Abstract:
Far greater investment in the rain-fed farming systems of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is essential if
chronic food shortages and poverty are to be reduced and progress towards the Millennium
Development Goals is to be achieved. However, in such systems, rainfall variability is the fundamental
factor that defines production uncertainty, and whilst farmers have learned to cope with current
climatic variability, they and many associated potential investors are ‘risk averse’ and over-estimate
the impact of rainfall variability on crop and livestock production. As a result they are reluctant to
make such investments when the outcomes seem so uncertain from year to year. Climate change
will result in even greater rainfall variability in many parts of SSA and can only exacerbate this
situation. However, unless the livelihoods of resource poor farmers and the natural resource base
upon which they depend are made more resilient though coping better with current climate variability,
the challenge of adapting to future climate change will be daunting for most and perhaps impossible
for many. ICRISAT is helping to bring together a consortium of national, regional and international
partners that will bring new and proven climate risk management tools to address the concerns of
farmers and stakeholder investors and will help them build strategic and tactical climate risk
management approaches into their planning and activities. Indeed, if a better understanding of the
constraints and opportunities of climatically induced risk is not provided to key stakeholders and
farmers alike, investment in the rain-fed agricultural sector in SSA is likely to remain at its current
low and inadequate level resulting in persistent poverty and vulnerability of rural populations. The
Consortium experts are convinced that the successful application of these approaches will, by 2015,
have facilitated and guided agricultural investments that will play a major role in moving towards
the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa,
and in answering Secretary Kofi Annan’s call for a truly African Green Revolution.
