Climate-smart agriculture partnership
What is the climate-smart agriculture partnership?
This pilot programme will build collaborations and enable knowledge sharing between the UK, Brazil and Africa (Ghana and Nigeria) to develop technologies and practices that promote climate-smart agriculture in Ghana and Nigeria.
Climate-smart agriculture is an approach that guides actions to transform food systems towards green and climate resilient practices. It supports reaching internationally agreed goals such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
It aims to tackle three main objectives:
- sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes
- adapting and building resilience to climate change
- reducing and/or removing greenhouse gas emissions, where possible (FAO, 2024)
By accelerating the development, adoption and scaling of technologies and practices that promote climate-smart agriculture the programme will promote sustainable food production systems in Ghana and Nigeria.
Experience, strengths and complementarities between these nations will drive new research, technological demonstration, scale solutions, and support sustainable agriculture and food security. This trilateral partnership pilot will strengthen international connections, opening new routes for the exchange of ideas and new markets for innovative businesses.
The Climate-Smart Agriculture Partnership: UK-Brazil-Africa is funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and delivered by Innovate UK.
UK /Brazil – Building collaboration in Agri – Tech workshop
This dynamic online workshop will bring together agri-tech experts, stakeholders, and businesses from the UK and Brazil to explore collaborative opportunities for addressing agricultural challenges in the African market. The event will focus on highlighting innovation in digital farming and precision agriculture in relation to the Climate-smart agriculture partnership project.
- Discover the Digital Agri- Tech Africa – Brazil Ecosystem Management (DATA-BEE) project and explore opportunities to participate.
- Gain insight into Brazil’s agri-tech innovation landscape and its initatives to tackle climate chamnge.
- Deepen your understanding of challenges in African markets and how collaborative efforts between the UK and Brazil can provide impactful solutions.
- Generate ideas and explore potential partnerships for future UK -Brazil projects designed to address opportunities in African markets, including Nigeria and Ghana.
Join this exciting event to connect, innovate, and explore opportunities to transform African agriculture through UK-Brazil collaboration.
This survey is intended for participants from Africa, specifically those in Ghana and Nigeria. It will be used to collect valuable insights to help uncover key challenges, opportunities, and areas for collaboration in advancing climate-smart agriculture in these two countries. The findings will contribute to a public report and support networking efforts to build partnerships across the UK, Brazil, Ghana, and Nigeria.
The scoping project winners
The 12 scoping projects will deliver collaborative networking activities to build a diverse network of stakeholders that develop productive research and innovation partnerships; and identify technology gaps with an opportunity to implement innovative collaborations that can lead to developing, commercialising, or scaling a technology.
The scoping project winners are:
- A trilateral network for agroforestry and integrated regenerative landscape management to support climate resilient development and food security led by the University of York and Bangor University
- Climate-smart cowpea for Africa led by the University of Sheffield
- Development of a UK, Ghana, Nigeria, and Brazil network on cocoa improvement led by the University of Reading
- Digital Agri-Tech Africa-Brazil Ecosystem Engagement (DATA-BEE) led by the UK Agri-Tech Centre
- Enhancing Cassava Productivity in Africa: Connecting the dots for sustainable agriculture and higher yields in Ghana and Nigeria with microbial biological solutions led by the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI)
- Exploring how a blended approach of ecology, culture and technology can help translate nature-based solutions for pest-control into crop farming for African subsistence farming communities led by University College London (UCL)
- Identifying priority areas and aligned innovations for sustainable goat production in Africa led by Harper Adams University and University of Reading
- Scoping Climate-Smart Livestock Systems in Africa (SciCLiSA) led by the Global Academy of Agriculture & Food Systems, University of Edinburgh
- Silvopasture for climate resilient livestock systems led by the Organic Research Centre and Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol
- Soil health for productivity and climate resilience led by the University of Plymouth
- SusNet Cacao (Sustainability Network for Cocoa) led by the NIAB (National Institute of Agricultural Botany) and Durham University
- Sustainable Oil Palm Options (SOPO) led by the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
As the UK’s largest dedicated agri-tech organisation, we are uniquely positioned to foster innovation and drive the development of climate-smart solutions. Our role in the DATA-BEE project will include:
- Facilitating collaboration between stakeholders in the UK, Brazil, Ghana, and Nigeria.
- Promoting the exchange of expertise, technologies, and practices to advance digital agriculture and precision farming.
- Connecting researchers, technologists, and industry leaders to support sustainable and resilient food systems.
Our participation in this partnership underscores our mission to empower innovators and deliver impactful solutions that address the critical challenges facing global agriculture. By leveraging the expertise within our network, we aim to accelerate the adoption of technologies that will transform farming practices, reduce environmental impact, and support food security in some of the most climate-vulnerable regions.
Driving sustainable agriculture through global innovation
Our market-led project empowers farmers and agribusinesses to tackle climate change while maintaining sustainable agricultural productivity. By identifying market gaps and opportunities through online and in-market engagement, we will leverage UK and international farmer networks, alongside partnerships with the UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the Science and Innovation Network (SIN) under the FCDO.
Focusing on Nigeria and Ghana, we aim to address agricultural and technology challenges by connecting solutions that link Brazilian, Nigerian, and Ghanaian agricultural systems. These efforts will support the development of practical business models for local markets, fostering opportunities for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovation.
Through close collaboration with farmer organisations and innovation networks, we will prioritise digital agriculture and precision farming interventions. Our work will create pathways for UK businesses and research institutions to contribute to a sustainable, globally connected agricultural future.
What is Digital agriculture and precision farming?
Digital Agriculture and Precision Farming represent advanced agricultural technologies that leverage data, connectivity, and cutting-edge tools to optimise farming practices
Digital Agriculture
Digital agriculture refers to the integration of digital technologies across the entire agricultural value chain.
- Data Collection and Analysis
- IoT Devices
- Satellite Imaging and Remote Sensing
- Big Data Analytics
- Software and Platforms
- Farm Management Information Systems (FMIS)
- Mobile Apps
- Connectivity
- 5G/LoRa Networks
- Cloud Computing
- Blockchain
Precision Farming
Precision farming is a subset of digital agriculture focusing on optimising inputs and outputs on a micro-scale
- GPS and GNSS Technology
- Variable Rate Technology (VRT)
- Sensors and IoT Devices
- Soil Sensors
- Crop Sensors
- Drones and UAVs
- Robotics and Automation
- Precision Irrigation Systems
- Decision Support Systems (DSS)