GCA Partners with AfdB for $148 Million Investment to Boost Agricultural Resilience in Burundi
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otterdam, the Netherlands – The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) today announced its partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB) in support of the Burundi-Rwanda Integrated Development Program (BRIDEP), a $148 million initiative aimed at strengthening agricultural resilience in Burundi. GCA will provide critical technical assistance to scale climate-smart agricultural practices, bolster agro-industrialization, and empower youth and women entrepreneurs.
The Burundi component of the Burundi-Rwanda Integrated Development Project (BRIDEP) specifically targets enhancing productivity and climate resilience in critical agricultural value chains, including maize, rice, pigs, and poultry. Over the project’s lifespan from 2024 to 2030, the program aims to significantly improve income and food security, targeting at least a 30% increase in income and a 50% enhancement in household food security for communities in the Ruzizi Plain.
GCA’s technical expertise and support for BRIDEP will focus on the large-scale deployment of climate-smart agriculture technologies, including climate-resilient seeds and livestock breeds that can withstand climate extremes. GCA will conduct market analyses to identify bottlenecks and barriers to deploying these critical adaptation solutions, paving the way for increased adoption by farmers and entrepreneurs.
Additionally, GCA will perform a rapid scan of CGIAR (Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers) and national agricultural research systems to identify the full range of available crop and livestock varieties and evaluate their potential roles in resilience-building efforts across both nations. This will ensure that the most effective and resilient varieties are identified and promoted within local agricultural systems.
To sustain and scale these efforts, GCA will provide specialized training programs, initially targeting lead farmers and “trainers of trainers” (ToT), who will then disseminate this vital knowledge throughout rural communities. The Center will also identify strategic entry points for private sector investment, creating further opportunities for sustainable economic growth and employment, particularly among youth and women entrepreneurs.
Professor Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation, said: ” This project not only enhances agricultural productivity through innovative climate-smart technologies but also empowers youth and women entrepreneurs to lead sustainable agro-industrial growth. Our partnership with the African Development Bank demonstrates a unified commitment to transformative adaptation and regional integration.”
The BRIDEP initiative is expected to directly benefit thousands of smallholder farmers, 3,000 young entrepreneurs, and 100 small and medium enterprises (SMEs), significantly improving income, food security, and climate resilience across the region. GCA’s role is central in integrating climate adaptation measures that address local vulnerabilities and promote sustainable economic growth.
Notes to Editors
About the Global Center on Adaptation
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an international organization that promotes adaptation to the impacts of climate change. It works to climate-proof development by instigating policy reforms and influencing investments made by international financial institutions and the private sector. The goal is to bring climate adaptation to the forefront of the global fight against climate change and ensure that it remains prominent.
Founded in 2018, GCA embodies innovation in its approach to climate adaptation as well as in its physical presence. It operates from the largest floating office in the world, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. GCA has a worldwide network of regional offices in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Beijing, China. The Center will open a new office in Nairobi, Kenya in 2025.
