ASARECA Member States Validate Climate Smart Agriculture Scaling Strategy in Nairobi

Member countries of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) have convened in Nairobi to validate the Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) Scaling Strategy, a framework designed to accelerate the adoption of proven agricultural technologies and practices across the region.

The 10-year strategy, running until 2035, aims to catalyze systemic transformation in agriculture, enhance food security, and improve rural livelihoods across ASARECA’s 15 member countries. It will serve as a roadmap for national governments, research institutions, farmers, private sector players, and development partners in scaling up climate-resilient agricultural transformation.

ASARECA Executive Director Dr. Sylvester Baguma emphasized the urgency of the initiative, noting that climate change is an enduring reality.

“Climate change is here to stay, and unless we find solutions that help us to be resilient, we cannot manage. The CSA Scaling Strategy will identify and expand technologies that enable farmers to not only withstand climate shocks but also increase productivity and generate surplus for markets,” he said.

The strategy is designed to scale up, scale out, and scale deep proven technologies, innovations, management practices, and services (TIMPS) tailored to diverse agroecological zones — from highlands to arid and semi-arid lands.

Dr. John Recha, a research scientist at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), stressed that CSA solutions must be context-specific.

“Climate-smart agriculture is not one-size-fits-all. It depends on geography, altitude, and local diets. The strategy provides options for crops, livestock, soil, water management, and marketing,” he explained.

Julian Barungi, ASARECA’s Policy Programme Officer and Manager of the AICCRA Project, said the framework will address adoption challenges such as affordability, awareness, and access.

“Despite many scientific innovations, farmers have not widely adopted CSA technologies. This strategy ensures that innovations are scaled systematically and tailored to specific zones,” she said.

Barungi added that the strategy calls for deliberate action by ministries of agriculture and national agricultural research institutes to integrate CSA into institutional and national policy frameworks.

Once validated, the CSA Scaling Strategy is set for finalization by the end of October 2025, with an official launch planned before the close of the year.

Established in 1994, ASARECA coordinates collaborative agricultural research and innovation across Eastern and Central Africa, bringing together national research institutes to address shared challenges.