Aug 27, 2024 | Blog, Featured

Africa’s food future depends on how we engage with the youth today

Agriculture is undoubtedly Africa’s biggest hope for economic transformation, and whatever decisions we make in the next few years will influence the continent’s destiny in the remaining decades of this century.

This is set against projections that Africa’s population will double to over 2.5 billion people by 2050, adding unprecedented pressures on the continent’s food systems and, to a great extent, its farmers, who will be required to double their production.

In anticipation of the expected demand, we agree that  as a continent, we must urgently begin identifying ways to transform our current and future food systems to produce sufficient quantities for our nutritional and economic needs.

Africa has all the required resources to transform its agricultural production to attain self-sufficiency and even have surpluses to trade with the rest of the world. Nearly 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land is in Africa, and so are some of the best soils and climatic conditions. But most importantly, Africa has the youngest population in the world, which gives it an edge in terms of the longevity of ambitions. Indeed, as of 2024, aproximately three quarters of the continent’s population are under 35 years of age . The African Development Bank further estimates that by 2063, young people will constitute half of Africa’s 2 billion working-age people.

Thankfully, this increasing but youthful population for the continent portends a huge opportunity to transform its agri-food systems. Today’s young people are increasingly exposed to the rest of the world through online technologies, and they are employing solutions that could solve Africa’s food challenges and learning from other countries and regions. The youth are tech savy, ambitious and eager to learn. Millions of them are also educated up to tertiary levels, although nearly 83% are unemployed, as revealed by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.

At the African Development Bank, we have already realised the opportunity the youth could bring to Africa’s food systems. We are working in collaboration with multiple partners, including governments and the private sector, to engage them.  Among our leading initiatives for tapping their interest is the Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy 2016–2025, which seeks to facilitate the creation of 25 million jobs and equip 50 million young people with employable skills by 2025. Under this programme, we have two major flagships that specifically relate to agriculture and food value chains, as outlined below:

The ENABLE Youth program, an initiative from the African Development Bank ,  helps young African men and women access financing to grow their enterprises. Currently active in 15 countries with investments exceeding $490 million, and benefiting around 40,000 youths, the program has emerged as a transformative force in fostering entrepreneurship and tackling youth unemployment. . One beneficiairy of the Program, Adja Sembene Fall, a Senegalese youth entrepreneur run a start-up selling luxury tea brands. Adja participated in Enable Youth’s annual AgriPitch Competition In 2022 and won USD 25,000.  “the 2022 AgriPitch Competition helped  me to develop new distribution partnerships, as well as acquire new customers. Since my participation, I have strengthened my team by setting up a processing unit. Today, we have enabled four women in our community to develop a fixed monthly income. The media exposure that I received from this competition has expanded my professional network and led to a 100% increase in sales.” says Adja

we should see more examples like Adja’s and scale up this kind of Initiatives.

the Skill Enhancement Zones  are part of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones initiative. The Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) are agro-based spatial development initiatives from the African Development Bank, designed to concentrate agro-processing activities within areas of high production, processing and marketing of selected commodities. These zones create demand-led training and job placement programs within industrial clusters and parks anddesigned to develop a workforce aligned with employers’ needs.

Aside from these flagships, the Bank continues to support governments in implementing their national youth initiatives, including through financing that can be invested in innovative agribusiness start-ups and other projects with high growth potential. So far, we have seen some of our investments being used to:

  • Facilitate access to modern technologies, equipment, and machinery for enhanced agricultural productivity and value chain efficiency.
  • Deliver tailored training programs and mentorship to develop business skills and entrepreneurial acumen.
  • Strengthen value chains and promote market integration for agricultural products.
  • Promote sustainable agricultural practices and climate resilience among entrepreneurs.

The African Development Bank is always on the lookout for innovative partnerships that could accelerate the impact of its Funds, particularly in drawing more youth into agriculture and related value chains. We shall be exploring such partnerships and other strategies at the 2024 Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, from September 3 – 6. Ahead of this convening, we welcome ideas, investments, and other opportunities that will help drive our vision of a food-secure Africa led by youth initiatives.


Edson Rurangwa Mpyisi, Chief Financial Economist and Enable Youth Coordinator, African Development Bank.

Aug 22, 2024 | Featured, News

Prioritizing Youth and Women in Transforming Africa’s Food Systems

As of 2024, youth make up the largest share of Africa’s population – about 60 percent of the continent’s 1.2 billion people are below 25. However, together with women, who account for nearly half of the agricultural labour force, young people are among the most marginalized demographics, often left out of enhancement opportunities. Without the influential role of these two groups, it will be impossible to achieve sustainable development goals by 2030, especially ending poverty and hunger. At SNV, we recognize this reality. We are deliberate about implementing initiatives that include youth and women across all aspects of Africa’s food system transformation – from a position of contributing to influencing policy; facilitating accessing modern agricultural inputs and financial services to leadership in trade, including cross-border trade.

Our approach fosters the urgency, confidence and voice of young people through the development of soft skills, business acumen and technical skills. By facilitating access to markets, finance and assets, and by forging strategic partnerships, we help create an inclusive and sustainable environment. Our strategy focuses on amplifying the voice of youth, incorporating green and digital jobs, focusing on market sector growth, transforming systems, and promoting gender equality and social inclusion.

SNV prioritises youth employment and entrepreneurship in our work in Africa and Asia. Our engagement with youth includes a range of employment and entrepreneurship programmes in over 10 countries in Africa. Through these initiatives, we have supported livelihoods and enabled employment opportunities for more than 500,000 young people. A recent  long term follow up study  found indicative results of the long-term impact of the approach on the wellbeing of young women and men through increased income, diversified livelihoods and improved community influence and engagement.

In this article, we highlight some of our initiatives across Africa, showcasing our contribution to driving youth and gender inclusion.

Realizing Aspiration Youth in Ethiopia through Employment (RAYEE) – The RAYEE project, implemented in partnership with Mastercard Foundation aims to create meaningful employment in agriculture and agri-business for 240,000 young Ethiopians, with 70 percent of the target being women. The project assesses the skills required by employers and offers tailored training in  social and technical skills to young women and men. Additionally, trainees are connected to identified job opportunities. Through the project, SNV supports existing SMEs to expand job prospects for young people and provides business development services to help ambitious young entrepreneurs  start new enterprises. These services include training in business management, administration, and marketing, as well as improved access to inclusive financial services, input supply, and market information.

Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) – This initiative, an investment by the EU, aims to support at least 5,000 entrepreneurs and green SMEs in Ghana by enhancing their operations. Its objectives include facilitating the transition of local economies to green and climate-resilient development; improving employability and entrepreneurial skills by connecting individuals with market opportunities and providing mentorship for self-employment and enterprise development; and creating and strengthening local ecosystems that foster youth self-employment and the growth of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Climate Resilient Agribusiness for Tomorrow (CRAFT) – Implemented in collaboration with various partners, this initiative aims to enhance the inclusion of women in value chains across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. It seeks to empower women to adopt sustainable practices and improve their livelihoods through digital technologies. A key component of the program is improving access to information, particularly for women who lag in accessing and implementing smart agricultural practices like weather forecasting, soil testing, and crop selection. CRAFT partners with meteorological institutions in these countries to provide weather and climate information via SMS, a successful approach that has seen over 14,000 women in Tanzania benefitting from weather updates since 2018. Additionally, the CRAFT initiative aims to boost women’s access to finance by connecting them with financial institutions for credit and other financial services.

Enhancing Opportunities for Women’s Enterprises (EOWE) – Implemented between 2016 and 2020, the EOWE initiative aimed to support the start-up and growth of women’s businesses in rural areas of Kenya and Vietnam. The program focused on enterprise development, social transformation, and policy advocacy. It reached 22,000 female farmers and entrepreneurs by providing training in business and farming and improving their access to inputs, productive assets, finance, and markets, particularly in the context of climate change.

There are many other SNV initiatives across Africa, including in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, targeting women and youth enterprises Youth | SNV. We look forward to sharing the results of these projects at the 2024 Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, on 2-6 September. Join us in contributing to the dialogue and partnerships that will enhance the inclusion of women and youth in driving Africa’s food system transformation.

 

 

Jul 15, 2024 | Announcement, Featured, News

Celebrating the Top 24 Trailblazing Agripreneurs in the 2024 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition

– Innovative Ventures Led by Young Entrepreneurs from 17 African Countries Reach the Semi-Finals to Compete for US$100k Grand Prizes and US$60k Impact Awards 

– Co-founders Strive Masiyiwa and Svein Tore Holsether Applaud the Current Generation of Young Agrifood Leaders

[Kigali, Rwanda] July 12, 2024 – The GoGettaz community is thrilled to unveil the top 24 semi-finalists of the 2024 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition. This prestigious initiative, now in its 6th year, was founded to empower and celebrate Africa’s burgeoning agripreneurs and has become a beacon of innovation and opportunities across the continent.

The competition received nearly 2000 applications from across most African countries, with the 24 semi-finalists representing 17 African nations. GoGettaz is a transformative platform dedicated to nurturing young agrifood innovators across Africa. Since its inception in 2019, GoGettaz has played a pivotal role in identifying, supporting, and celebrating the continent’s most promising entrepreneurs driving sustainable change and economic growth through agricultural ventures spanning the whole agrifood value chain from seed to fork. By providing access to leadership development, global networks, and awards, GoGettaz empowers participants to grow their innovative ideas into impactful business enterprises that address pressing agricultural challenges and contribute to food security and job creation across the continent.

GoGettaz co-founder Strive Masiyiwa, Founder and Chairman of Econet Group, who served as Chair of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) for several years, commented, “This initiative embodies our commitment to nurturing Africa’s entrepreneurial talent. From the large pool of applicants this year, these 24 semi-finalists represent only a small cross-section of the continent’s visionary young entrepreneurs, a testament to the hope and talent of youth across Africa today. Their innovative agrifood businesses, and the impactful work of so many others who have taken part in the GoGettaz competition over the years, are crucial for growing prosperity and food security across the continent. Our GoGettaz entrepreneurs are not just sitting around waiting for problems to be solved; they are busy working to solve them – inventing climate-friendly solutions and using new technologies to tackle ages-old challenges in this critical sector.  We are so proud of them.”

Svein Tore Holsether, President and Chief Executive Officer of Yara International and GoGettaz co-founder added, “The impact of GoGettaz goes far beyond the competition itself, as we uncover more and more talent and innovation across Africa. I am thrilled with the quality of this year’s competitors and excited to see the opportunities and collaboration emerging to accelerate progress towards a more resilient and food-secure Africa. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the semi-finalists and commend them for the great work that they are doing.”

Meet the Top 24 Semi-Finalists: 

Mogale Maleka

Mogale Maleka

Agang Bokamoso Farms (AB Farms)

Samson Turimurukundo

Samson Turimurukundo

AGRI Organic Inputs

Salimata Toh

Salimata Toh

Agribanana

Lapaque Mbumba

Lapaque Mbumba

Antarctik

Marlène Kindji

Marlène Kindji

Badémè Natural Foods

Adeline Pelage

Adeline Pelage

Biscuiterie BOBO

Elhadji Malick Sagne

Elhadji Malick Sagne

Cactus Innovation

Amir Redwan

Amir Redwan

Chipchip

Tracy Mapfumo

Tracy Mapfumo

Eny’s Treats

Lesly Marange

Lesly Marange

GLYTIME FOODS PVT LTD

Deborah Nzarubara

Deborah Nzarubara

Grecom

Kidist Amedie

Kidist Amedie

Guaro Farms

Habib Mestiri

Habib Mestiri

Hayat Technology

Fatima El Khou

Fatima El Khou

Jafife

Sokayna Bellam

Sokayna Bellam

Jodoor

Iddi Mohamed Faried

Iddi Mohamed Faried

Kodu Technology

Tisya Mukana

Tisya Mukana

La BOITE

Mochesane Albert Mpali

Mochesane Albert Mpali

Lema Agriventures Pty Ltd

Irene Simon Ivambi

Irene Simon Ivambi

MREMBO NATURALS LIMITED

Mostafa Hassanen

Mostafa Hassanen

Plug N Grow

Charles Oyamo

Charles Oyamo

Rethread Africa

Riantsoa Mialinarindra

Riantsoa Mialinarindra

Sakafo Madagascar

Arristine Mendes

Arristine Mendes

SHADDAÏ AQUACULTURE

Emadago Oghenekevwe

Emadago Oghenekevwe

Valley Bee

Previous editions of the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition have produced remarkable success stories that illustrate its profound impact. Esther Kimani, a past winner, revolutionized farming practices in Kenya with her innovative pest detection technology. Her journey from competition winner to industry leader underscores GoGettaz’s role in fostering groundbreaking solutions and empowering agripreneurs to drive meaningful change in their communities.

The finalists are competing for two grand prizes of $50,000 each, and in addition to the grand prize, an additional $60,000 in Impact Awards to recognize ventures that notably benefit their communities and promote sustainable development goals. The prize is designed to propel ventures to new heights and amplify their impact. The rigorous selection process emphasized criteria such as innovation, market potential and traction, business model and founder and team. The high caliber of entries underscores the competitiveness and dynamism within Africa’s agripreneurial ecosystem.

