Workers remove weeds from a maize plantation outside Kano, Nigeria. (PHOTO: VCG)

By Staff Reporters

The Bill& Melinda Gates Foundation joined the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to acceleratethe development of innovations that will help smallholder farmers insub-Saharan Africa and South Asia build resilience and adapt to climate change.Together, they made new commitments totaling 200 million USD in response toimmediate and long-term threats to food security and nutrition caused byclimate change. That's according to the foundation Co-Chair Bill Gates at theWorld Climate Action Summit in Dubai on December 1, 2023.

Sub-SaharanAfrica, where more than 60 percent of the population depends on agriculture forfood and income, accounts for only 4 percent of global greenhouse gasemissions. In recent years, a surge of extreme climate events, such asdevastating droughts in East Africa and catastrophic flooding in West Africa, hasled to reduced economic growth andincreased income inequality with wealthy countries—primarily by eroding cropand livestock production. While numerous innovations exist to help smallholderfarmers in the region, less than 2 percent of global climate finance is devotedto meeting their needs. 

"Weneed to make big bets on innovation to ensure smallholder farmers acrosssub-Saharan Africa and South Asia have the tools they need to adapt their practices,feed their people, and build resilience in the face of climate change," saidGates. "The needs of farmers are an integral part of the global climateagenda.” 

CGIAR, a publiclyfunded agriculture research network, plays a critical role in supportingresilient, sustainable food production in a climate-stressed world. Earlierthis week, it launched a three-year investment case to secure 4 billion USD by 2027,helping CGIAR to reach 500 million farmers by 2030 withclimate adaptation innovations, and to reduce emissions from theagriculture sector by 1 gigaton per year—the equivalent of eliminatingemissions from more than 200 million cars. 

"We are ready to quickly scale up proveninnovations that already are helping farmers in vulnerable regions like Africaand South Asia adapt to more challenging climate conditions," said Professor Lindiwe Majele Sibanda,chair of the CGIAR System Board. "That includes increasing access to improved varieties of naturallystress-tolerant crops like cassava and millets, employing new tools andstrategies farmers are using to support healthy ecosystems by reviving degradedlands, and providing long-range climate forecasts that help farmers anticipateand navigate weather extremes and shifting rainfall patterns."

The foundation's support for agricultureadaptation at COP28 builds on previous commitments dating back to 2017 to helpsmallholder farmers cope with climate change. This year's100 million USDinvestment, which matches the UAE's commitment of 100 million USD, will supportorganizations, like the CGIAR, that are at the forefront of developingagricultural innovations.  

Thefoundation will also join partner countries, philanthropies, and financialinstitutions to help accelerate access to high-impact agricultural innovationsfor small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia by reducing policyand funding-related barriers.