Building resilient food systems

The Nature Positive Food Systems for Climate Change Adaptation (Nature+) is Canadian Foodgrains Bank’s flagship initiative to strengthen climate resilience and food security in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.

Nature-based Solutions

Through Nature+, the Foodgrains Bank network is promoting four key Nature-based Solutions – actions that protect and restore ecosystems, as well as address societal problems, such as food insecurity, especially among women and other vulnerable groups:

• Conservation agriculture: minimal soil disturbance, maximizing soil cover, and maximizing crop diversity
• Assisted natural regeneration (allowing trees and other plants to naturally re-establish themselves) and additional planting of trees, shrubs, and grasses
• Improved soil and water conservation, including structures to reduce soil erosion and small-scale community water harvesting
• Improved rangeland management, such as community-planned grazing and improved crop-livestock systems

Improved Livelihoods

The Foodgrains Bank network is supporting families to improve incomes while strengthening biodiversity. These include community gardens, poultry farming, small livestock, beekeeping, mushroom farming, and ecotourism.

New livelihoods are strengthened through training and farmer champions who support their peers; through improved technology, such as more accessible bee hives and fuel-efficient cookstoves; and through financial inclusion, particularly through Village Savings and Loan Associations. An estimated 15,528 women and 9,507 men can more easily access credit now and invest in new livelihoods.

Landscape Governance

Nature+ is strengthening local governance systems, such as Natural Resource Management Committees, to enable community members to better participate and lead in decision-making processes within their communities and landscapes.

Implementing partners are advocating for improved local and national government policies to benefit communities and their landscapes; and working with stakeholders such as local businesses and national parks to build stronger long-term partnerships.

And Nature+ is empowering women and other vulnerable groups to take on new leadership opportunities. In 2024, 17,009 participants received training to better participate in community and landscape governance decision-making processes.