Building momentum for a climate-smart future together

Developing strategic partnerships and strengthening networks between individuals, organizations and institutions across the African continent is a key part of how AICCRA is contributing to the scaling of climate-smart agriculture practices and expanding farmers' access to climate services. ?

In our round-up from April, we're highlighting activities that demonstrate the value of partnerships for agricultural resilience.??

We’re connecting farmers with local solar agri-businesses, we’re building new networks that bring together leaders of media and communications, and we’re supporting regional bodies with CGIAR science and technical guidance. ?

Our latest stories are a clear demonstration of the positive impacts that can be achieved through targeted and collaborative multi-stakeholder efforts. ?

Together, we are moving towards a climate-smart Africa.?

ICYMI: Read the stories of our impact in 2022?

Just released - AICCRA's 2022 annual report shows how we're scaling CGIAR science and innovation to reach millions of African farmers, building momentum for a climate-smart, resilient future in African agriculture.?

In a special feature, we explore the key themes and outcomes of AICCRA's work so far, with stories from some of AICCRA's team leaders and partners.??

These stories focus on AICCRA's partnerships with national and regional institutions, how the potential of Africa's entrepreneurs is being unleashed, the role of education and capacity development, the power of farmer voices, and the inclusion of women and youth in community decisions.??

Building a new network to amplify the story of climate change’s impact?in Africa

AICCRA and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) hosted a school for 'strategic communications and media for climate-smart agriculture' in Cape Town which was attended by media representatives and communications professionals from AICCRA's partners in our focus countries and regions.

The interactive workshop marked the start of a new network of journalists, communicators and social media influencers who work with climate-smart agriculture and the impacts of climate change on African farmers.

“The media training was very enlightening. As a woman in the agricultural space, I got a chance to grow, learn and improve. I feel encouraged to continue empowering others – and to even expand by reaching even more people with the messages of climate smart agriculture.” - Gifty Enyonam Manya, Ghanaian journalist, YouTuber and TV personality

Our hope is to shift the global conversation on climate change to focus on Africa's 250 million smallholder farmers and what international, regional and national climate action can do to help them secure a climate-smart future.

Regional players are stepping up efforts for climate adaptation in Africa

If we want to transform African food systems, all possible partners need to be included, supported, and collaborated with on a common vision for scaling climate-smart agriculture. AICCRA works to build and deepen these partnerships so that African farmers can better predict and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Through our local, national, and regional partnerships, we’re accessing the right avenues to scale climate-smart innovations, not only in AICCRA’s six focus countries but also beyond to other countries across the continent.

Read more on how partnerships are scaling impact across the continent from Robert Zougmore , AICCRA's West Africa Lead and others in our Special Feature on AICCRA's 2022 annual report.

George Wamukoya (Ph.D.), Team Leader, Africa Group of Negotiators Experts Support ( AGNES AFRICA )

Boosting food security with partnerships for solar innovations

Agricultural productivity has increased and farmers are more water resilient thanks to innovative solar-based irrigation solutions led by IWMI in Ghana, Ethiopia, Zambia and Mali in collaboration with local scaling partners and AICCRA.

"I have now become a financially independent woman, able to provide food and pay the school fees of my six children." - Gati Bogodo, a widow and pay-as-you-own solar pump user in Sikasso, Mali

New training partnerships to build regional capacity

AICCRA held an exciting collaborative training with ECOWAS Commission and Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT in Benin, focused on deepening knowledge and improving attendees' technical capacities for designing and implementing climate-smart projects.

“This collaboration represents a direct outcome of AICCRA’s efforts to scale the regional uptake and impact of climate-smart agricultural practices to boost resilience for Africa’s farmers,” said Robert Zougmoré, reflecting on the training sessions. “Building on CGIAR science and leveraging the regional scope of ECOWAS, we’re partnering to support the implementation of the ECOWAP/CAADP Intervention Framework for climate-smart agriculture by training key actors in five West African countries.”

In each target West African country – Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger, and Togo – we will train individuals from national and sub-national levels including local community members, national technicians, and farmers organization representatives – in a series of climate-smart agriculture knowledge and technical skill activities.

TOOL: Explore our new 'By the Numbers' dashboard?

As a complex, multi-country and multi-partner project with delineated outcomes, effective data management is crucial for tracking, managing, and reporting on AICCRA’s project goals. It also ensures that project information is accurate, accessible, and available for relevant decision-makers.?

In response to this, our Knowledge and Data-Sharing team have developed a new interactive tool to demonstrate AICCRA's commitment to good evidence dissemination practices, and to showcase key statistics from our data management efforts.

The dashboard allows users to access and explore information on our knowledge products. We welcome feedback about how to further develop and improve it.

Extra reading:

With the collaboration and support of AICCRA, CORAF | West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development is strengthening the mainstreaming and uptake of climate-smart agriculture innovations in West and Central Africa.

CORAF recently shared the following document in a Twitter thread on scaling mechanisms for climate-smart agriculture in the region.

Check out the details and learnings in our co-produced Info Note here:

Read all of these stories and more on our news page or follow us on social media (@CGIARAfrica) for ongoing updates.

Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) is a project that helps deliver a climate-smart African future driven by science and innovation in agriculture. It is led by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT and supported by a grant from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank.