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Nairobi, 23 May 2024: Small-scale farmers are increasingly vulnerable to climate change impacts like erratic rainfall, droughts, and rising pest and disease threats. Climate-smart agriculture and building resilience are crucial for tackling these challenges and ensuring food security and sustainable development. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the China-IFAD South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) Facility are co-organizing a virtual and in-person event on Wednesday, 29 May, to highlight proven and cost-efficient solutions to these challenges. The event will be held at Egerton University in Nakuru County, Kenya, with online participation available via Zoom.
The China-IFAD SSTC Facility, established in 2018, spearheads efforts to pilot and scale up innovative solutions for rural development. It fosters knowledge exchange and collaboration among IFAD member states by leveraging expertise from China and the Global South. For example, a project supported by the Facility is helping local microfinance institutions in Rwanda and Kenya to develop tailored agri-financial products, including agricultural equipment loan products suitable for farmers’ needs. Another initiative introduced a sustainable, low carbon, integrated eco-agricultural system that originated in China to support the simultaneous production of mulberry trees, fish, and silk in Viet Nam, where it is being adapted to bolster local aquaculture and promote eco-tourism and cultural conservation.
The event at Egerton University aims to showcase successful climate-resilient solutions from Facility-funded projects and facilitate knowledge exchange on building climate resilience in agriculture. Discussions will focus on the impact of these solutions on small-scale farmers’ climate resilience, cost-effectiveness, sustainability factors, and opportunities for scaling up.
Sara Mbago-Bhunu, Director of East and Southern Africa Division, IFAD, will deliver opening remarks alongside Hongyong Mei, Deputy Representative, Counsellor, Permanent Representation of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture in Rome, and representatives from Egerton University and Nanjing Agricultural University. Representatives from implementing partners, including the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization (INBAR), Nakuru County, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), and Cordaid, will present successful case studies.