Young agripreneurs and Pan-African agriculture ecosystems are encouraged to engage with the GoGettaz community and participate in future editions of the competition. Visit gogettaz.africa to learn more about the finalists and follow us on @GoGettazAfrica on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tik Tok and YouTube to join our mission of transforming African agriculture through innovation and entrepreneurship.

 

GoGettaz Co-Founders:

Yara International: https://www.yara.com/

Econet: https://www.econetafrica.com/

 

GoGettaz Partners:

Africa Food Systems Forum:  https://agrf.org/

Alliance for a Green Revolution Africa: https://agra.org/

Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions: http://www.sacau.org/

SNV Netherlands Development Organisation https://www.snv.org/

U.S. Agency for International Development: https://www.usaid.gov/

May 31, 2024 | Announcement, Featured

The Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS Forum) and Veteran Clubs World Championship (VCWC) Forge Strategic Partnership to Champion for Food Systems and Sport Development in Africa

The collaboration between VCWC and AFS Forum will leverage sports icons to drive policy advocacy and sustainably fortify Africa’s food systems.

Kigali, Rwanda – May 31, 2024 – The Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS Forum) and  Veteran Clubs World Championship (VCWC) have joined forces in a strategic partnership with the goal of harnessing the combined influence of sports and agri-food business to accelerate sustainable transformation of Africa’s food systems. The partnership, formalized through an agreement signed by both parties, seeks to harness the influence and audience of sports legends to champion impactful innovative  communication,    public  policies  on  sport  and  food  systems  nexus, investment  and  resource  mobilization  and  fostering  partnerships  aimed  at strengthening the sustainability of the African food system. As influential stakeholders  with  global  platforms,  the  AFS  Forum  and  VCWC acknowledged  the  intricate  relationship  between  food  systems  and  sports  in shaping Africa’s trajectory, with a particular emphasis on the vital role of youth engagement for  productive , healthier, nutritious, inclusive and  resilient food systems in the continent.

Speaking on behalf of the AFS Forum partners, Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA, highlighted the influence of sports legends, underscoring the profound influence of sports on Africa’s rural youth as well as the opportunities that food systems present for the young people . She stated, “African food systems are projected to become a trillion-dollar industry in the coming years driven by rapid  urbanisation across the continent. Connecting African youth to food systems given their agility and innovative  potential  will  be  hugely  transformative.  AGRA  and  the  AFS  Forum Partners  are  committed  to  harnessing  the  transformative  power  of  sports  by engaging  and  linking  rural  youth  to  these  opportunities.  This partnership stands as a win-win for sports, food systems, and health.” Dr. Kalibata expressed  her  desire  to  see  the  collaboration  amplifying  the  pace  of policy advancements  and  innovations  on  food  and  sport  nexus.  Additionally,  she emphasized leveraging the vast potential of sport legends to inspire, empower and elevate    African  youth  as  pivotal  drivers  in  transforming  the  continent’s  food systems.

Fred Siewe, President of the International Federation of Veteran Football (FIFVE) and Chairman of VCWC, expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “The VCWC is committed to harnessing the influence and audience of sports legends to contribute to sustainable development. By partnering with the AFS Forum, we can leverage both platform to advocate for positive change and empower youth and women across Africa.” He said Amath  Pathe  Sene,  Managing  Director  of  the  AFS  Forum,  supported  the complementarity of the two events scheduled for the same week in September.

He highlighted the interconnectedness of sports and nutrition, noting that sustained excellence  in  sports  often  requires  access  to  nutritious  and  healthier  food. “becoming a legend in sport requires top-level performance over many years. This cannot be achieved without nutritious and healthy food,” he said. Sene emphasized the value of partnering with VCWC to promote the values of sports while also exploring  opportunities  within  the  sports  business  sector.  “Sport  and  food  are interlinked, this partnership with VCWC will not only promote the values of sport but also showcase the opportunities through the business of sport,” he added.

The AFS Forum  and VCWC will coincide between Sep 1 to 10 Sep 2024 in Kigali, Rwanda, presenting a unique opportunity for synergistic action towards advancing global development goals. The partnership will  harness the collective  expertise, networks and platforms to facilitate investments in sustainable projects that will advance the livelihoods of small holder farmers and the food systems community.


