Qatar and Gates Foundation launch $200mn climate change project

The project will help improve the livelihoods of thousands of farmers in the African continent who were affected by climate change.

Qatar Fund for Development has partnered with The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help hundreds of African farmers battle climate change with a staggering $200 million initiative.

The announcement came during the 20th edition of the Doha Forum in Qatar, where world leaders, diplomats, and activists all gathered under one roof to discuss prominent global issues, with the threats of climate change high on the agenda.

Bill Gates, along with Mr Khalifa Al-Kuwari, the Director General of QFFD, and Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman, revealed the latest initiative during a panel.

The new strategic partnership named Nanmo, or “growing together” in Arabic, looks to explore and invest in three main pillars: adaptation, access, and growth. The fund will be used to invest in climate-adaptive agricultural tools and technologies to develop strong food systems and markets to help small-scale producers and their communities across Africa.

This will be done by providing nutrition, income, and economic opportunities to those in need who were affected by the cataclysmic challenges of climate change.

“Hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, are already seeing their livelihoods threatened by higher temperatures and changing weather patterns,” said Gates.

“We’re building on our longstanding collaboration with QFFD to help these farmers adapt. Together, we can prevent millions of people from falling into poverty and hunger due to climate change and increase agricultural yields to jumpstart equitable economic growth where it’s most needed.”

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Four main key areas will be explored to strengthen economies in sub-Saharan Africa, including equity, enterprise, agriculture, and access to technologies, financial tools, and emerging best practices “as a driver of productivity, nutrition, and climate adaptation.”

In order to ensure the best adaptation to local environments, the project will also include system-level research and country-level implementation, the foundation highlighted.

“We are thrilled to be announcing a new initiative in collaboration with our strategic partner, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which aims at ensuring that sustainable development goals are met everywhere,” said Al-Kuwari.

“We have high hope that these valuable partnerships will expand our efforts to improve the lives of vulnerable communities, ensuring their economic security against the backdrop of this ever-evolving planet,” he added.

Improving the livelihoods of low-income women farmers in a number of different African countries will be among the focus of the first projects under the partnership. Both foundations will work with the World Poultry Foundation to provide the women with improved breeds of chicken for egg and meat production.

Meanwhile, part of the fund will also be used to achieve several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including poverty alleviation, agricultural transformation, nutrition, and youth and women’s and youth economic empowerment.

“A thriving agriculture sector generates economic growth, but that growth doesn’t automatically benefit everyone equally,” said Melinda French Gates, co-chair of the Gates Foundation.

“Nanmo isn’t just about protecting agriculture against climate change. It’s also about making sure that smallholder farmers, including millions of women, can lift themselves out of poverty and invest in a better future for their families and their communities.”

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