Smallholder farmers in Africa are responsible for up to 70% of the continent's food production. But over the years, agriculture production has been declining, becoming one of the most pressing problems troubling the continent’s food systems.
This decline is due to a mix of factors, including climate change and increasingly acidic soils, a situation that is pushing families to the edge of destitution, according to Sam Nderitu, director of programs at the Grow Biointensive Agricultural Center of Kenya.
Despite this reality, climate finance for small-scale agri-food systems dropped by 44% in 2020, compared to three years ago, representing just 0.8% of total climate finance tracked across all sectors by the Climate Policy Initiative.