
AAAP in the Media
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3
Staple Crops Processing Zone (SCPZ): funding proposal to the Green Climate Fund
The target countries of Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Togo and Zambia are regions experiencing high deforestation, poor agriculture yield and increasing poverty exacerbated by climate change. Across all four countries, climate variability and change has become a major threat to sustainable development.
As part of efforts to address these challenges, the four countries are implementing national projects to establish Staple Crops Processing Zones: initiatives designed to concentrate agro-processing activities within areas of high agricultural potential to boost productivity and integrate production, processing and marketing of selected commodities. These initiatives are purposely built shared facilities, to enable agricultural producers, processors, aggregators and distributors to operate in the same vicinity to reduce transaction costs and share business development services for increased productivity and competitiveness.
Developing adequate infrastructure (energy, water, roads, ICT) in rural areas of high agricultural potential should attract investments from private agro-industrialists/entrepreneurs to contribute to the economic and social development of rural areas.
The Staple Crops Processing Zone (SCPZ) development program aims to transform agriculture production in regions experiencing high deforestation, poor agriculture yield and increasing poverty exacerbated by climate change, including the target countries of Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Togo and Zambia.
The specific objectives of SCPZ are: (i) improving access to seed capital through grants and matching grants; (ii) supporting productivity enhancement through introduction of new technologies and agricultural inputs; (iii) improving access to infrastructure by supporting investment; (iv) improving the capacity of producer cooperative through training and TA, especially for targeted women and youth groups; (v) facilitating market linkages throughout-growers’ schemes; and (vi) facilitating on-farm value addition by targeting limited value chains and linking farmers to the supply chain.
GCF financing is sought to strengthen one of the project components of SCPZ in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Togo and Zambia.
- Through the technical assistance program, AAAPwill accelerate the mobilization of adaptation finance.
- Increased carbon sinks in soil and above-ground biomass
- Reduced carbon dioxide/other greenhouse gas emissions from farms due to efficient energy use
- Increased renewable energy production from biomass, either as a substitute for fossil fuels or as a replacement for burning of fuel wood or crop residues
- Fewer incidents of bare soils, reduced soil erosion and increased water percolation.
- Reduced emissions through low-emission energy access and power generation
- Reduced emissions due to improved waste management, including by recycling waste and use of waste in biogas systems
- Reduction of emissions from land use and deforestation, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.
-
Increased resilience, including to extreme events such as droughts and floods, and enhanced livelihood of about 55% of highly vulnerable people and communities
-
Increased access to better health and wellbeing, and food and water security to over 100,000 beneficiaries, in addition to provision of alternative sources of energy
-
Increased resilience of ecosystems and ecosystem services in forests and savannas
USD 427 million:
- Funding proposal to GCF seeking USD 174.02 million (USD 130.02 million grant and USD 44 million loan)
- AfDB providing USD 111.2 million (USD 85.2 million loan and USD 26 million grant)
- Co-financiers:
European Union, USD 10.4 million (grant)
BOAD, USD 17.6 million (loan)
Korea Exim Bank, USD 50 million (loan)
Korea Fund, USD 5 million (grant)
Islamic Development Bank, USD 31 million (loan)
Governments of target countries, USD 28 million (counterpart financing)
Reinforcing Resilience to Food and Nutrition Insecurity in the Sahel (P2-P2RS)
The Sahel, which lies between the Sahara Desert to the north and tropical savannas to the south, is one of the largest semi-arid/arid sub-regions globally. As such, the region is highly vulnerable to climate change and other uncertainties. The impacts of climate change may have critical socio-economic consequences for the Sahel, including poor agricultural yields, increased frequency of natural disasters. Already, the number of people in the Sahel suffering from chronic food and nutrition insecurity, poverty and vulnerability to the effects of climate change is rising steadily.
A lasting solution to food and nutrition insecurity in the Sahel requires building resilience to climate change, long-term agricultural sector financing and developing trade and regional integration. Sustained, longer-term investments in household resilience can significantly reduce the cost of emergency assistance, ultimately breaking the cycle of recurring famine. This is the most cost-effective intervention option which meets the basic needs and preserves the dignity of the populations of the Sahel. This idea is central to the Programme to Build Resilience to Food and Nutrition Insecurity in the Sahel (P2RS)
The overall objective of the P2-P2RS is to contribute to the substantial improvement of the living conditions and the food and nutritional security of the populations of the Sahel region.
