{"id":1680,"date":"2026-04-18T15:06:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T14:06:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/global-development\/?p=1680"},"modified":"2026-04-18T15:06:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T14:06:10","slug":"picsa-in-2025-reflections-and-key-learnings-from-scaling-climate-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/global-development\/picsa-in-2025-reflections-and-key-learnings-from-scaling-climate-services\/","title":{"rendered":"PICSA in 2025: Reflections and Key Learnings from Scaling Climate Services"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Farming depends on the timing and reliability of the rains. But\u00a0with the dual challenges of\u00a0climate variability\u00a0and climate change, many smallholder farmers face\u00a0difficult decisions: when to plant, which crops to grow, and how to manage risk\u00a0in increasingly uncertain conditions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For more than a decade, researchers at the University of Reading have been working with partners\u00a0globally,\u00a0to address this challenge through the Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture (PICSA) approach. By combining climate information with participatory decision-making tools, PICSA helps farmers use data about their local climate to make informed choices about crops,\u00a0livestock\u00a0and livelihoods.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the past year, the\u00a0approach\u00a0has continued to expand its reach, strengthening partnerships, developing digital\u00a0tools\u00a0and supporting\u00a0tens of\u00a0thousands of farmers as they plan for increasingly uncertain seasons.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Scaling climate services through national systems\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

A major focus during 2025 has been strengthening the capacity of national extension systems to deliver digital climate services through\u00a0<\/span>E-PICSA<\/span><\/a>, the digital version of the approach, supported\u00a0by\u00a0the Fund for the Promotion of Innovation in Agriculture (i4Ag)\u00a0of Deutsche Gesellschaft f\u00fcr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During June and July 2025, the PICSA team worked with partners in Zambia to deliver a Master Trainer\u00a0workshop,\u00a0designed to equip national and provincial government staff with the skills needed to support large-scale implementation. These master trainers then cascaded the training through the agricultural extension system.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

In total, 150 Camp Extension Officers were trained, who\u00a0subsequently\u00a0delivered E-PICSA training to around 7,500 farmers ahead of the 2025\u201326 agricultural season\u00a0in Zambia.\u00a0This\u00a0brings\u00a0the total\u00a0number of extension staff\u00a0trained in E-PICSA\u00a0in Zambia and Malawi\u00a0since 2022 to 424,\u00a0and\u00a0the total number of farmers\u00a0that have\u00a0benefited to\u00a0almost\u00a030,000.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This training model remains central to PICSA\u2019s scaling strategy. By embedding climate services within national extension systems, the approach can reach far larger numbers of farmers than stand-alone projects<\/span>.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Expanding digital climate information\u00a0and\u00a0including\u00a0local languages\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alongside the training programme, the digital tools supporting PICSA have continued to develop.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The E-PICSA mobile application now provides farmers, extension\u00a0officers\u00a0and policymakers with access to historical climate data across a much wider range of locations. In Zambia, the number of available climate stations has grown from just two locations in 2023 to 41 locations by 2025, while 33 stations are now available in Malawi.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These datasets generate practical climate products such as rainfall graphs, start-of-season charts and temperature trends. Farmers use this information to better understand rainfall variability in their area, helping them decide which crop varieties to plant, whether to diversify livestock, or when to begin planting.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To make the tools more accessible, the app now includes step-by-step training videos\u00a0with participatory tools\u00a0and digital skills guides. These resources are available not only in English but also in seven Zambian and two\u00a0Malawian languages, helping ensure that the information can be used by farmers and extension\u00a0officers\u00a0across different regions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Evidence that the approach is working<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Alongside scaling and digital development, the team has continued to gather evidence on the impact of E-PICSA.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A recent evaluation conducted in Malawi and Zambia in 2025 surveyed more than 500 farmers who had received E-PICSA training through extension officers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In Malawi, 91% of farmers reported making at least one adaptation change following the training, including adjustments to crop choices, livestock\u00a0management\u00a0or diversification into other livelihood activities. Many also reported improvements in household wellbeing, with 88%\u00a0indicating\u00a0improved food security and 86% reporting increased household income.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In Zambia, 83% of trained farmers reported making adaptation changes, while 83% saw improvements in food security and 79% reported increased household income.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Using participatory study tools such as effects diagrams, qualitative evidence has been\u00a0collected\u00a0to understand\u00a0farmers\u2019 adaptation processes\u00a0resulting from\u00a0engagement with\u00a0PICSA.\u00a0For example, a\u00a0woman in\u00a0Nkhotakota\u00a0District, Malawi,\u00a0started a\u00a0tomato trading\u00a0business\u00a0as a result of\u00a0her participation in\u00a0E-PICSA training\u00a0in 2024. With the profits from her tomato business\u00a0over the previous 13 months, she\u00a0purchased\u00a0two smartphones for herself and her husband. She also\u00a0bought\u00a0a\u00a0piece of\u00a0land,\u00a0moulded\u00a0bricks,\u00a0and built a shop\u00a0which she now\u00a0rents\u00a0out.\u00a0Using\u00a0part of\u00a0the\u00a0profits, she sent four children to primary school and\u00a0expanded\u00a0her\u00a0farming activities to\u00a0introduce\u00a0more drought-tolerant crop, cassava.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

