Approval to implement a Climate & Food Security programme in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda

Objective

Climate change threatens crop yields in Africa, and harvest losses may add up to 20 fold the investment costs of adapting agricultural practices now. The programme aims to increase food production and food security by enhancing climate resilience throughout the supply chain. By 2022 this will result in adaptive productive capacity and increased incomes for 300,000 medium-sized and smallholder producers. On top of that, we will improve the business performance of 50 small-medium enterprises and 30 cooperatives to mitigate the risks of climate change on their supply chains.

“This grant will help us scale up our support to farmer communities to feed their families and increase their income. This will require adapting the way they farm to more frequent drought and other climate-related changes” said Meike van Ginneken, CEO of SNV.

Scaling to systemic change

The programme uses a three-pronged approach. We will implement complementary interventions to increase the adoption of climate-smart practices and technologies among farmers and SMEs. We will stimulate their growth throughout the value chain by enhancing private sector investments in climate adaptation. And we will advocate with partners and the government of the three targeted countries to encourage a favorable enabling environment for large-scale market adoption. We collaborate with private and financial sector partners such as Rabobank – who will pave the way for financially viable Climate Smart Agriculture solutions and investment to agribusinesses. Dutch expertise in sustainable food production systems, particularly in potatoes, oilseeds, and pulses will be mobilized.

The programme activities will be in line with existing government strategies like the National Climate Plans and collaborate with multilateral climate investments and the Embassy of the Netherlands in all three countries.