Specifically, the program aims to i) strengthen the resilience to climate change of agro-sylvo-pastoral producers, including through promotion of climate-smart agricultural technologies in the Sahel and the development of climate intelligent villages; ii) develop the agro-sylvo-pastoral value chains, including through the development and improvement of hydro, meteorology and climate services; and iii) support regional institutions (CILSS, APGMV, CCRS) to strengthen adaptive capacity in the Sahel.
- Design digital adaptation solutions (Digital Climate Advisory Services, DCAS) for the Sahel context
- Investment readiness and infrastructure, institutional and farmer capacity needs for DCAS
- Feasibility study to integrate DCAS into agricultural extension and agrometeorological advisory to smallholder farmers and pastoralists
- 1 million rural households have access to digital or data-enabled climate-smart technologies
- 500,000 smallholders have adopted adaptation practices
- 5 million smallholders have access to climate services;
- Development and improvement of hydro, meteorology and climate services
- The development of climate-intelligent villages
- Promotion of climate-smart agricultural technologies in the Sahel
- Resilience to food and nutrition security built for the targeted populations
USD 300 million
African Development Bank participates in the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF)
What: African Development Bank participates in the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF)
Who: African Development Bank, Nordic Innovation and the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, with international partners
When: 30 May - 2 June 2023
Where: Helsinki, Finland and online
A delegation led by African Development Bank Director of Climate Change and Green Growth Anthony Nyong, is at the 2023 World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF2023) in the Finnish capital Helsinki.
WCEF2023 is the seventh edition of the annual forum co-organised by Nordic Innovation and the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, with international partners, including the African Development Bank. The forum brings together business leaders, policymakers and experts from around the world to present the best circular economy solutions. WCEF examines how societies and businesses can seize new opportunities to accelerate the global transition towards a circular economy to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. WCEF is the world’s best known neutral global circular economy event and platform for the global circularity movement.
To leverage and build on the results of last year’s WCEF and showcase circular economy ambition in Africa, a strong engagement of the African Development Bank is planned at WCEF2023. This includes speaker roles at plenary sessions, side events and hosting an African delegation of six participants from member countries of the African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA) and African organisations to participate and speak at the event alongside the Bank’s mission team.
African Development Bank Director of Climate Change and Green Growth Anthony Nyong will participate in a guided dialogue during a session titled “Unlocking Finance for a circular and regenerative economy” organised by Circle Economy together with European Investment Bank (EIB). ACEA, whose secretariat is based at the African Development Bank’s headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, will join in a session titled “Circular strategies and road maps,” organised by The Global Alliance on Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency.
The African Development Bank will host a stand at the WCEF Exhibition Area. This will give the opportunity to African Circular Economy Facility (ACEF), ACEA and its partners to showcase solutions to a global audience to attract partners and financiers for scaleup.
The Bank organises / has interventions in the following sessions:
TUESDAY, 30 MAY
Plenary Sessions at Helsinki Fair Centre
9:30-10:30
IFI CEN high-level working meeting
13:30 - 14:45
Unlocking finance for a circular and regenerative economy
THURSDAY, 1 JUNE
Accelerator Sessions, venues across Helsinki
8:30-13:00 (UTC+3)
Place: Messukeskus conference centre, Messuaukio 1, Helsinki and online
Accelerator session: African Voices to circular Economy
10:00 – 13:00
Accelerator session: International Financing and Funding for World Circular Economy Business Opportunities
16:00 – 17:30
Accelerator session: A circular economy that works for everyone: ensuring a just and jobs-rich transition to a sustainable future for all

Official WCEF2023 website: https://wcef2023.com/about/
Accelerator Session: https://wcef2023.com/sessions/african-voices-showcasing-circular-economy-ambition-in-africa/
Confirm your live attendance as soon as possible by registering through this link
Livestream on the WCEF2023 website and YouTube channel.
Media contact: Sonia Borrini, Communications and Knowledge Management Specialist, Climate Change and Green Growth Department | email : s.borrini@afdb.org