Praia, April 14, 2025 (Lusa) - The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on Monday in Praia, launched a regional programme to strengthen the resilience of agriculture in the face of climate change in Cabo Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe and Guinea-Bissau.

The five-year Adaptation of Small Island Developing States in West and Central Africa (Adapt) programme, with a budget of €10.5 million, aims to "strengthen the resilience of small producers and agricultural production systems in the face of climate change," said IFAD Director Bernard Hien at the project launch.

The programme includes technical training, access to new technologies and the drawing up of action plans that each country will adapt to its realities.

"The priority is to give them the knowledge and tools to better adapt to climate change," he emphasised.

He said that in addition to the environmental component, the project also seeks to respond to economic and social weaknesses, especially in rural areas, with a focus on including women and young people.

"All the projects supported by IFAD have a strong social component. We work to successfully integrate young people and women into activities and strengthen their economic power. This programme also takes that into account," he said.

In Cabo Verde, the project will be linked to the Project for the Promotion of Rural Socio-Economic Opportunities (POSER), which aims to create employment and income opportunities for the most vulnerable rural members of the public.

Cabo Verde's minister for the environment and agriculture, Gilberto Silva, said that the project will be developed in the Rabil valley, on the island of Boa Vista, to "replace the American acacia, which is an invasive species, with date palms".

The aim is also to work towards greater resilience and adaptation of the agri-food system, not only in agriculture, but also in livestock and nature conservation, so that Cabo Verdeans don't abandon the countryside.

"The whole of Africa contributes 4% of emissions, and we stand out in this group of countries for the fact that we are suffering heavily from the consequences of climate change," he pointed out.

RS/AYLS // AYLS

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