Mainstreaming Climate Smart Agriculture into a regional policy in a fast-track formulation process: lessons from the Centro American Region

Mainstreaming climate solution in policy is key for transformation of agriculture in climate change context. Rapid policy changes are necessary to cope such urgent issue. While role of science in mainstreaming climate change process is widely recognized at international and national level, especially for raising awareness and agenda setting, the role science for policy construction has been further less analyzed. In this communication, we analyze the successful case of the rapid formulation and adoption of climate-smart agriculture approach by Central American governments, as a way to address both adaptation and mitigation issues while promoting agricultural development. By mobilizing analytical frameworks that combine policy process and policy-oriented research literature, we identify key factors that enabled this particular process. These factors encompass a combination of long and short terms characteristics of the regional policy arena, and science policy dialogue, as well as, engagement relationships and methodological features. Findings aim to provide lessons learned that feed the science-policy dialogue to jointly contribute to agricultural transformation in a climate change context