Agricultural Climate Resilience Enhancement Initiative (ACREI) (Test)

Project / Programme Background and Context:

The Greater Horn of Africa is extremely vulnerable to climate variability. Extreme precipitation changes over Eastern Africa such as droughts and heavy rainfall events have been experienced more frequently during the last 30-60 years (IPCC, 2013). The risk of loss of rural livelihoods and income due to climatic hazards is particularly real in arid and semi-arid regions, largely inhabited by communities engaged in pastoral and agro-pastoral livelihood systems. These communities have limited access to information and technical support and financing for adaptation options hence responding to local climate variability and predictions is very limited. Therefore, enhancing the capacity of communities to cope and adapt to climate variability will build the resilience of communities and livelihoods dependent on climate-sensitive resources. The intervention will technically improve climate forecasts using a regional approach and build the capacity of communities to understand and appropriately use climate information and related agro-advisories in decision-making to climate-proof their livelihoods; and thus enhance their food and nutrition security. The Agro-pastoralist Field School (APFS) approach, an adaptation of the well proven Farmer Field School approach will form a key delivery mechanism in this project building strongly on previous experiences. Climate sensitive APFS interventions engaging communities in participatory group learning and experimentation will be coupled with Village Community Banking approach (VICOBA) to support community uptake of strategies and practices for resilient local food and income systems. Impact data from the region indicate substantial impact of Field Schools on productivity and poverty, especially among women^[1] and the successful combination of technical, social and financial support though APFS/VICOBA^[2]. The informal nature of the approach provides an entry point to also address social issues including HIV, gender, resource use conflicts, population growth as well as health and nutrition issues thus ensuring a holistic approach to adaptation. Technically the initiative will build on Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) principles and field practices to incorporate more accurate and relevant localized climate services into extension and advisory services for agro-pastoralists. The content of technical and financial support to communities will include good agricultural practices, conservation agriculture, soil and water management, water harvesting and small-scale irrigation, improved rangeland and livestock management, farm and income diversification and improved storage, nutrition and marketing of produce. The project is focusing on three countries; Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda selected based on the presence of agro-pastoral population highly affected by climate variability, availability of good quality climate data and climate products, existence of national policies and strategies for advisory services, experience and presence of Field School interventions and based on complementarity with ongoing FAO support for institutionalization of the Field School approach. In the future it is expected that with increased complementary funding the initiative may be scaled up to other countries in the Horn of Africa.

[1] Davis, K., Nkonya, E., Kato, E., Mekonnen, D.A., Odendo, M., Miiro, R. & Nkuba, J. (2011). Impact of Farmer Field Schools on Agricultural Productivity and Poverty in East Africa. World Development, 40: 402-413.

[2] Hoeggel and Mbeyale, 2014. Impact Assessment of Pastoralist Field Schools in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. FAO, SDC and University of Bern.

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