What we do
Context
Small Island Developing States like Haiti, as well as sub-saharan African countries such as Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal, are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. This vulnerability calls for urgent adaptation actions in agriculture to ensure food security, particularly for women, youth and frontline communities.
Through their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), these countries outline their adaptation goals and strategies. SAGA 2 aims to help address the gap in international support for implementing these priority actions in the agricultural sectors. Building on the achievements of the project’s pilot phase (2018–2023), FAO and the Government of Quebec are partnering with the governments of: Côte d'Ivoire, Haiti and Senegal to renew their commitment towards food security.
SAGA actions
The project builds partnerships with governmental entities, civil society organizations, and universities and research institutions at international, national and local levels. Applying a holistic approach - multi-actor, multi-sector and multi-scale - SAGA structures its activities around four complementary components:
- Support to farmers
Implementing of community-based interventions, including gender-sensitive Farmer Field Schools to strengthen farmers’ adaptive capacities and their organizations.
- Research and knowledge
Generating and consolidating scientific evidence on vulnerability and adaptation options in the agricultural sectors.
- Awareness-raising, advocacy, and dialogue
Capitalizing on existing climate change coordination mechanisms to facilitate dialogue among local, national and international partners involved.
SAGA 2 promotes biodiversity-friendly practices that integrate traditional knowledge, emphasizing the vital role of women and rural youth in addressing climate change. The project also seeks to serve as a catalyst by fostering synergies with local, national, regional, and global initiatives, while mobilizing a diverse network of stakeholders already engaged in adaptation efforts within the target countries.
SAGA origins
The project is an outcome of the International Symposium on Food Security and Nutrition in the Age of Climate Change that took place in Quebec in September 2017. It embodies both the government of Quebec and FAO’s wish to strengthen their collaboration in the field of climate change and the fight against hunger. The first phase of the project (2018–2023) strengthened climate change adaptation planning in Haiti and Senegal. Led by the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB) and coordinated by the Climate Action support Team (CAT), SAGA 2 will contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG-2 “Zero Hunger” and SDG-13 “Climate Action”.