The African Development Bank Group has reinforced its leadership in climate-resilient farming by convening a high-level continental forum focused on accelerating the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) across Africa.

The virtual Forum on Promoting Climate-Smart Agriculture for African Farmers’ Resilience to Climate Change brought together nearly 390 participants from 34 African countries and 10 non-regional nations, including policymakers, researchers, agribusiness leaders and farmer organisations. Discussions centred on what works, how technologies can be scaled, and how partnerships can unlock investment and impact at farm level.

Here are five critical insights from the forum that matter for Africa’s agricultural future.

1. Africa is on the frontline of the global climate crisis

Africa’s food systems face some of the world’s highest climate risks. Without rapid adaptation, production of key staples such as maize and wheat could decline by as much as 20% by 2050, threatening food security and rural livelihoods. Agriculture employs more than half of sub-Saharan Africa’s workforce, meaning climate shocks directly translate into income losses and social vulnerability.

The Bank and its partners emphasised that climate-smart agriculture—from improved seed varieties to better planting calendars—offers a practical pathway to protect yields and stabilise incomes. Modelling from research institutions shows that relatively simple measures, such as adjusting planting dates and using climate-adapted crop varieties, could increase yields by up to 13% in parts of West Africa, even under changing climate conditions.

2. TAAT is accelerating food security and climate resilience

The Bank’s flagship Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) programme is scaling proven, high-impact agricultural technologies across the continent. These include drought-resistant and heat-tolerant seeds, improved crop management practices, and farmer training in climate adaptation.

Over the past decade, TAAT has reached more than 13 million farmers, boosting food production by an estimated 25 million tonnes. In Nigeria alone, the programme supported the distribution of improved wheat seeds and fertilisers, enabling wheat cultivation to expand dramatically—from under 12,000 hectares in 2021 to nearly 400,000 hectares by 2025, with yields rising by almost 30% in targeted regions.

These interventions highlight how coordinated input supply, finance and training can rapidly transform local food systems.

3. Farmer organisations and the private sector are key to scaling impact

Farmer cooperatives, agribusinesses and telecom companies are playing a decisive role in expanding access to climate-smart technologies among smallholder farmers. By bundling inputs with advisory services, credit and weather information—often delivered through digital platforms—these actors are improving adoption rates and reducing climate-related risks.

Evidence from Ethiopia shows that cooperative members are significantly more likely to adopt climate-smart practices such as mulching, integrated pest management and water conservation. Across West Africa, private firms are partnering with mobile operators to deliver hyper-local weather forecasts, allowing farmers to better time planting and fertiliser use, reducing losses and improving productivity.

Grassroots leadership also matters. Farmer network leaders across East and West Africa are facilitating access to climate-adapted seeds, fertilisers and land for thousands of vulnerable farmers, ensuring that innovations reach those who need them most.

4. Millions of farmers are using Bank-backed innovations—often unknowingly

The African Development Bank has supported the rollout of more than 80 climate-smart technologies, including heat-tolerant maize, climate-resilient rice, improved livestock breeds, water-efficient irrigation kits and soil fertility enhancers.

Because these technologies are delivered through governments, cooperatives, private companies and national research systems, many farmers are unaware they originate from Bank-backed programmes. The forum highlighted the importance of better communication and branding—not for visibility alone, but to strengthen trust, accountability and coordination across value chains.

5. Fertiliser financing is strengthening resilience at community level

The Africa Fertilizer Financing Mechanism (AFFM) is addressing one of Africa’s most persistent agricultural bottlenecks: access to affordable fertiliser. By providing credit guarantees and blended finance solutions, AFFM reduces risk for lenders and keeps critical inputs flowing to smallholder farmers.

Between 2019 and 2025, AFFM-supported trade credit guarantees enabled the distribution of over 145,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser, benefiting nearly one million farmers across eight countries. Women accounted for more than 34% of beneficiaries, while over 170,000 farmers also received training in good agricultural practices—amplifying both productivity and climate resilience.

Outlook for African agriculture

The forum underscored a clear message: climate-smart agriculture is no longer optional—it is essential. With the right mix of technology, finance, partnerships and farmer engagement, Africa can safeguard its food systems, strengthen rural livelihoods and build resilience in the face of accelerating climate change.

For AgriFocus Africa, the discussions point to a future where innovation at farm level, backed by continental institutions and private-sector collaboration, will define the next phase of Africa’s agricultural transformation.