Climate change, agriculture, and the Clinton Development Initiative

To celebrate Earth Day, the Clinton Development Initiative (CDI) highlights examples of their work across Africa, helping to build resilience for farming communities in the fight against climate change.

Climate change is one of the leading causes of loss of farmer productivity. The effects of climate change, including unpredictable rainfall, soil erosion, and extreme weather events create food and water insecurity, reduce productivity, and lead to a loss of biodiversity. However, some simple actions can help to mitigate these negative effects and build climate resilience, which is the ability of ecosystems to withstand these climate shocks.

Training and crop rotation

CDI encourages farmers to rotate their crops, which will return important nutrients back to the soil and result in healthier harvests.

Techniques like no-till farming, which disturbs the land as little as possible during planting, are also encouraged and allows the soil to maintain and rebuild its own natural structure and retain its ability to absorb water and CO2. Farmers working with CDI also plant a variety of trees that help maintain soil structure and boost fertility. Trees not only support healthy, resilient ecosystems but are long-term investments for farmers, with the added benefit of sequestering carbon.

Partnering for climate-resilient crops

In 2019, CDI and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) launched a partnership to work together to improve access to and availability of climate-resilient maize varieties for smallholder farmers across Malawi, Rwanda, and Tanzania. Together, they are scaling up to reach additional communities.

To date, 13 varieties were trialed across 12 districts in Tanzania and Malawi. Learning about and accessing these drought-tolerant varieties allow farming communities to build resilience against climate shocks when they happen, so farmers are better equipped to handle climate change situations beyond their control.

Loans for farming communities to invest in climate resilience

This season in Malawi, CDI is working with 24 farming groups lead by a female farmer to access in-kind loans for planting macadamia trees. Macadamia trees are seen by Malawian farmers as a low-cost crop with a high return. The trees provide long-term investment in income and help to support food and nutrition security and climate resiliency. Currently, through an in-kind loan valued at $2,000 from CDI, 1,060 macadamia trees have been planted on 26.5 acres which have an estimated value of $24,000 per acre after 7 years.

In Malawi, the Trees of Hope project was established by CDI in 2007 in the Dowa and Neno districts to reverse deforestation, mitigate the harmful effects of climate change, and bolster a self-sustaining marketplace by making tree farming profitable and attractive for smallholder farmers.

Trees of Hope is a certified Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) project which has worked with a total of 852 smallholder households and 24 community groups to secure PES agreements.

There are more than 300 hectares of trees planted and under management where the PES agreements are in place, which has resulted in $405,438.87 of payments made to smallholder participants. The total carbon sequestered by the Trees of Hope project to date is 82,900.94 tCO2.

Supporting government policies for green growth and climate strategies

In Rwanda, the government is prioritizing the integration of green growth and climate resilience strategies into the country’s policies with the hope of being a climate-resilient, low-carbon economy by 2050.

The Rwandan Government’s focus on the environment and building climate resilience has created a space for CDI to work with farming communities to further these efforts and reinforce the importance of trees as a means to stabilize the landscape, provide diversified sources of income, and even address food insecurity.

The government has also created an enabling environment for policies and projects prioritizing climate resilience. For example, thanks to these policies, CDI is working with 30 farming cooperatives in planting high-iron, heat, and disease tolerant beans!

Did you know? Rwanda was also one of the first countries to ban the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags and packaging materials in 2008, clearing the way for alternative — and sustainable — packaging materials!

Climate-smart systems as an incentive for farmers

In Tanzania, CDI has partnered with Trees for the Future to train and equip more than1,100 farmers in Iringa to plant three million trees consisting of agroforestry, fruit trees, and timber trees to improve agriculture sustainability and livelihoods development.

Trees for the Future will introduce their Forest Garden Approach to elevate forest gardens in CDI’s Community Agribusiness Approach as an incentive for farmers to engage in agriculture as a business, plant trees, and vegetables, and integrate agroforestry into current cropping systems for environmental sustainability and resilience.

For CDI, the farming communities we work with, and the many other partners we collaborate with, building climate resilience is at the forefront of what we do. Climate change is a constant challenge and CDI is always looking for innovative ways to continue our climate work. If you are interested in partnering with CDI, please contact us at cdi@clintonfoundation.org.

You can also support this work by making a contribution today.