About AFS Forum

The Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS Forum) is the world’s premier forum for African agriculture and food systems, bringing together stakeholders to take practical action and share lessons that will move African food systems forward. The Africa Forum is made up of a coalition of 28 institutions in African food systems all focused on putting farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economies.

www.agrf.org

About AGRA

AGRA  is  a  proudly  African-led  institution  focused  on  scaling  agricultural innovations  that  help  smallholder  farmers  towards  increased  incomes,  better livelihoods, and improved food security. AGRA’s mission is to transform the lives of smallholder farmers from that of a solitary struggle for survival to a business that thrives.

www.agra.org

About VCWC

VCWC  is  a  platform  for  sports  veterans  from  around  the  world  to  Connect, Collaborate, and Contribute to Sustainable development.

https://www.vcwc.network/

For media inquiries, please contact:

AFS  Forum  Press  Office:  Catherine  Ndungu,  Snr  Communications  Officer

cndungu@agra.org

VCWC Press Office: Info@vcwc2024.com

Mar 23, 2024 | Featured, News

Rwanda to host Africa food systems summit

The Africa Food Systems (AFS) Forum in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) will host the official launch of the Africa Food Systems Annual Summit 2024, on March 26, at the Kigali International Convention Center (KCC). AFS is the world’s premier forum for African agriculture and food systems, bringing together stakeholders to take practical action and share lessons that will move African food systems forward. The summit will be held from September 2 to 6, 2024, in Kigali.

Africa Food Systems Managing Director, Amath Pathé Sene, mentioned that the summit is timely this year, considering crises like Covid-19, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Israel-Hamas situation, and others impacting the African continent in various ways. “Currently we are still having issues in terms of food security and nutrition, but also jobs for youth and women which governments need to address, feeding your people and creating opportunity. There are challenges and gaps. It is only six years remaining to reach 2030 to achieve Sustainable Development Goals and one year for Malabo Declaration which must be accelerated,” he explained.

Under the Malabo Declaration, governments have to allocate at least 10 per cent of public expenditure to agriculture. However, Sene said that many countries are still lagging.

Africa Food Systems Managing Director, Amath Pathé Sene during the interview with The New Times. Photo by Emmanuel Dushimimana
Africa Food Systems Managing Director, Amath Pathé Sene during the interview with The New Times. Photo by Emmanuel Dushimimana

“Few of them—less than 10 out of the whole group—have reached that target and more is still needed. Apart from governments’ budget allocation, we still have a lot of gaps in private sector investments. Private sector investment is still very low in many countries. For instance, in Rwanda, agriculture loans are 6 per cent of total loans,” he said.

According to Oxfam International, the majority of African governments (48 out of 54) reportedly spend an average of 3.8 per cent of their budgets on agriculture—some as little as 1 per cent.

The goal of the forum is to scale up the continent’s efforts by drawing closer key stakeholders for a common purpose, to unleash the full potential of Africa’s millions of smallholder farmers and their families who earn their livelihoods from small-scale farms and produce about 80 per cent of the food and agricultural products consumed across the continent.

Only 1.7 per cent of total global climate finance is allocated to smallholder farmers.

“The sector requires innovative finance. For the simple reason, it is a risky sector on the African continent. There is a lot of gender and youth gap. Some of them do not own land or assets as well as technical capacity. The barriers need to be removed to help the system and enable a conducive environment.

“You can produce food but it needs to come to the market from the village to the city. The system needs to be connected. We need green and climate financing because when it is raining, or dry spells, we need to adapt better, we need blended finance, de-risking, public-private partnership,” he said.

Venture capital to support startups and other businesses with the potential for substantial and rapid growth, equity, loans, joint ventures, grants, and philanthropic resources are part of innovative financing to address food insecurity and create jobs for youth and women in agriculture, he said.

Sene said that there are huge opportunities for women and youth in agriculture. This is fundamental given Africa’s rapidly growing population – an estimated 440 million young people will enter the labour market in Africa by 2030 (IFAD 2023) – and the recent job losses caused by the pandemic.

“The sector can help us reverse our import bill which is currently at $60 billion and it will continue to grow if what is needed is not done at the country and continental level. We have to make sure that this sector is also modernised to attract young people and also reduce the burden of the work to women,” he said.

The summit will look at ways of increasing productivity through adequate financing, technical support, and capacity-building for smallholder farmers.

“We are in an era of urgency. The vulnerability of the continent to climate change is huge because we do not have the resources to deal with the shocks when there are droughts, floods, and landslides like last year in Rwanda. We really need to adapt to climate change. Countries have commitments on what to do every year. There are green funds to support countries. But the pledge has not yet been fulfilled,” Sene added.

Some of the expected September summit outcomes, he said, include learning from Africa’s food system, opportunities, collaboration and partnership between countries and continents, private sector players, farmers, new financing models to be shared, business opportunities for SMEs, access to latest technologies to be showcased, research products, deals to be signed, and more.

(article originally published: The New Times)

Dec 1, 2023 | Featured, Press Release

Opinion paper: The ‘Loss and Damage Fund’ must work for the most vulnerable.

Co-authored by Dr. Agnes Kalibata (President of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa) & Amath Pathe SENE (Managing Director of the Africa Food Systems Forum)

As the world converges in Dubai for COP28 today, the urgent need to massively scale up action to address the “loss and damage” from climate change becomes increasingly clear in developing countries. Climate change is now an undeniable reality, causing irreversible losses and damages to the most vulnerable communities, ecosystems, and regions around the world, particularly in Africa. The principle of “Loss and Damage” highlights the need to go beyond adaptation and mitigation and acknowledges the irreversible adverse impacts and the economic losses that is already under way as a result of years of inaction/ denial and lack of attention to climate change issues. Unfortunately, the most vulnerable countries in the world have the least ability to stop or even protect themselves from the impact of climate change. For these countries, a functional Loss and damage Fund will go a long way to help recover from damage and build some form of resilience.  Make no mistake, neither this fund nor anything for that matter can bring back life that is lost or recover years of livelihood that is lost in one night of a flood in Rwanda, Kenya, Pakistan or Bangladesh to name but a few.  So this is not about reparations.

It is now a very well-known fact that Africa has contributed very little to the climate crisis at less than three percent of global emissions.  Nonetheless, it is the continent that suffers the most from the losses and damages induced by climate change and has the least resilience and lowest adaptive capacities.

Home to over 1.4 billion people, Africa is the most vulnerable region in the world to climate change-induced natural disasters including extreme temperatures, recurring droughts, floods including riverine floods, dust storms, and heatwaves, as well as extreme weather events and rising sea levels. These impacts disproportionately affect vulnerable region such as the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and the countries along the Equator but also African communities, primarily smallholder farmers who represent 60 percent of the workforce in food systems value chains producing 70-80 percent of the continent’s food.

Climate change related damages are significantly pronounced in agriculture because of the sector’s dependence on rainfall in Africa. This affects not only livelihoods and food security, but also energy production, water resources, the environment, health, and the gross domestic product (GDP), particularly when the losses force governments to redirect public resources to food imports, social protection and food aid to address humanitarian crises and losses and damages caused by climate shocks. In the affected countries, where agriculture is a key sector (accounting for more than 43 percent of GDP in 2018), these impacts can reduce national GDP by up to four percent per year. Of course, this has now been exacerbated by COVID19 and the global security situation which has reduced average national GDP by up to 10%.

These adverse conditions and more frequent extreme climate events make it increasingly difficult for farmers to produce, store, and market food. Food shortages cause prices to rise and contribute to price volatility. This, in turn, fuels poverty and social and political marginalization, leaving a growing cohort of young people at risk and giving rise to violent extremism. Today, climate change has potentially far-reaching implications for national, regional, and global stability and security in economic, social, and environmental terms.

In the debate on the reform of the global financial system, it is also important to highlight the rising debt levels of African countries and the increasing frequency and severity of climate shocks that are slowing growth and eroding decades of developmental gains. The compounding nature of these challenges has deteriorated these countries’ public finances, weakening their resilience to climate shocks, and limiting their capacity to address losses and damages from climate impacts further. According to the IMF-World Bank Debt Sustainability Framework for Low-Income Countries (LIC-DSF), seven African countries are already in debt distress, 18 are at high risk, and 13, at moderate risk. In 2019, Cyclones Idai and Kenneth drove Mozambique’s public debt to almost 110 percent of its GDP, these difficulties are compounded by the impacts of more recent crises, namely the Russia-Ukraine and the Israel-Palestine wars and increasing dollar interest rates that are seriously undermining efforts of developing nations the most important SDGs of keeping poverty under check and the ability of nations to feed their people (SDGs 1 and 2).

At COP27, in Egypt last year, the decision to create the Loss and Damage Fund represented a historical breakthrough, as it recognized the injustice in the distribution of the burden and responsibility of copying with the impact of climate changes. The stated goal of the Loss and Damage Fund is to provide financial assistance to developing countries to deal with the negative consequences of climate change and help them rebuild the necessary physical and social infrastructure.

Since last year, negotiations have been underway to address many considerations and make this fund operational. Recognizing the urgent need for a coordinated response, it is the hope and expectation of many that leaders at COP28 come up with the resources for the fund’s establishment and define a clear timeframe for its operationalization. We appreciate the amount of work underway to operationalize this fund with the consensus now to host it at the World Bank for a trial period of four years.

