Agriculture ministry, Ernst & Young discuss solutions around climate change for farming community |22 July 2022

Delegates and guests in a souvenir photograph

The ministry responsible for Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment launched the initial workshop of the first phase of the Pan-Africa Programme of the Green Climate Fund Readiness at the Hilton Allamanda Resort & Spa, Anse Forbans yesterday.

The theme of the workshop is ‘Accelerating the financing and implementation of low-carbon and climate-resilient priorities in agriculture and energy for agriculture in 23 African countries’ for the period 2022-2023.

This Green Climate Fund (GCF) Readiness is part of a pan-African regional programme which aims at doubling adaptation finance mobilised by African countries by the year 2025 which is characterised as their urgent priorities.

The first phase of this programme is for capacity strengthening, climate risks assessments and integration of policy alignment. A grant was received from the GCF to develop a model and transform projects of scale in the agriculture sector. Seychelles is one of the 23 countries benefiting from this grant. To roll out this project, Ernst & Young (EY), a firm acting as delivery partner and the GCF scheduled this workshop to interact with key stakeholders, including high-level policy makers.

Minister for Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment Flavien Joubert stated that this programme is to build the necessary long-lasting capacity needed to identify, design and develop transformational climate interventions in the agriculture and energy for agriculture sectors. He further mentioned that this programme targets the agriculture and energy for agriculture sectors that are among the most vulnerable to climate change, drives greenhousegas emissions while supporting economic development.

“The programme will be developed in three phases, and of which the first phase will consist of capacity strengthening, climate risks assessments and integration for policy alignment. The grant received from GCF is to develop paradigm-shifting and transformative projects of scale in the agriculture sector,” said Minister Joubert.

The minister mentioned the impact and the rising rate of climate change in Seychelles. He highlighted that farmers will need new tools and techniques to protect their bottom line and ensure the future food security of our nation. The farmers will need more support from government, from outside partners, organisations, from each other and this project will be able to give them direction of having an effective roadmap.

“Today we have a group of producers and relevant stakeholders in Seychelles who have made a wide variety of commitments. From implementing innovative practices on their farms and to making new private investments, be it in renewable energy generation to contribute in greenhouse gas reduction and make savings in their energy consumptions or to put in place appropriate adaptation measures focusing on climate smart agriculture,” said Minister Joubert.

Technical advisor for climate change Wills Agricole addressed the various impacts, challenges to adaptations and recommendations caused by climate change on various sectors such as environment, tourism, agriculture, fisheries, terrestrial biodiversity and health.

Patrice Lefeu, global climate finance leader from EY, outlined the objectives and the work plan of theprogramme. The objectives is to mobilise the overarching agriculture community to make the agricultural sector in Seychelles more resilient to climate change. He also highlighted that this programme is the biggest the GCF has ever launched.

Direct beneficiaries of this readiness workshop includes African National Designated Authority (NDAs), ministries in charge of agriculture and energy, and stakeholders involved in climate action in Africa, including domestic private sector actors. Indirect beneficiaries are African citizens, especially populations highly reliant on agriculture and vulnerable cropping systems.

The technical team from the ministry in Seychelles will set up a climate change committee which will involve people from these sectors to ensure compliance around the implementation of this project.

Linne Dubignon