Building resilience to climate change
Climate change is damaging the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in eastern Africa. And if the current consumption of fossil fuels continues, global temperatures could rise by as much as 4⁰ by 2090, causing drought, aridity and diminishing crop yields.
Building resilience to climate change is a key part of Farm Africa’s work. We’re running four major projects to help farmers mitigate the effects of climate shocks.
Participatory forest management
In Ethiopia, we’ve been refining our forest management system for 20 years, helping communities to work in partnership with the governments that legally own the forests, so that they have an incentive to farm sustainably. By promoting forest-friendly farming, we help to unlock the economic potential of the forest while also reducing deforestation – in the Chilimo region of Ethiopia we’ve cut annual deforestation by over 50%.
Resilience in the Horn of Africa
Population growth in the Horn of Africa is leading to deforestation and degradation of land as communities farm more intensively. With support from the European Union, we’re working to improve and sustain the livelihoods of vulnerable populations in southern and eastern Ethiopia by reducing deforestation and improving the management of biodiversity hotspots.
Climate-smart agriculture
Farm Africa also works to promote climate-smart farming near Lake Hawassa in Ethiopia, encouraging farming methods that don't contribute to climate change. By tackling rangeland degradation, promoting diversification and training farmers in sustainable practices, we aim to promote more intensive farming that will increase yields and incomes without damaging local ecosystems.
Responding to drought
We’re working with the UK Government funded BRACED programme, testing out initiatives that promote new economic opportunities and helping farmers to build resilience to droughts, flooding and changing weather. We're currently working with pastoralists in the Afar region to mitigate the effects of the recent El Niño weather pattern, pioneering schemes such as the use of molasses as cattle feed, which provides an alternative to traditional food supplies for livestock when land has dried up.
Farm Africa's work doesn't just aim to provide short-term economic gain, and instead balances business growth with sustainability. Because helping farmers to cope with drought and future climate shocks improves food security for the long term.
