Money talks: What’s holding us back to better harness climate finance to build resilient food systems?

Smallholder farmers and pastoralists bear the brunt of climate change impacts and unsustainable food systems. They are asked to adapt to a changing climate and produce more food whilst keeping costs down and ensuring sustainability. Farmers need greater access to funds to improve adaptation and mitigation measures to meet these demands. Yet the existing financing architecture alone cannot bridge this gap without innovative and scalable financing solutions grounded in robust evidence.

The session will bring together diverse stakeholders from donors, investors, private sector, farmer representatives, and civil society to discuss how public and private finance can better support climate adaptation in local food systems in Africa. Discussions will explore opportunities within traditional sources of adaptation finance and more innovative approaches to financing local food systems adaptation, such as blended finance. The session will analyse what is holding back the much needed investment in climate adaptation in agriculture and livestock, particularly for small-scale producers and pastoralists.