LAGOS – A regional agricultural initiative funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) has successfully delivered over 956 tonnes of climate-resilient seeds and established digital early warning systems for more than 160,000 farmers across four East African nations, AfDB said in a statement on Friday.
The results of the Strengthening Emergency Preparedness and Response to Food Crisis (SEPAREF) project were validated during a high-level workshop held in Nairobi, marking a significant milestone in bolstering food security for Burundi, Comoros, Somalia, and South Sudan.
The project, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in collaboration with national governments, was launched to mitigate food shortages caused by global supply chain disruptions and worsening climate volatility.
By focusing on the production of Early Generation Seeds (EGS), the initiative provided smallholder farmers with access to drought-tolerant crop varieties valued at approximately $1.7 million. These efforts were complemented by the rehabilitation of critical irrigation infrastructure and seed storage facilities, alongside the technical training of over 250 local seed out-growers.
Beyond physical inputs, the SEPAREF project modernized agricultural crisis management through the deployment of digital early warning platforms. These systems provide real-time weather data and agricultural advisory services directly to registered farmers, allowing for informed decision-making ahead of climate shocks. The initiative also facilitated the establishment of national seed councils to provide a structured regulatory framework for long-term seed security.
Technical support was provided by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the Technologies for African Agriculture Transformation (TAAT) program. This partnership ensured that high-standard seed technologies reached vulnerable farming communities where traditional commercial markets are often non-existent.
As the current phase nears completion, stakeholders are calling for a multi-country follow-on program to scale these gains. Pascal Sanginga, AfDB’s Regional Manager for Agriculture, emphasized that sustaining this momentum is vital for reducing reliance on grain imports. The workshop concluded with a commitment to embed these digital tools and seed certification protocols into permanent national infrastructures to ensure lasting resilience against future food crises.
