Africa wins big at the COP28 as USA commits US$50million to address climate and food crises in the continent

AFRICA – The USA has committed to contribute US$50 million to the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS)’s new multi-donor trust fund, hosted by the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to address climate and food crises in Africa.

Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State announced this at the ongoing COP28 UN climate summit in Dubai.

The VACS initiative is aimed at boosting agricultural productivity and improved nutrition in rural communities of developing countries by better-adapting crops and soils to the changing climate.

VACS is a vital response to the expected 50% increase in global food demand by 2050; compounded by natural resource scarcity, a growing population reaching 10 billion, progressive urbanization, and changing diets requiring larger amounts of resources like water, land, and feed to produce.

Expressing gratitude for the US State Department’s robust and timely support, IFAD’s President Alvaro Lario said that the initiative aligns with IFAD’s mission to provide the funds and technology needed to strengthen climate adaptation.

In addition, the initiative seeks to empower small-scale food producers and rural communities to lead their development. Adaptation is no longer a choice but a necessity.”

The US’ announcement news follows the recent release of new data by the Climate Policy Initiative, revealing a 44% drop in adaptation funds during 2019-2020, despite an overall increase in climate finance, dedicated mostly to mitigation activities.

The challenging scenario is further disrupted by ever more frequent and intense extreme weather events that hinder food production.

Case studies commissioned by IFAD on climate change impacts on a range of staple and cash crops in eight Southern African countries show that crop yields could drop by up to 80% in some cases.

VACS employs an innovative above-ground/below-ground approach to boost productivity and nutritional quality.

Above-ground efforts concentrate on developing resilient and nutritious crop varieties through plant breeding and addressing challenges like pest resistance and erratic rainfall patterns.

Below-ground activities optimize land use and advance soil management, including practices such as crop rotation, conservation tillage to reduce soil erosion, and the use of organic fertilizers like compost or biochar.

This holistic strategy will lead to more productive crops, built-in resilience against extreme weather, reduced reliance on costly inputs like fertilizers, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

As the host of the VAC’s multi-donor trust fund, IFAD sees an opportunity to scale- up impacts through similar interventions throughout its programs, empowering farmers through access to proven technology and knowledge to improve crop production.

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