Zimbabwe receives US$5 million from Japan for climate-resilient agriculture. Image: The Zimbabwean Mail
(The Post News)- COP29 has reached a peak with a deal for 3 hundred billion Rands in climate funding for poorer countries, while Japan has donated US$5.1 million to lessen the effects of climate change in Zimbabwe. The donation aims to help small-scale farmers who were hit by drought brought on by the El Nino phenomenon.
The project will be implemented by the World Food Program to fund climate resilience and sustainable agriculture initiatives that will directly support 37,000 small-scale farmers across five districts. This will ensure household food security. Japan has specified its support for Mwenezi, Chiredzi, Rushinga, Chipinge, and Mt. Darwin, as these areas were hit hardest by the climate crisis.
Shinichi Yamanaka, Japanese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, says that the three-year program will increase food security and resilience for smallholder farmers by establishing water-based infrastructure, value chain development, and strengthening agricultural extension service capacity. Yamanaka says that under this project, small-scale farmers will be supported in growing sesame to practice market-oriented agriculture. A Japanese training program called ITOCHU Cooperation is expected to play an important role in completing the value chain of the project.
Furthermore, the Japanese government will provide financial assistance of approximately US$72,000 to the project for the construction of storage facilities for sesame farmers in Mwenezi District, which is implemented by Sustainable Agriculture Technology (SAT). This is expected to support sesame production and its procurement for the local and export markets.
Barbara Clemens, Country Representative and Director for WFP in Zimbabwe, adds that the grant will enable the improvement of food availability, accessibility, and reliability for families in Zimbabwe. Clemens says that by supporting farmers to grow food in a sustainable manner and connecting them to markets, they can address immediate food needs, which will empower communities to build a food-secure future.
Japan has contributed over US$28 million to WFP-supported food assistance and resilience-building for vulnerable communities in the country since 2019.
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