Climate finance flows to Small Island Developing States for food security

The climate crisis is borderless, but it affects the people with the smallest carbon footprint the most. Despite producing just one percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, people living in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are the hardest hit by the impacts of climate change.

With a population of about 65 million, SIDS are on the front line of the climate emergency, bearing the brunt of more frequent and intense extreme weather events, increasing temperatures and sea level rise, all of which threaten people’s livelihoods and food security.

One of the ways the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is scaling up support for SIDS is by catalysing investments in adaptation and mitigation projects through the Green Climate Fund’s (GCF) Readiness Programme – GCF is the world’s largest dedicated fund for climate action.

Unlocking climate finance for SIDS

The impacts of climate change affect us all, but SIDS share distinct social, economic and environmental challenges because of their small size, limited resources, and distance from markets. Reliance on food imports is a stark reminder of SIDS’ vulnerabilities: About half of all SIDS import more than 80 percent of their food.

In its role as a GCF Readiness Delivery Partner, FAO works closely with SIDS to accelerate access to GCF financing for projects that address the dual challenges of food security and climate change by empowering people and communities and building national know-how for strengthened and coordinated climate action.

FAO currently supports ten readiness projects in the three geographical regions where SIDS are located – the Caribbean; the Pacific; and the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and South China Sea (AIS).

Three of these readiness projects – in Belize, Grenada and Saint Lucia – are designed to strengthen National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and adaptation planning processes. These projects enable countries to identify medium- and long-term adaptation needs, such as increasing the resilience of the fisheries sector, and to develop and implement strategies to address those needs.

“FAO is committed to working with SIDS to deliver the technical skills and resources they need to spur innovation, scale up climate solutions and increase the climate resilience of the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind,” says Eduardo Mansur, Director of FAO’s Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment.

Climate action to narrow the gender gap

Mainstreaming gender perspectives in adaptation and mitigation strategies is instrumental in closing the gender gap in agriculture.

In SIDS, women make up 52 percent of the agricultural workforce, yet they have less access than men to land, resources and credit. Readiness activities can bring inequalities to light, for example, by assessing the disproportionate impacts of climate change on women and men so that a gender action plan can be integrated into projects.

The readiness project in Saint Lucia aims to address the gender gap by empowering women in the fishery sector: Women and men will receive targeted training on the impacts of climate change (such as the damage and loss of coral, mangrove and seagrass ecosystems that are vital fish nursery and breeding habitats), plus strategies that will help them adapt and diversify their income, including ways to increase fuel efficiency to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and costs.

In Cabo Verde, where more than 80 percent of the population live in coastal areas, women play a pivotal role in the trading network of fresh, salted, dried or smoked fish. The country’s first readiness project will help improve the livelihoods of women, men and youth by identifying the key fish species that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change – in terms of abundance, growth, migration and catchability – and promote ocean-based food security through sustainable fishing practices.

“We are delighted to start this readiness project in Cabo Verde, which marks an important step in our efforts to decarbonize the economy, enhance climate resilience, and deliver on the commitments laid out in our Nationally Determined Contribution,” says Gilson Pina, National Director for Planning at the Ministry of Finance.

Laying the groundwork for a low-carbon future

Readiness resources boost climate action in ways that are mutually reinforcing, such as by improving climate vulnerability data related to the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors; promoting innovative climate-smart technologies; creating an enabling environment for private sector investment; and building on COVID-19 recovery strategies.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the sustainable development challenges in SIDS and addressing them requires concerted efforts and increased financial resources. To this end, FAO has set out to strengthen its engagement with the GCF Readiness Programme and others to provide appropriate solutions to achieve the four betters in SIDS, ensuring no one is left behind,” says Angélica Jácome, Director of FAO’s Office of Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries and Landlocked Developing Countries (OSL).

Accelerating countries’ access to GCF funding plays an important role in FAO’s larger efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and transition towards a low-carbon future.

For example, in its role as a GCF Accredited Entity, FAO is leading a $119 million dollar project in Cuba aimed at enhancing climate-resilient production techniques to improve access to water, create employment opportunities, and strengthen local food production systems for greater food security.

A rallying cry: 1.5 to stay alive

Limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels is a question of survival for many SIDS. Reshaping the way we grow and produce food is critical to reducing GHG emissions and helping vulnerable communities adapt to a changing climate.

FAO’s expanding portfolio of GCF readiness projects in SIDS is set to bring climate solutions to the table for a better, food secure world tomorrow.