Eastern and Southern Africa Ministers meet in Addis Ababa to advance climate smart agriculture
Date: 2026-03-04
By: Kanto Kai Okanta
Ministers
and technical experts from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development
(IGAD) and Southern Africa have convened in Addis Ababa for a High-Level
Regional Dialogue on Scaling Climate Smart Agriculture in Eastern and Southern
Africa.
The meeting brought together policymakers and
development partners to accelerate the adoption of climate-smart agricultural
practices aimed at strengthening food security and resilience across the
region.
Speaking on behalf of the IGAD Executive Secretary,
the Director of Agriculture and Environment, Daher Elmi, called for the
systematic integration of innovation into farming systems, with particular
emphasis on artificial intelligence and digital climate services. He said
climate shocks have become structural realities requiring coordinated,
technology-driven responses and deeper regional collaboration.
Elmi stressed the need to transform
agricultural systems to reduce losses, improve productivity and enhance
farmers’ ability to respond to climate variability. He underscored IGAD’s
commitment to supporting Member States in embedding climate-smart agriculture
into national development frameworks and mobilizing partnerships to scale
impact.
The
dialogue is supported by development partners including the World Bank and the
Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern
Africa (CCARDESA).
Participants
are expected to outline priority actions to accelerate regional cooperation and
place farmers at the center of a more resilient and food-secure future.
