About ACSAA

The ASARECA Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance (ACSAA) is a multistakeholder platform that brings together agricultural scientists, agro-meteorologists, climate change experts, private sector players, farmers, extension workers and policy makers. It was formed in 2021 to enhance coordination of the scattered CSA activities within the ECA sub-region with the goal of improving farmer resilience & livelihoods in the face of climate change and variability. 

Background and Rationale of the ACSAA

Climate change continues to take a heavy toll on the agriculture sector in ASARECA member countries, putting years of economic progress at risk. The most affected are millions of farmers, especially smallholder rural farmers who bear the brunt of climate change including uneven rainfall distribution, extremes of temperatures, floods, and soil erosion. The pathway to ensuring a climate-resilient agricultural sector must, therefore, be cemented with sound climate agricultural policies and interventions. Climate-Smart Agriculture is emerging as a promising pathway to address challenges imposed by the changing climate and ensure that agriculture becomes resilient. Ultimately, increasing food production, improving resilience and reducing emissions from the agriculture sector will depend on how fast ASARECA member countries prioritize policy actions that address the challenges of the changing climate.

Goal of ACSAA

Improved farmer resilience & livelihoods in the face of climate change and variability

Mission of ACSAA

To enhance coordination of CSA programs within the ECA sub-region

Objectives of ACSAA

  1. To increase adoption of CSA approaches to the benefit of farmers
  2. To coordinate joint CSA initiatives/projects in ECA
  3. To facilitate exchange of climate-relevant Knowledge, Information and TIMPs across the region
  4. To develop strategies and mobilize resources to address emerging AR4D issues
  5. To establish and strengthen capacity of national CSA platforms

Membership

Currently ACSAA has over 1,000 members from the following categories of institutions:

  1. Country CSA multi-stakeholder platforms
  2. Government ministries (Agriculture, Natural Resource Management, Water and Environment, Renewable energy, Climate Change)
  3. International Research Institutions.
  4. National Research Institutions.
  5. National Meteorological Organizations and Authorities.
  6. Academia (Public and private universities, Colleges, schools).
  7. Private sector companies, associations, and federations.
  8. Farmer organizations, cooperatives, and groups.
  9. Local & international NGOs, CBOs, civil society organizations.
  10. High level policy makers incl. Parliamentary groups on CC, RECs).
  11. UN organizations (UNFCCC, FAO, WFP, WMO).
  12. Local media houses.
  13. Development partners.
  14. Any person interested in receiving updates about CSA initiatives in the Eastern and Central Africa

Membership fees and Funding

Currently membership to ACSAA is free to all. CSA activities of ACSAA are currently financed by the European Union (EU) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) through the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme CAADP ex-pillar IV (CAADP-XP4) project as part of the grant awarded to ASARECA, AFAAS, CCARDESA, FARA and CORAF.

We however welcome contributions from development partners and well-wishers interested in strengthening African institutions to use local innovations to mitigate the negative effects of climate change and improve smallholder farmer livelihoods.