WFP, govt sign LoU on project for climate adaptation for small farmers

 Vijayawada: The State government and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) signed a Letter of Understanding (LoU) on Tuesday for a regional adaptation project between India and Sri Lanka called Adaptation for Resilience (ADAPT4R).

The project, implemented in three States – Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Tamil Nadu - aims at strengthening the resilience of vulnerable farming communities facing heightened climate change impacts. It seeks to enhance smallholder farmers’ adaptive capacities and food security, including women farmers, through an integrated approach that focuses on diversified livelihoods and other localised solutions.

The five-year project will be implemented in the YSR Kadapa district through a collaboration between the State Agriculture Department and the WFP. The implementing agency is Rythu Sadhikaraka Samsta (RYSS).

The project, funded by the Adaptation Fund, will focus on districts where adverse weather affects farmers’ crops and livelihoods. This Letter of Understanding (LoU) is based on a Memorandum signed in August 2024 between the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and WFP.

The agreement between WFP and the State government will support smallholder farmers in securing their livelihoods from the adverse impacts of extreme weather by providing information and capacity to build the communities’ resilience by developing local adaptation plans informed by climate advisories.

“This collaboration will further the State’s initiatives to respond to climate change,” said Budithi Rajsekhar, ex officio Special Chief Secretary of Agriculture. “We are honoured to have this partnership through the ADAPT4R project, which spans three States in India. The project aims at equipping smallholder farmers, especially women and vulnerable communities, to adopt resilient farming practices. We hope these efforts will promote sustainable farming methods to endure harsh weather conditions,” said Elisabeth Faure, representative and country director for WFP in India.

The project will also provide and create regional learning opportunities. The State has much to offer to regional knowledge-sharing and learning initiatives, for instance, through the planned improvement of accessibility to climate services at the grassroots level.