AGRA Responds to Climate Change!

Bashir Jama!Director soil Health Program!

AGRA!!!

Opening Remarks!Learning Event 6: What role can the private sector play in climate smart smallholder agriculture in Africa?!

Agriculture and Rural Development Day!Durban, South Africa!

3 December 2011!!

The problem: Low and declining smallholder productivity!

2!

Vision, mission, goals!Vision!•  A food secure and prosperous Africa achieved through rapid

sustainable agricultural growth based on smallholder farmers who produce staple food crops!

Mission!•  To trigger a uniquely African green revolution that transforms

agriculture into a highly productive, efficient, competitive and sustainable system to assure food security and lift millions out of poverty!

Goals by 2020!•  Reduce food insecurity by 50% in at least 20 countries!•  Double incomes of 20 million smallholder families!•  Put at least 30 countries on track of attaining and sustaining a

uniquely African Green Revolution !

A unique green revolution for Africa!A value chain and breadbasket approach in support of:!!

•  Better seed development systems for improved access to seed technologies for smallholder farmers!

•  Efficient, sustainable use of fertilizers and integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) and greater use efficiency of agricultural water!

•  Improved market access for African staple food crops, reducing post-harvest losses, enhancing value adding processing, alternative markets!

•  Enhanced capacities for evidence-based policies on seed, soil health, markets, land tenure, and climate change!

•  Strengthened partnerships and linkages between donors, governments, commercial banks and insurers to increase agricultural finance!

A value chain and breadbasket approach in support of:!

!

•  Better seed development systems for improved access to seed technologies for smallholder farmers!

•  Efficient, sustainable use of fertilizers and integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) and greater use efficiency of agricultural water!

•  Improved market access for African staple food crops, reducing post-harvest losses, enhancing value adding processing, alternative markets!

•  Enhanced capacities for evidence-based policies on seed, soil health, markets, land tenure, and climate change!

•  Strengthened partnerships and linkages between donors, governments, commercial banks and insurers to increase agricultural finance!

A unique green revolution for Africa!

Climate change affects African Agriculture!What we know (next 100 years):!!

•  Drier subtropics to warm more than moister tropics!

•  Northern/southern Africa to become hotter and drier!

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•  Wheat production (North Africa) and Maize production (south) to be negatively affected!

•  Rainfall to increase for Eastern/horn of- and Central Africa!

•  More occurrence and severity of vector-borne diseases!

•  Seal level rise –Nile Delta and West Africa!

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What we are uncertain about:!!

•  Will the Sahel get wetter or remain dry?!

•  Will the flow of the Nile increase/decrease?!

•  By how much will the flow of Zambezi and Limpopo decrease?!

•  By how much will agricultural production fall?!

Farmers ̓needs to adapt to climate change!

Inputs  l  What  do  I  physically  need  to  survive  and  thrive?  

Enablers  l  How  will  I  acquire  the  things  I  need?    

Extension  l  What  can  /  should  I  do  to  adapt?  

Informa3on  l  What  changes  are  coming  my  way?  

Agra responds to climate change!New initiatives!!

•  Water management function!•  Extension services!•  Climate change policy expertise!

Enhanced initiatives!!

•  Seeds: incorporate weather information into seed related initiatives for breeders, seed companies, agro-dealers, farmers!

•  Soils: monitor climate data/forecasts and seek meteorological expertise to better incorporate climate change impacts!

•  Markets: enhanced efforts to reduce post-harvest losses as pests and diseases threaten harvests; warehouse receipt systems!

•  Policies: enhanced emphasis on land rights and recruitment of a climate change policy expert!

•  Weather risk insurance: increased innovation to provide affordable weather risk insurance packages for farmers in the context of financing interventions!

Thank you!