Long-term sustainability and production-system resilience among smallholder farmers in Africa

5 July 2017. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) will finance a 5 years US$116 million programme to promote long-term sustainability and production-system resilience among smallholder farmers in Africa. 

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is the lead agency with the Programme Coordination Unit hosted by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) at their headquarters in Nairobi. Bioversity International, UN Environment, UNDP, FAO, World Bank, UNIDO, AGRA and Conservation International are all involved.

The ‘Integrated Approach Programme on Fostering Sustainability and Resilience for Food Security in sub-Saharan Africa,’ which aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), will be implemented in Burkina Faso, Burundi, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Swaziland, Tanzania and Uganda. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will lead the Programme, with the Programme Coordination Unit hosted by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) of the CGIAR System Organization.

More than 80 government and development sector experts met launched the Programme. 

“With an explicit focus on smallholder agriculture in the drylands, we have collectively established a framework to underpin the long-term sustainability and resilience of production systems. The program framework, which is defined by three main components – platforms for multi-stakeholder engagement, acting to scale-up innovations, and systems monitoring and assessment – is informed by sound science and policy, including a theory of change.” Dr. Mohamed Bakarr, Lead Environment Specialist at the GEF.