Author Archives: Michael Hoevel

CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS)

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The Challenge: The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) works to catalyse positive change for climate-smart agriculture. They approached Marchmont for support with launching a report that explored the effectiveness of weather-based index insurance schemes.

Our Approach: To achieve this, Marchmont:

  • Led media outreach for the report and planned the launch of the report at a high-level event in London.
  • Produced a cartoon-style infographic that explained the basics of weather-based index insurance and synthesised key findings of the report. These assets were also launched at the event.

Outcomes:

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

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The Challenge: The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) aims to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries. They approached Marchmont for support with translating and disseminating world-class policy research to more general audiences in order to drive action.

Our Approach: To achieve this, Marchmont:

  • Led media planning and pitching efforts for IFPRI’s “Food Security in a World of Natural Resource Scarcity” report and ran their press office at the 2014 “Building Resilience for Food and Nutrition Security” conference in Ethiopia.
  • Curated digital assets such as an animated video and infographic to help launch the “Food Security in a World of Natural Resource Scarcity” report.
  • Facilitated various workshops for IFPRI including a “Communications 101” workshop and a “Writing for the web” workshop for their in-house communications team in Washington DC.

Outcomes:

  • Secured a number of top-tier media placements including the Wall Street Journal,  The Telegraph, the Financial Times, SciDev.Net,  and Reuters AlertNet.
  • Received positive feedback from workshop participants in the in-house communications team in Washington DC.

Future Earth

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The Challenge: Future Earth is a global network of scientists, researchers, and innovators collaborating for a more sustainable planet. They approached Marchmont for help with launching a series of research reports including the “Global Carbon Budget” report and their “Strategic Research Agenda”, which outlined the need for a step-change in global research for sustainable development.

Our Approach: To achieve these objectives, Marchmont:

  • Led media planning and pitching efforts connecting key items from the ‘Strategic Research Agenda’ to existing news events, such as the Ebola crisis and the UN climate talks.
  • Translated complex scientific language from the ‘Global Carbon Budget’ report into easily-understandable but accurate media-facing messages.

Outcomes: The report received coverage from a range of top-tier media including the Guardian, BBC, Reuters, Huffington Post, Business Fights Poverty and Devex.

Fossil fuels untapped
The four largest CO2 emitters

Agriculture for Impact

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The Challenge: Agriculture for Impact, is an independent advocacy initiative based at Imperial College London that aims to enable better European government support for productive, sustainable, equitable and resilient agricultural development in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing in particular on the needs of smallholder farmers. They approached Marchmont for support with research and writing work, developing and executing a communications strategy and curating their visual identity.

Our Approach: To achieve these objectives, Marchmont:

  • Led strategic planning and messaging workshops to curate a communications strategy for the advocacy initiative.
  • Supported research and writing work, including providing grant-writing support.
  • Planned and implemented a complete redesign of Agriculture for Impact’s visual identity, including developing a new website.

Outcomes:

  • Marchmont developed a new website and online database for Agriculture for Impact.
  • Secured hundreds of pieces of top-tier media coverage for their report launches, which have informed policymaking in the UN, European Commission, France and the UK, as well as the African Union over the years.