SNV, partners in new E. Africa climate smart agriculture programme
A consortium led by SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, in partnership with Wageningen University and Research, CGIAR’s Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security Programme, Agriterra, and Rabo Partnerships is set to roll out a five year Climate Smart Agriculture programme in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda following a €39.5 million, ,approximately $47 million, grant from The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Africa continues to reel from crop yields with harvest losses likely to add up to 20 fold the investment costs of adapting agricultural practices at the moment. 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 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.
"The programme uses a three pronged approach. We will implement complementary interventions to increase 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 favourable 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 mobilised," Meike added.
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.
The initiative is set to significantly contribute to The Netherlands’ international commitments on climate change.
