The 48th International Find for Agricultural Development conference in Rome held from February 10-13 reaffirmed the agency commitment to mitigate climate change affecting productivity and food security in Africa and beyond.

The meeting which attracted key personalities in the sector including IFAD President, Alvaro Lario, Abubakar Kyari: Minister of Agriculture and Food Security of Nigeria, who emerged as Chairman of the 49th Governing Council, Dr. Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad: Minister of State for International Cooperation of Qatar, among others sought resilience building to hold the impact at bay and avert risks.

A communique released after the meeting and availed to Zambia Climate Network, stated that IFAD remains keen to play a pivotal role in mitigating climatic effects that threaten agriculture development through building the resilience of smallholder farmers.

The conference, strategized to seek to transform food systems to be sustainable, and scaling up climate finance to rural areas.

Rather than a purely technical solution, IFAD emphasises a people-centered approach that empowers rural communities to adapt to environmental changes.

IFAD reaffirmed its resolve to combat climate change through encouraging Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA): promoting practices that improve land management, such as agroforestry, conservation agriculture (minimum tillage), and planting drought-resistant crop varieties.

There is dire need to empower Small-Scale Producers by putting rural people—especially women and youth—at the heart of climate action through ensuring they have access to resources, knowledge, and secure land tenure.

The meeting called for scaling Up Climate Finance: Channeling funds, such as the Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP), to help farmers manage risks and adopt sustainable techniques. IFAD often blends these grants with loans to increase impact.

Integrating Knowledge Systems is tenable through combining traditional, local knowledge with modern scientific, technological, and weather information systems to aid in decision-making and risk reduction.

There is need to protect and restore natural resources (watersheds, forests, coastal ecosystems) to act as buffers against extreme weather events

It called for collaboration with governments and other stakeholders to integrate climate risks into national agricultural policies and leveraging private sector investment.

IFAD, has arguably remained committed to ensuring sustained collaboration with agriculture food producers and other interest groups as resolved in 2012 during the 35th session

It sought to moot strategies for Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP), to help accept complementary contributions.

This will in turn allow funds earmarked for climate and environmental finance to be channeled effectively to small-scale farmers, so they can adapt and thrive in a changing world.

Rural people in developing countries have always been at the frontlines of climate change. But even today, they don’t have access to the finance they need to adapt to climate challenges.

Small-scale farmers only receive 0.8 per cent of available climate finance flows.

However, ASAP and its successor programme, ASAP2, have made a difference. In the decade since the Governing Council’s important decision.

This has enabled 1.8 million rural people now working on climate adaptation, natural resource management and disaster risk reduction.

A total million hectares of land are managed using climate-resilient practices. A total 50 million tons of greenhouse gases have been avoided or sequestered.

The third ASAP programme when initiated, is expected to mobilize US$500 million and benefit over 10 million people. It’s envisioned to be the largest fund dedicated to channeling climate finance to small-scale farmers.