High-quality investment in agriculture research, development, and deployment (RDD) is needed to deliver climate resilience across Africa. Innovation in technologies, business models, and policy is critical to tackling emergent threats to food system resilience.
There is an urgent need for immediate action and long-term investment to support African agricultural systems to adapt to climate change and global food system disruptions. For resilience and to achieve zero hunger, Africa and the Middle East will require at least $1.7 billion more annually in high-quality finance for RDD in the agriculture sector.
High-quality funding for agricultural adaptation RDD is predictable, well-coordinated, long term, and aligned with the plans of recipients. Grants from the public sector and international funders will be a key source of this high-quality funding for agricultural adaptation innovation.
COP27’s Adaptation, Agriculture & Food Systems, and Land Day offers an opportunity for:
- The outgoing UK COP26 Presidency and incoming Egyptian Presidency to support initiatives launched at COP26 with a focus on accessibility of investment in RDD for innovation.
- Governments and finance providers to emphasise that addressing climate change and helping farmers adapt will be crucial to improving global food and nutrition resilience.
- UAE and USA as co-Chairs of AIM4C to encourage finance providers to promote agricultural innovation sprints that benefit African farmers. They should urge AIM4C member governments to support sprints on smallholders and adaptation, and promote quality investment through alignment with African priorities and engagement with key stakeholders.
The annex to this briefing showcases agriculture adaptation projects at the national, regional, and continental level. They range from improved water harvesting to soil fertility management to agricultural research and extension agencies. Beyond COP27, national governments and international funders must maintain or expand funding for RDD to address emergent climate impacts.
Read the briefing in full here.
This briefing is adapted from E3G’s report Supporting agricultural adaptation in Africa.
