CASA partners with USAID and AGRA to present a climate finance call to action at the AGRF Deal Room

Climate finance is one of the key themes for the AGRF conference and Deal Room in Kigali from 5-9 September 2022, and the organizers (AGRA) have selected CASA as their key partner to drive and shape the main climate session at the conference. Together we will aim to start tipping the climate finance balance for investing in adaptation to prevent food insecurity.

Alvaro Valverde, Private Sector Engagement Manager at CABI explains: ‘Since our inception in 2019 CASA has been building a close working relationship with AGRA and the AGRF Deal Room. So, when the AGRF was looking to organize a session on climate finance it was logical for them to come to CASA.  With the support of UK Aid, CASA has been able to develop a very strong body of research in this area that starts clarifying the key opportunities and challenges for mobilising finance for climate adaptation in agriculture. This research will be used to introduce 3 panels of experts drawn from government, donors, investors, food companies and recipients of investment for agricultural projects in Africa.’

The session will explore how to effectively make the short-term business case for attracting more funding towards climate adaptation in the agri-SME sector. Four CASA research reports will be used to set the context for panel discussions. The first two have been published on the CASA website and provide the background. What’s the adaptation finance gap? and which technologies could be looked into as investable opportunities to promote adaptation?

Two further upcoming CASA reports will also be previewed at the conference. These reports look at which initiatives have emerged aiming to close the climate finance gap on adaptation and what are agricultural investors and food companies actually investing in climate adaptation. CASA’s research lead, Mat Hague, will build on this research to set the scene for the discussion.

Alvaro concludes: ‘The event will be a fast-paced, but rigorous review of the major constraints and opportunities in relation to climate adaptation finance in agriculture. This is critical for African food systems to cope with the increasing climate related shocks and stresses. There will be a clear call for action for everyone – the required actions will vary depending on the nature of the organisation and the extent to which they have already embraced the challenges of a changing climate and the need for food security.’

Unpacking the role of concessional funding for tipping the balance, we will have the following speakers:

• Stephen Morin, USAID
• Simon Winter, Syngenta Foundation,
• Fiona Napier, Africa Nature Lead, UNFCC Climate Champions team
• Daniela Chiriac, Global Lab for Climate Finance, Climate Policy Initiative
• Gary Almond, Shell Foundation

Understanding investments in climate adaptation from an investor perspective we will have:

• Ben Valk, RaboBank
• Jerry Parkes, CEO, Injaro Investments and ABC Fund
• Abdulmajid M. Nsekela, CEO, CRDB Bank
• Thouraya Tiriki, Director, Sustainable production, markets and institutions, IFAD

Exploring specific adaptation technologies to invest in, the session will have:

• Samir Ibrahim, CEO Sunculture [Boston Consulting Group Representative]
• Catherine Nakalembe, Lead, NASA Harvest
• Jean Paul Gis, One Acre Fund

Briefing document: Tipping the balance: Opportunities in climate adaptation for African smallholder farmers and SMEs

Register here for the in-person at the AGRF Deal Room session

More details on the event, below:

Featured image credit: S.Kilungu/CCAFS (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)