East African Farmers Demanded Climate Finance Access
Smallholder farmers are seeking institutionalized roles in the upcoming 10-year EAC Climate Change Strategy.
Updated on Sept. 23, 2026 in Environmental
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The Eastern and Southern Africa Small-Scale Farmers Forum has requested direct access to climate finance and formal roles in policy oversight. This follows regional dialogues aimed at shaping the East African Community (EAC) Climate Change Strategy for the 2026 to 2036 period.
Why it matters
Farmers face urgent threats from unpredictable rainfall, floods, and pests that directly jeopardize food security and rural livelihoods. Securing institutionalized participation in policy planning is intended to ensure that international climate funds actually reach local production systems.
The proposed framework covers a 10-year implementation horizon from 2026 to 2036. The total scope of the initiative intends to align regional climate actions with established benchmarks like the CAADP Kampala Declaration and the EAC Regional Agri-food Systems Investment Plan.
The players
East African Community
An intergovernmental organization focused on regional economic and political integration across East African partner states.
Eastern and Southern Africa Small-Scale Farmers Forum
A regional network of smallholder farmers advocating for policy influence and resource access in agricultural development.
The details
Farmers proposed using community scorecards and public expenditure tracking as mechanisms to monitor government climate budgets. These tools are designed to provide social accountability, allowing local groups to verify if financial commitments are translated into on-the-ground support. The dialogue also seeks to align the strategy with the EAC Regional Agri-food Systems Investment Plan, a roadmap for food and agricultural development in the region.
Timeline
The EAC Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan will span from 2026 to 2036.
Policy recommendations from these dialogues will inform the 31st UN Climate Change Conference.
The Tech Race
This effort seeks to move regional climate policy toward a more granular, accountability-based model rooted in the CAADP Kampala Declaration. It represents a push to standardize how EAC member states report and verify the distribution of climate funds compared to previous, less transparent planning cycles.
The proposed changes could eventually shift how local agriculture sectors access funding and resources to combat rising temperatures and erratic weather patterns. These institutional adjustments remain in the planning stage, with full implementation contingent upon the adoption of the 2026-2036 strategy.
The takeaway
The effectiveness of these demands will be tested during the upcoming planning phases for the 10-year strategy. Observers should track the 31st UN Climate Change Conference to see if these farmer-led accountability frameworks are adopted into the final regional policy language.
Further reading
For broader context on regional climate adaptation, visit the Environmental section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Daily News.
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Should regional governments prioritize direct access to climate funding for local smallholder farmers?
