Engaging the private sector to benefit agricultural smallholders in Sudan and support climate adaptation and mitigation action

Background

Sudan is one of the most vulnerable countries globally to climate change (CC).[i] Rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and more frequent extreme events, such as droughts have been observed and are projected to further increase.[ii] In its updated NDC (2021), Sudan re-confirmed agriculture to be one of its four priority sectors for climate change adaptation. Sudan describes the ‘reduction in ecosystem integrity, decline in crop and gum yields, and impacts on livestock production’ as the climate change impacts that are of highest concern. Sudan also prioritises mitigation efforts in the land use sectors, promoting ‘the restoration and sustainable management of 1.7 million hectares of degraded forest reserve and Gum Arabic belt’.[iii]

Activities

Designed by FAO and Sudan, the GCF project ‘Gums for Adaptation and Mitigation in Sudan (GAMS): Enhancing adaptive capacity of local communities and restoring carbon sink potential of the Gum Arabic belt’ is under implementation since 2021. GAMS’ entry point for enhancing the adaptive capacity of local communities to climate change is gum arabic (gum). Functioning as emulsifier, gum is produced through harvesting Acacia trees and is a valuable commodity for international trade. Given the limited capacity of local smallholder farmers to organise in cooperatives, their position in the value chain is often marginal. Thus, it is often more profitable to cut trees for other purposes instead of maintaining them for gum production. GAMS strengthens cooperatives and develops their capacities to produce higher quality and quantity of gum. By improving their capacities to harvest, store, and process gum, the cooperatives can enter into direct agreements with gum exporting companies, which purchase quality gum above local market prices. Receiving a premium price allows smallholders to reinvest in their business and provides a financial incentive to preserve Acacias. Restoring and preserving Acacias carries important climate change adaptation and mitigation benefits. The trees sequester CO2, are adapted to climate change and provide key ecosystem services, including improved water retention capacity and nitrogen content in soils. These services stabilise food crop yields, even in the face of climate change. The project also increases the resilience of livestock and dependent communities by restoring pasture lands, livestock routes, and infrastructure, such as watering points.[iv]

Impact

By improving the position of smallholder farmers in the gum value chain, providing financial incentives to maintain Acacias, stabilising food crop yields, livestock production and income opportunities, GAMS increases the climate change resilience of the local ecosystem, economy, and food system, which are key adaptation priorities in Sudan’s NDC. Simultaneously, by restoring 276.000 ha of agroforestry systems and pasture lands, the project reduces 9,2 million tCO2e and thereby contributes to Sudan’s NDC total 2030 GHG reduction target of 27,1 million tCO2e.

Sources

[i] University of Notre Dame. (n.d.). Rankings: Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative. Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative. Retrieved November 21, 2023, from https://gain.nd.edu/our-work/country-index/rankings/.

[ii] World Bank. (n.d.-a). Climate Change Knowledge Portal: Climate Projections: CMIP5 Data. Retrieved November 21, 2023, from https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/.

[iii] Republic of Sudan, The Higher Council for the Environment and Natural Resources. (2021). Republic of the Sudan: First Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement. Retrieved from https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/NDC/2022-10/Sudan%20Updated%20First%20NDC-12102021.pdf.

[iv] Green Climate Fund. (2020). Gums for Adaptation and Mitigation in Sudan (GAMS): Enhancing adaptive capacity of local communities and restoring carbon sink potential of the Gum Arabic belt, expanding Africa’s Great Green Wall.