What we do

Act on climate change

Farm Africa supports rural communities in eastern Africa to strengthen their resilience and adaptive capacity to climate change as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The problem

Small-scale farmers, who often rely on rain-fed agriculture, are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis, with very little support to adapt to climate extremes.

Increased temperatures, reduced rainfall and more frequent extreme weather events are reducing small-scale farmers’ yields, incomes and food security.

Photo: Farm Africa

100 million

The World Bank estimates that climate change could push an additional 100 million people into poverty by 2030

0.8%

The percentage of climate finance reaching smallholder farmers is falling, and is now just 0.8%

1/3

Food systems account for a third of total man-made greenhouse gas emissions heating up our planet

Many small-scale farmers have limited knowledge on climate-smart agricultural practices and lack access to the high-quality inputs, such as seeds for drought-tolerant crops, they need to adapt to climate change.

Female farmers have the lowest access to resources and are the most vulnerable to climate change.

Unsustainable agriculture practices, such as clearance of forests, and high rates of food loss and waste, are also contributing to carbon emissions.

The opportunity

Farm Africa's experience has shown that with access to the right inputs such as improved seeds, training on climate-smart agricultural practices and access to finance and markets, farmers can triple their yields, and boost incomes by 50% even in the face of climate change.

Increased productivity reduces the need to expand farming land, which reduces deforestation and therefore reduces carbon emissions. Meanwhile, improved post-harvest practices cuts emissions from food loss.

Planting trees captures carbon and builds farms' resilience to weather extremes.

Diversification is important to reducing vulnerability to climate extremes. Farmers rearing livestock as well as growing a range of crops have less chance of losing everything when droughts or floods hit.

Rearing livestock such as goats and camels, which are more resilient to drought, ensures pastoralists and agro-pastoralists sustain their livelihoods in the face of climate change.

By distributing goats through the Livestock for Livelihoods project, 34.8% of the households in Ethiopia and 27.1% of the households in Uganda reported improved household income from goat production. This helped reduce the living income gap and boost the consumption of nutritious foods for the households.

Source

With the support of Farm Africa’s Forest Coffee project in Ilu Ababor, Ethiopia, over 3,840 hectares of deforested land have been replanted with forest seedlings.

In the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region of Ethiopia, the use of quality-declared seed (QDS) led to a threefold increase in haricot bean yields, boosting household incomes by 97%.

Source

The outcome

When rural communities adopt climate-smart agricultural practices, it not only reduces poverty and food insecurity, but helps to mitigate carbon emissions through increased carbon sequestration.

This is an important consideration given that food systems account for a third of total man-made greenhouse gas emissions heating up our planet.

Investment in climate-smart agriculture also empowers farmers to protect and restore biodiversity and sustainably manage watersheds.

13,667

The annual average total income of households taking part in Farm Africa’s Climate-Smart Agriculture project in Ethiopia, funded by Irish Aid, increased from ETB 13,079 to ETB 26,746.

How we act on climate change

Farm Africa supports rural communities in eastern Africa to adapt to climate extremes and to reduce agriculture’s contribution to climate change. Our support includes:

  • Introducing regenerative agriculture practices such as using mulch and manure, minimum tillage, micro-dosing of fertilisers and intercropping, which improve soil health and retain moisture in the soil, enabling farmers to boost their yields.
  • Improving storage and drying of crops to reduce food loss and waste.
  • Expanding access to financial services so that farmers can access credit to invest in improved seeds and fertilisers needed to grow drought-tolerant crops.
  • Helping farmers reduce their risk by diversifying the crops they grow; rearing livestock as well as growing crops; and setting up secondary non-farming businesses.
  • Introducing agroforestry, meaning farmers plant trees alongside their crops, which improves soil fertility and removes carbon from the atmosphere.
  • Supporting communities to switch to fuel-efficient cookstoves that burn less firewood.
  • Establishing carbon credit schemes where communities earn additional income for planting trees or reducing deforestation.
  • Working with drought-affected pastoralists to regenerate degraded rangelands.
  • Helping forest-based communities to develop forest-friendly businesses so they can earn money from the sale of forest coffee or honey, while reducing deforestation.
  • Targeting assistance to reach female farmers, who are most vulnerable to climate change.
  • Promoting the rearing of drought resilient livestock like goats and camels

"Biochar has helped me retain moisture in the soil, so even when the rains are not there, the soil remains moisturised and my crops thrive."

Philister

participant in Farm Africa's biochar project in Taita Taveta County, Kenya

“Farm Africa taught me how to farm sorghum. Now I’m planting more of the sorghum, which is more resilient to climate change as compared to maize. Before, when I was planting maize, when the sun came, when drought came, the maize plants dried. And now when I farm sorghum, when the drought comes, the sorghum is a little bit dry but when the rain comes, even if the rain is small, the sorghum plants are regenerating.”

Elizabeth

smallholder farmer who took part in Farm Africa’s Climate-Smart Agriculture project in Tanzania

"I am sure that I am playing a big role in the fight against climate change, and feel very motivated when people purchase tree seedlings from me despite this part of the region being very dry. I am convinced that they have the desire to make the county greener and better."

Simon with his employee at his tree nursery

participant in the Agroforestry project by Farm Africa and Acorn in eastern Kenya

"Fuel-saving stoves save fuel, time and energy. We bake injera and bread while making sauce, tea or coffee. This saves firewood and time."

Azalech

Chair of a fuel-saving stove producers’ association supported by Farm Africa in SNNPR, Ethiopia

"Our main activity is farming. When it is rainy or windy, the crops get destroyed and we have nothing to give the children. I have seen the difference that having goats has made in the village. When we have goats’ milk, the children will be able to grow big, strong and healthy."

Anna

participant in a Farm Africa goat rearing project in Karamoja, Uganda, funded by UK aid from the UK government

The latest on climate change action

Related resources

Growing green – how agroforestry and carbon markets are transforming farming in eastern Kenya

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Reviving nature’s symphony: the triumph of participatory rangeland management in transforming a degraded landscape

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Regenerative agriculture factsheet

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Farm Africa response to the Core Carbon Principles proposed by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM)

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Tanzania sunflower market assessment 2022

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Livelihoods for Refugees and Host Communities

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