From an African lens and as we listen to the voices of smallholder farmers and most vulnerable communities, here are key elements worth taking into account at COP28 for the loss and damage fund:

  1. Speed and urgent action: Setting up this fund is not only a moral imperative but a critical step in addressing the severe, and in many cases irreversible, consequences of climate change. In the past, the various funds created to support the climate agenda took years to become operational, while the impacts of climate change continued to become more ferocious and more frequent and visible. For Instance, The Adaptation Fund was created by COP7 in 2001, but became operational in 2007. So far, it has only disbursed around US$1 billion. As for the Green Climate Fund, after its establishment, some UN agencies took more than two to three years just to get accredited and many African Countries and Institutions still struggle to access the Fund.  We applaud the setup of the Loss and Damage Fund at the World Bank hope that it will be adequately capitalized, agile accessible and timely enough to be of value to those that need it.

 

  1. Sufficient funding: It is far more expensive to deal with losses and damages than to invest in climate change adaptation or mitigation – not only in monetary terms, but also when we consider the physical and emotional toll of climate impacts on most vulnerable communities, as they watch their fragile asset base being washed away or wiped out. Although governments gathered in Paris in 2015 pledged US$100 billion per year for climate finance, the resources of all climate funds together – including the environmental funds (Green Climate Fund, Global Environmental Fund, and Adaptation Fund) are still well below US$20 billion per year. Therefore, much greater efforts are urgently needed to make good on previous commitments and come up with the resources necessary to support affected regions in rebuilding their infrastructure, restoring ecosystems, adapting to a changing climate, and addressing losses and damages. And if capacities to generate proposals for funding are weak, let the countries’ capacities be supported. While the negotiations are suggesting developing countries to also contribute into the lost and damage fund like the developed countries, let’s note that several African countries are already in debt distress partially induced by climate impacts which they are historically responsible. Hence, from an African lens, at least most African LDC countries, countries under debt distress Small Island Developing States should not be contributing to this fund.

 

  1. Strong, robust – but also flexible – mechanisms for compensation: The African continent is committed to the establishment of a mechanism to compensate communities and nations for losses that are unavoidable, despite adaptation and preparedness efforts. This will require the fund to operate based on clear, simple criteria, transparency, fairness, and accountability. Countries should, similar to other World Bank instruments have direct access and not go through intermediaries to access the fund.

 

  1. Integrated climate risk management (risk preparedness, risk reduction, and risk transfer): To minimize losses and damages and use of the fund, it is important that the Fund allocates a significant portion of its resources to the most vulnerable countries for integrated climate risk management, which combines risk preparedness, risk reduction, and risk transfer mechanisms. This model is the best way to limit the magnitude of potential loss and damages. In relation to preparedness, the Fund should address the need to strengthen climate information and early warning systems (CIEWS) that provide robust climate data to governments, smallholder farmers, and other relevant stakeholders to enable them to make more informed decisions and adopt effective preventative and adaptive measures to reduce the risks and impacts of climate change and extreme weather events. The Fund should also work with other funds that specifically support risk preparedness as a precondition for accessing compensation. The said climate risk preparedness actions should be combined with climate risk reduction measures aimed at enabling vulnerable farmers to adopt best climate adaptation and mitigation practices using data from strengthened CIEWS help inform farmers’ choices. To make this integration model efficient, climate risk preparedness and reduction should be linked to climate risk transfer (micro and macro agricultural insurance). The Africa Risk Capacity, aSpecialized Agency of the African Union established to help African governments improve their capacities to better plan, prepare, and respond to extreme weather events and natural disasters can play a key role.

 

  1. Support during climate disasters and events: Governments should prioritize support for vulnerable populations, including indigenous communities, women, and marginalized groups, who often bear the brunt of climate-related impacts. It is important to develop contingency plans for all vulnerable areas and communities identified.

 

  1. Replenishment of the fund: The plans to finance the Loss and Damage Fund should include targets for regular replenishments from countries with high emissions. The fund could also receive resources from partners such as international donors, development agencies, and philanthropic organizations. It should also work closely with other entities that share the Loss and Damage Fund’s vision.

 

  1. Private sector involvement: The fund should encourage private sector involvement through public private partnerships, climate bonds, climate insurance, and corporate social responsibility initiatives.

 

  1. Governance and administration: In the current global climate change negotiations, parties are suggesting that the World Bank act as the Fund’s interim host. While we know that this is a temporary solution, our proposal is that the Fund be in Africa, at the African Development Bank with clear guidelines on expediency.

