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By Soumaya El Filali
Rabat – The Moroccan government, at COP22 Climate talks in Marrakesh, launched a new initiative to help African agriculture adapt to climate change. Under the name of Triple A, the initiative aims to determine factors and carry on actions that will not only transform and strengthen African agriculture but also help it adapt to changing climate.
Knowing that six of the ten countries most affected by climate change in the world are in the African continent, the initiative proved to be more crucial than ever.
Bruce Campbell of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change said, “This event was a crucial step towards a mutual goal: finding ways to adapt to climate change and finding the funds to make it happen.”
The Ambitious Triple A initiative seeks to mobilize $30 billion for Africa to adapt its agriculture global warming.
While global efforts being at rest untill May 2017 will not make this task an easy one, many view this as an opportunity for Africa to take the lead in integrating agriculture adaptation in its climate change strategy by showing strong regional efforts and actions.
Mohamed Ait Kadi, president of the General Council of Agricultural Development in Morocco, said: “We have billed this COP as a COP for Africa, providing a unique opportunity to showcase action for Africa, in Africa. The Paris Agreement explicitly refers to safeguarding food security. In my view, the willingness to address agriculture and food security finally appears to be having some impact.”
If proved to be successful, the Triple A initiative carries promising results of not only an increase in production from $280 billion to $880 billion by 2030, but also an increase in average crop yields as well as significant decrease in drought and greenhouse gas emissions.
Many praised and encouraged the initiative, such as Eduador Mansur, Director of the Land and Water Division at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
“The AAA initiative touches our heart, because of the opportunity it gives for South-South cooperation – there is so much to learn…we need to let this knowledge flow from one country to another,” he said.
