AGN chair calls for stronger climate adaptation in Africa
In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the chair of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN), Nana Antwi-Boasiako Amoa, called on African leaders and international partners to make agriculture and food systems a central part of climate policy. Speaking at a continental meeting of civil society organizations, he said that Africa should not have to choose between food security and climate action, MyJoyOnline reports.
Amoa stressed that hosting COP32 in Addis Ababa at the end of 2027 does not in itself guarantee a favorable outcome for Africa's population. According to him, the summit agenda must be shaped by African priorities, evidence, and solutions, while climate policy must affect people's lives beyond negotiating rooms.
Adaptation and food systems
The AGN chair described adaptation to climate shocks as a central and non-negotiable priority for the continent. He cited the example of farmers in Ghana who, due to unpredictable rainfall patterns, cannot rely on traditional seasons, lose seeds and investments, and accumulate debt. Such farms need reliable climate information, suitable seeds, access to water, advisory support, and timely financing, Amoa said.
He also drew attention to the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, where drying water sources force pastoralists to travel longer distances in search of pasture. According to Amoa, this intensifies competition for resources and tensions between communities. Climate shocks in agriculture also affect cities: extreme heat causes produce to spoil, while the cost of supplying it rises.
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Financing and COP priorities
According to an estimate cited by Amoa, developing countries will need between $310 billion and $365 billion annually for adaptation by 2035. At the same time, international public adaptation finance provided by developed countries to developing countries amounted to $26 billion in 2023.
The AGN head criticized not only the shortage of funds but also complex bureaucratic procedures that limit access to financing for small farmers, youth enterprises, women's cooperatives, and coastal fishers. He called for mechanisms for funds to reach local communities from global funds to be made shorter, simpler, and less costly.
Among Africa's seven priorities ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Amoa named equal political attention to adaptation and emissions reductions, turning the Global Goal on Adaptation into funded action, effective decisions on agriculture, and large-scale climate finance. He also mentioned a just transition, an accessible and adequately funded loss and damage response fund, and broad participation by civil society, women, and Indigenous peoples. For COP32, he proposed a package of practical adaptation measures, direct access to financing for local actors, and a transparent system for monitoring the fulfillment of commitments.