 

Furthermore, an independent oversight body that includes UNCCC, representation of donors and receiving countries would ensure transparency agility, accountability and  the desired impact and prevent any conflicts of interest. This body could also perform technical evaluations and validations of the losses and damages and assess the premiums to be paid per country based on clearly defined criteria. Additionally, it is important to ensure proper representation and participation of affected communities, civil society, youth, women, and experts in climate science and adaptation in such a body.

 

The Loss and Damage Fund should have a robust M&E system to track the effectiveness and impacts of the projects it supports. This should include regular reviews and updates of the Fund’s objectives so as to align them with the evolving

Nov 29, 2023 | Blog, Featured

Building Africa’s Agricultural Resilience in the Face of Climate Change

Amath Pathe Sene

Africa’s food systems hold global significance, impacting both worldwide food security and climate resilience. However, ensuring food resilience in Africa presents undeniable challenges. The connection between climate resilience and food systems becomes evident as climate change poses threats to agri-food systems , resulting in crop failures, increased food prices, loss in job opportunities and heightened food  and nutrition insecurity. Within this complex scenario, a critical issue emerges—the climate finance gap, specifically addressing challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Africa.

Despite Africa contributing less than 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, its agricultural sector grapples with disproportionate challenges, worsened by droughts, floods, heatwaves, pests and diseases . The Africa Food Systems Forum 2023 highlighted the severity, with smallholder farmers dealing with unprecedented temperatures. Alarmingly, only 35 cents of every climate finance dollar reaches these farmers, leaving them on the frontline of climate change impact. Urgent intervention is essential, not only to address the immediate needs of over 33 million smallholder farmers but also to establish a sustainable model ensuring resilience amidst climate uncertainties. Bridging the climate finance gap for these farmers is not just a financial imperative but a moral one, necessitating a concerted effort to empower those pivotal to our collective food security and environmental stability.

Shaping Africa’s Climate Agenda at COP28

The cornerstone of sustainable climate action lies in adapting and building resilience, encompassing the active involvement of communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure but also addressing losses and damages caused by recurrent climate events. This requires strengthening the adaptive capacity of African farmers, fortifying food supply chains, implementing inclusive policies, and developing crucial infrastructure. Recognizing the inefficiency in resource deployment, where Africa receives $USD30 billion in annual climate finance flow which is a mere 11 per cent of the required annual amount, underscores the urgent need for effective action. Given their vulnerability, farmers require inclusion and empowerment for resilience building to advance mitigation , adaptation , loss and damage.

Fundamentally, it becomes imperative to acknowledge Africa’s unique circumstances on the global stage within the broader context of climate negotiations. Africa’s heightened vulnerability, distinct sensitivities, and lower capacity to cope necessitate urgent and inclusive action. This acknowledgment lays the groundwork for a more equitable and effective approach in addressing climate change. To achieve the ambitious objectives outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement, the global community must actively recognize and address the distinctive challenges that Africa’s food systems encounter.

Shaping a Sustainable Future: Advocacy,  Collaboration and Finance

The Africa Food Systems Forum 2023 underscored the complex connection between agriculture, nutrition, infrastructure climate change, and resilience, providing guidance on how best to steer the continent towards a transformative strategy for food systems.

Addressing the climate crisis requires a restructuring of financial architecture to encourage climate investments. Giving special attention to the agriculture sector, which bears the greatest impact, it is crucial to renew commitments to green financing initiatives. Despite Africa receiving $30 billion annually, only a small fraction of its requirements, global leaders must uphold the commitment to furnish $100 billion in yearly climate finance to developing countries.

 As the international community readies for COP28,  it is time for collective action to mold a more robust and sustainable future, drawing global attention to these crucial issues.

Shared advocacy and collaboration emerge as fundamental principles, with a particular emphasis on ensuring active inclusion for African countries. Recognizing the challenges faced by these nations in addressing climate change, a collective effort that transcends geographical and economic boundaries is imperative. This approach involves amplifying the voices of African countries, acknowledging their unique circumstances, and integrating their perspectives into the global climate dialogue. Collaboration extends beyond traditional state actors to include non-state entities, civil society, and the private sector, recognizing their pivotal roles in driving sustainable solutions. Establishing platforms for knowledge exchange, facilitating technology transfer, and providing adequate financial support are vital components of inclusive collaboration. The COP28 can serve as a catalyst for meaningful progress, ensuring that the concerns and contributions of African countries take center stage in the global climate action agenda.

Writer is Managing Director for the Africa Food Systems Forum

Original article published on the Nigerian Tribune. The article has also been published here and here