Tumwebaze Urges AU to Strengthen Climate Resilience and Mitigation Strategies for Food Security

The Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries, Frank Tumwebaze, has underscored the urgent need for African nations to bolster their adaptation and resilience strategies, while also acknowledging mitigation as a complementary benefit.

This emphasis was articulated during his address at a significant gathering focused on climate finance for agriculture and food security.

The event, hosted at the Skylight Hotel in Addis Ababa, aimed to deliberate on the implementation of the Nairobi Declaration and the outcomes of the UNFCCC COP 28 concerning climate finance and green growth in Africa.

Tumwebaze emphasized the importance of fulfilling commitments outlined in the Paris Agreement, including reducing emissions and fostering collaborative efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

“As the Government of Uganda, we have prioritized interventions aligned with our National Development Plan III, the Parish Development Model, Agriculture Value Chain Development Strategy, and the overall agroindustrialization agenda,” said Tumwebaze.

He elaborated that these interventions would mitigate the effects of climate change and enhance production and productivity for food, animal feed, and nutrition security, influencing resource sourcing and prioritization decisions.

Tumwebaze highlighted the adverse impact of climate change on Africa’s agriculture and food systems.

He noted that climate change has led to decreased farm yields, lower animal growth rates, changes in pest and disease patterns, and outbreaks of pests such as the Desert locust and the fall armyworm.

These effects have further compounded the challenges of food, feed, and nutrition security on the continent.

“In the face of increasing climate-related risks, African countries must urgently scale up adaptation and resilience measures with mitigation as a co-benefit,” Tumwebaze emphasized.

He referenced the Sixth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which underscores the need for immediate action to mitigate the effects of climate change on agrifood systems and eradicate hunger in Africa.

Despite Africa’s relatively low contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, the continent remains highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, particularly in the agricultural sector.

Tumwebaze acknowledged that African farmers are disproportionately affected, leading to population movements, hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition.

He stressed the importance of reliable early warning systems to effectively address these challenges.

The Minister called upon African Union member countries, development partners, and friends to align their support and solutions, both technical and financial, towards enhancing climate resilience, mitigation, and income security.

He specifically highlighted the need to prioritize the most vulnerable small-holder farmers in their transition from subsistence to commercial farming and in transforming all aspects of the food system.