Is climate change my business? How private sector in East Africa is responding to climate challenges?

The Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC) is a membership organization for farmers, traders and processors in the grain value chain. The EAGC creates an enabling environment through advice and support on trade, policy and capacity building related to grain and cereal commodities. Climate change impacts range from sporadic rainfall, drought and an increase in pest and diseases, which affect both the quality and size of agricultural products. To mitigate this, EAGC gathers ‘climate information for grains’ (CIFG) from various sources and shares these ‘advisories’ to farmer hubs, including actions that farmers can take the mitigate the expected impacts. In addition, EAGC is developing climate-smart new technologies including new drying techniques enabling a longer shelf life, as well as storage methods keeping grains and cereals airtight, thereby reducing losses to locusts and other pests.

Gerald Masila, Eastern Africa Grain Council, Executive Director and CEO