These findings reinforce the importance of making climate information accessible and usable for farmers\u2019 everyday decision-making.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sharing lessons internationally\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

During 2025, researchers from the University of Reading also shared insights from PICSA at major agricultural and climate events.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Graham Clarkson<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Rieko Shibata<\/span><\/a>\u00a0participated\u00a0in CGIAR Science Week, where they presented lessons from the implementation of PICSA and E-PICSA to international research organisations and development partners.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

The team also contributed to discussions at the Africa-Wide Agricultural Extension Week, organised by the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory\u00a0Services\u00a0(AFAAS), where stakeholders explored strategies for scaling participatory climate services across the continent.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

The event\u2019s communiqu\u00e9 recognised E-PICSA as a recommended approach for integrating climate services into agricultural extension systems in Africa.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Testing new ways to reach farmers\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Looking ahead, the team is exploring new ways to deliver PICSA tools directly to farmers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In early 2026, researchers Rieko Shibata and\u00a0<\/span>Amanda Caine<\/span><\/a>\u00a0followed up with smallholder farmers in Zambia who had been trained using a direct-to-farmer version of the E-PICSA app ahead of the latest agricultural season.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

This monitoring study is helping the team understand whether digital tools can complement current extension systems by enabling farmers to access climate inormation independently.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Supporting climate-informed farming decisions\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The continued development and expansion of PICSA and E-PICSA demonstrate how research partnerships can translate climate science into practical tools that support\u00a0strategic and\u00a0everyday decisions on farms.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By combining data, training and local knowledge, the approach is helping farmers move from uncertainty to informed planning,\u00a0strengthening resilience one season at a time.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Farming depends on the timing and reliability of the rains. But\u00a0with the dual challenges of\u00a0climate variability\u00a0and climate change, many smallholder farmers face\u00a0difficult decisions: when to plant, which crops to grow,…Read More ><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1193,"featured_media":1702,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"__cvm_playback_settings":[],"__cvm_video_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"coauthors":[46],"class_list":["post-1680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nPICSA in 2025: Reflections and Key Learnings from Scaling Climate Services - Global Development Research<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The University of Reading's PICSA approach is equipping tens of thousands of smallholder farmers in Zambia and Malawi with climate data and participatory tools \u2014 helping them make informed decisions on crops, livestock and livelihoods in an increasingly uncertain climate.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/global-development\/picsa-in-2025-reflections-and-key-learnings-from-scaling-climate-services\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"PICSA in 2025: Reflections and Key Learnings from Scaling Climate Services - 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