Winnipeg – Up to 783 million people in the world are facing hunger, and nearly 98% of them live in developing countries. The effects of climate change—diminishing water supplies and increased frequency of extreme events like floods, heat waves and storms—and world events like Russia’s war against Ukraine exacerbate food insecurity. Canada remains committed to international efforts that support climate change adaptation and the fight against global hunger.
Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, announced $35.5 million in funding over the next 3 years to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank to support its project Nature-Positive Food Systems for Climate Change Adaptation. Minister Hussen made the announcement at the University of Manitoba’s Glenlea Research Station alongside the Canadian Foodgrains Bank’s Kenneth Kim, Board Chair, and Barbara Macdonald, International Programs Director.
The project, funded through the Partnering for Climate initiative, aims to improve low-carbon, climate-resilient economies in rural areas of Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique and Zimbabwe to enhance the well-being of communities and, particularly, women, girls and other marginalized groups.
It will use nature-based solutions coupled with landscape-level restoration to address food insecurity and increasing threats to livelihoods. It also aims to increase the ability of targeted landscapes to absorb biophysical shocks and stresses caused by the increasingly disruptive effects of climate change.
“The continued partnership between Canada and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank highlights our commitment to supporting climate change adaptation, protecting biodiversity and tackling food insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa, a region particularly vulnerable to climate change. By working together, we are supporting the efforts of marginalized groups, including women and girls, to continuously build their resilience to climate change.” – Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development