Gates Foundation pledges $1.4bn to strengthen farmers’ climate resilience in Africa, South Asia

The Gates Foundation has pledged $1.4 billion to boost climate adaptation and strengthen smallholder farmers’ resilience to global warming in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

The four-year investment, unveiled at the ongoing COP30 climate conference in Belém, Brazil, is expected to expand access to innovations that enable farmers to cope with extreme weather events.

According to the foundation, less than one percent of global climate finance currently targets the growing threats to food systems in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, even though smallholder farmers remain among the most vulnerable to climate shocks.

Bill Gates, chair of the foundation, said the organisation is supporting the ingenuity of farmers with tools and resources to help them thrive, noting that investing in their resilience is one of the smartest and most impactful actions for people and the planet.

“Smallholder farmers are feeding their communities under the toughest conditions imaginable,” Gates said.

“We’re supporting their ingenuity with the tools and resources to help them thrive—because investing in their resilience is one of the smartest, most impactful things we can do for people and the planet.”

‘CLIMATE SHOCK COULD WORSEN FOOD INSECURITY’

Farmers in low-income countries produce nearly one-third of the world’s food but face mounting risks from climate change.

Without increased funding for adaptation, experts warn that climate shocks will worsen food insecurity and erase years of development gains.

Research by the World Bank shows that targeted adaptation investments could increase gross domestic product (GDP) by up to 15 percentage in small island and developing states by 2050.

The World Resources Institute also estimates that every dollar invested in adaptation could yield more than $10 in social and economic benefits within a decade.

Mark Suzman, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Gates Foundation, said climate adaptation is an economic and moral imperative and not just a development issue.

Suzman urged governments and the private sector to prioritise adaptation alongside mitigation.

“This new commitment builds on our support for farmers in Africa and South Asia who are already innovating to withstand extreme weather,” he said.

“But they can’t do it alone; governments and the private sector must work together to prioritise adaptation alongside mitigation.”

He said the investment will focus on scaling evidence-based, farmer-led innovations that strengthen food systems and rural livelihoods.

Suzman added that the initiative will also support digital advisory services such as mobile and SMS platforms that deliver real-time, localised information to farmers to help them make informed planting decisions and manage climate risks.

The foundation will also back the development of climate-resilient crop and livestock varieties that can withstand drought, heat and pests while improving yields and nutrition.

In addition, a $30 million partnership with the Novo Nordisk Foundation will support soil health research and land restoration efforts to boost productivity and reduce emissions.