CGIAR and WFP renew their commitment to strengthen food security in Zambia

JOINT PRESS RELEASE

Lusaka, April 19, 2024: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and CGIAR, have renewed their partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), to strengthen food and nutrition security in Zambia as the country grapples with a widespread El Niño induced drought and the climate crisis.

The partnership implemented under CGIAR Research Initiative on Climate Resilience (ClimBeR) will focus on four key areas: climate services such as co-developments and improvements to Zambia’s e-Extension system, index insurance, early warning and anticipatory action, and climate security.

“We are thrilled to continue our long-standing partnership with CGIAR at the regional level to strengthen food and nutrition security at a time when Zambia is devastated by prolonged drought,” said Cissy Byenkya, WFP Country Director in Zambia. “Through this partnership, we hope to strengthen the climate resilience of smallholder farmers, help them to better cope with climate extremes and limit crop losses and support food and nutrition security.”

In March 2024, Zambia declared a state of emergency due to the El Niño induced drought, with 84 out of 116 districts and more than one million farming families affected, plunging the country into food and nutrition insecurity.

“The Climate Resilience Initiative demonstrates CGIAR’s commitment to the people of Zambia in supporting the implementation of its National Adaptation Plan and Vision 2030,” said Dr. Ana Maria Loboguerrero, CGIAR Research Initiative on Climate Resilience Lead. “We are proud to work together with WFP to build climate resilience locally; partnerships such as this reflect our commitment to co-create a sustainable and resilient future in Zambia through a combination of digital innovations, capacity strengthening mechanisms, and access to accurate and timely climate information for more informed decision making.”

The collaboration between WFP and the CGIAR Initiative on Climate Resilience shows the benefits of humanitarian organizations and agri-food research centers working together to address current and future food system challenges.

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About WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies, building prosperity and supporting a sustainable future for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change. Access the WFP News Release here.

Follow WFP on X @wfp_media @WFP_Zambia, @wfp_southernafrica.

 About CGIAR Research Initiative on Climate Resilience

The CGIAR Research Initiative on Climate Resilience (ClimBeR) works to transform the adaptive capacity of food, land, and water systems to enhance smallholder resilience through locally led adaptation solutions. Zambia is one of ClimBeR’s focus countries, and the Initiative has contributed to enhancing resilience in several ways, from the use of platforms such as the Zambia Drought Management System and Early Warning, Early Action, and Early Finance Platform (AWARE) for anticipatory action measures, to the integrated Future Estimator for Emissions and Diets (iFEED) to achieve nutrition security under climate extremes, and the Climate Security Observatory to inform adaptation policies that enhance peace and resilience to climate shocks.

Follow us on X @CGIARclimate

Feature image: ClimBeR is catalyzing community-led climate adaptation in Monze’s Hanzila community, through the community-led solar-powered borehole activity in collaboration with local authorities. Photo credit: Giriraj Amarnath/ClimBeR

For more information please contact:

Sabrina Rose, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, s.rose@cgiar.org

Martina Mascarenhas, ClimBeR, m.mascarenhas@cgiar.org, +94775178771

Daison Ngirazi, WFP, Daison.ngirazi@wfp.org, +263775 167 007