U.S. GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS TRAINING ON CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT PLANNERS IN TANZANIA

Key decision-makers and stakeholders from selected regions and districts in Tanzania are convening in Morogoro, March 25–29, for a U.S. Government-funded training on how to plan for and support smallholder farmers to cope with climate change and implement climate-smart agriculture. A similar training will be conducted in Unguja, Zanzibar, April 1–5.

The training program, “Landscape Climate-Smart Agriculture Pilot Course,” is being conducted by a team of experts from the University of California, Davis; the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); Cornell University; EcoAgriculture Partners; and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) with funds from the United States Government through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The training is part of the Building Capacity for Resilient Food Security project, an initiative of the Government of Tanzania in partnership with the USDA and USAID. The activity addresses capacity gaps to respond effectively to the challenges climate change poses to agriculture. The project is being implemented by the IITA, the FAO, and the World Agroforestry Center.

Climate-smart agriculture is defined by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as agriculture that increases food productivity and farmer income, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and is resilient to shocks and stresses from climate change. The approach helps the agriculture sector cope with climate change and associated extreme weather conditions such as drought, prolonged dry seasons, and floods, while also meeting the increasing demand for food.