The Australian government has announced a transformative A$76.4 million investment in agricultural research and development to strengthen Africa’s food security and climate resilience. The funding, unveiled by Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Penny Wong during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa, will power the six-year Africa-Australia Partnership for Climate Responsive Agriculture (AAPCRA).
AAPCRA aims to equip smallholder farmers across Africa with climate-smart agricultural practices, addressing the pressing challenges of food insecurity and climate change. With over half of Africa’s workforce reliant on agriculture, the initiative targets smallholders as the backbone of the continent’s food systems, which are increasingly vulnerable to climate shocks.
The program, spearheaded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), focuses on building scientific and institutional capacity in African research organisations. According to ACIAR CEO Professor Wendy Umberger, the partnership will drive research innovations to bolster food production and climate adaptation.
“Through these collaborations, we aim to deliver solutions that address both African and Australian agricultural challenges,” said Prof. Umberger. “By leveraging Australia’s expertise in climate-smart agriculture, we’re helping create more resilient and sustainable food systems for vulnerable communities.”
In its first year, AAPCRA will allocate A$11.9 million to establish new research collaborations and capacity-building initiatives with African institutions, universities, and private-sector partners. The program will also engage policymakers to integrate climate-responsive agriculture into national frameworks, empowering governments to tackle food security and climate resilience more effectively.
The initiative aligns with the African Union’s prioritisation of scientific research to address complex environmental and agricultural challenges. It also builds on ACIAR’s four decades of collaboration with Eastern and Southern African nations.
Senator Wong emphasised that partnerships like AAPCRA are essential to creating a “more resilient future for all,” blending food security with economic and environmental sustainability in regions hardest hit by climate change.
At a time when 868 million people worldwide face food insecurity, Australia’s investment in Africa’s agriculture underscores a global commitment to tackling the interconnected crises of climate change and hunger.
Article by Nyokabi Wanjiku
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