Our climate work
Africa has the resources to feed itself, says the World Bank. What threatens the continent’s ability to achieve food security is the climate crisis.
70% of African people depend on land for their food and livelihoods
95% of African farmland relies on rainfall
Unpredictable weather patterns are disrupting growing seasons, and have encouraged invasions of pests such as desert locusts, which have devastated crops in East Africa.
“Climate shocks” include flash flooding and unprecedented droughts (parts of Ethiopia have not received regular rains for up to four years, a climate event not seen for 40 years).
Farming families are seeing their land producing less season after season. Failed harvests mean farmers have no seeds to plant next year.
Doreen, Pakwach, northern Uganda
How our work tackles the climate crisis
1 Mitigation
Sustainable farming practices which support nature and minimise production of greenhouse gases.
2 Adaptation
Training in skills for more challenging environments:
Appropriate crops and resilient seeds, rainwater harvesting, soil moisture retention, trees and grasses to stabilise soil and hillside gullies to prevent erosion.
3 Carbon sequestration
Most of our projects include tree planting where appropriate in farm system planning. In 2023 we launched our first Responsible Carbon project with the aim of making a substantial contribution to carbon capture, with benefits to local communities of nutrition and income from farmer-owned fruit trees.
4 Advocacy
Our programme leaders in Africa are outspoken on the causes of the climate crisis and the need to urgently address its causes and global action needed. Meshark Sikuku is our lead on sustainability and climate.
Making sure the voices of African farmers are heard
Climate crisis is a social justice issue. Sub-Saharan Africa, where we work, is the region of the world that is most affected by it, though its people have contributed least to the problem. We believe that East Africa’s farmers must have a say in their future.
Our advocacy includes helping people in the communities where we work to find a collective voice. Rediscovering local skills and training in new techniques builds confidence. The farmers we work with develop the ability and social standing to take on local leadership roles, speak out about the issues affecting their natural environment and push for change.
The message we’ve sent to the international COP climate conference:
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