Agriculture and Food Insecurity Risk Management (AFIRM)

The livelihoods of millions of African producers are constantly threatened by a broad range of risks from climate and other natural hazards, to price volatility and unpredictable markets and policies. These risk factors are major impediments to expanding financial services, investment and hence productivity in agriculture.

Agriculture Risk Management within the NEPAD Agency is designed to foster a shift in mind-set from managing crises to managing risks. This is done by providing support to Regional Economic Communities and African countries to mainstream agriculture and food security risk management in their implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), thereby boosting productivity and profitability. 

The project adopts an integrated and cross-sectoral approach to managing risk factors in order to:

• Mitigate and prevent risk and build the resilience of agriculture producers and actors along the value chain through the stabilisation of production, markets and institutions; 
• Support the creation of soft infrastructure to provide inclusive productive and financial services in rural areas;
• Make rural activities attractive to young people by creating a sustainable path for productivity and income growth.