety Public Disclosure The ESS4 standard is relevant. The research supported might introduce or promote accidently new zoonotic diseases which could become a threat to communities while new plant diseases and invasive animals and plants may also challenge future food production. If research activities will include capacity building and training on fertilizers' use, communities and famers might be exposed indirectly to agriculture products/farm chemicals. Overall, the Project will provide research, education, and prevention activities that support the health and safety of agricultural workers and communities and will promote Environmental Health and Safety Guidelines (EHSGs) and Good International Industry Practice (GIIP). Project sites are expected to require some security measures. The project will ensure that these and other activities are managed so as not to harm staff or local populations. The project will also include measures to address SEA/SH risks. ESS5 Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement The Project will not finance activities that involve land acquisition, restrictions on land use and involuntary resettlement. Any trials in farmers' fields will exclude activities that negatively affect livelihoods or land tenure arrangements. ESS6 Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources The Project will not finance activities that will adversely affect biodiversity conservation or sustainable management of living resources. However, as the project supports research aiming to generate drought and pest-resistant seed varieties, multiplying, and making them available to farmers, it may pose some risks and impacts related to biodiversity and ecosystem services by introducing them. To minimize these risks the project ESRM Guide clearly Oct 27, 2020 Page 7 of 9 The World Bank Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) (P173398) specify the requirements for preventing them, as per FAO guidelines: http://www.fao.org/agriculture/crops/thematicsitemap/theme/biodiversity/en/). The ESRM Guide also includes capacity building measures aimed at following biodiversity indices (related to habitat set-asides, flora densities, and prohibition of high conservation value land) and building awareness about preventing natural resources depletion (e.g., reduce/eliminate agronomic practices such as mono-cropping, destruction of natural habitats, over-exploitation of natural stocks of fish and forests) in line wth ESS6 requirements and the international instruments related to plant and animal genetic resources for food and agriculture (IPPC, International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for food and Agriculture, The Global Plan of Action on Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, The Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources). ESS7 Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Local Communities The are no known IP/SSAUHUTLCs in the project area. Subprojects will be implemented mainly in established agricultural research stations. ESS8 Cultural Heritage The Project will not finance activities that affect cultural resources. The ESRM Guide includes procedures for “chance finds” which will also be included in site specific ESMPs and checklists. ESS9 Financial Intermediaries Public Disclosure The project does not meet the ESS9 standard criteria given the lack of an FI per se. B.3 Other Relevant Project Risks Not relevant. C. Legal Operational Policies that Apply OP 7.50 Projects on International Waterways No OP 7.60 Projects in Disputed Areas No B.3. Reliance on Borrower’s policy, legal and institutional framework, relevant to the Project risks and impacts Is this project being prepared for use of Borrower Framework? No Areas where “Use of Borrower Framework” is being considered: Not applicable. Oct 27, 2020 Page 8 of 9 The World Bank Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) (P173398) IV. CONTACT POINTS World Bank Contact: Irina I. Klytchnikova Title: Senior Economist Telephone No: +1-202-458-0292 Email: iklytchnikova@worldbank.org Contact: Michael Morris Title: Lead Agriculture Economist Telephone No: +1-202-458-1882 Email: mmorris3@worldbank.org Borrower/Client/Recipient Borrower: International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) Implementing Agency(ies) Implementing Agency: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) Implementing Agency: International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Public Disclosure V. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-1000 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects VI. APPROVAL Task Team Leader(s): Michael Morris, Irina I. Klytchnikova Practice Manager (ENR/Social) Maria Sarraf Cleared on 26-Oct-2020 at 19:53:9 GMT-04:00 Oct 27, 2020 Page 9 of 9