Financing Research and Innovation for Adaptation in Africa’s Food Systems

Session on November 9th, 17:30 to 18:15

The African Union’s Climate Change Strategy sets out to build resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change across the continent. The Global Center on Adaptation estimates that African countries will face a $265 billion gap in financing for adaptation overall up to 2030. The agricultural sector – key to delivering nutrition and livelihoods – is highly exposed to the impacts of climate change.

Momentum is building to support adaptation and innovation in Africa’s food systems to address emerging threats including through the African Adaptation Acceleration Program, however, more high-quality investment in agricultural adaptation is needed to deliver climate resilience across Africa. Innovation in technologies, business models, and policy is critical to tackling emergent threats to food system resilience. There is an urgent need for immediate action and long-term investment to support African agricultural systems to adapt to climate change and build resilience to global food system disruptions.

This event, hosted by the Malabo Montpellier Panel and E3G, will explore the critical need for good quality public finance for investment in research and innovation to drive food systems adaptation activities. While the focus of this session will be on the financing needs of African food systems and ongoing activities on adaptation, lessons learned will be applicable beyond COP27 to broader action on building sustainable and resilient food and agriculture systems that deliver on health and nutrition targets in line with the SDGs, CAADP and the AU Agenda 2063.