Australia-Africa Partnership for Climate Responsive Agriculture Research (AAPCRA)

Partner: Alinea International Australia; Funded by the Australian Government

Period: 2024 – Present

Country of Operation: Ghana, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria

Category: Climate-Responsive Agriculture; Research & Development; Livelihoods

Participatory Development Associates (PDA) is part of the Australia–Africa Partnership for Climate Responsive Agriculture Research (AAPCRA), an initiative funded by the Australian Government. Implemented in partnership with Alinea International Australia, the project aims to enhance agriculture and food systems across Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria through agricultural research, capacity-building, and inclusive stakeholder engagement to improve livelihoods and foster climate-responsive agriculture.

AAPCRA seeks to improve livelihoods and build climate-resilient agricultural systems by leveraging evidence-based approaches and supporting targeted interventions for sustainable farming practices and food security.

PDA, in partnership with Alinea International Australia, is leading the design and implementation of this initiative. The project involves conducting literature reviews, risk and needs assessments to identify, map, and document lessons from existing agricultural and climate investments across Africa. These insights will inform the development of targeted interventions for sustainable agricultural practices and food security.

Our key contributions include:

• Design Plan Development: PDA co-drafted the design plan guiding missions to the five focus countries. This included key questions emerging from desk reviews, recommendations for future research approaches, and the identification of risks to monitor during field visits.

• Multi-Country Design Mission: In January 2025, PDA joined a multi-country design mission in Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria (while contributing remotely to Egypt and Morocco). These missions, conducted in collaboration with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), explored opportunities for Australian investment in climate-responsive agriculture.

• Stakeholder Engagement & Risk Mapping: PDA as part of the design team conducted consultations with stakeholders at the regional, national, and local levels across sectors, including government, private sector, NGOs, and civil society, particularly those engaged in agriculture, climate, gender, youth, disability, and other areas of social inclusion.

• Knowledge Products: We contributed to the development of an Aide Memoire and presentation summarizing key findings from the missions in the various countries, overarching approach and investment priorities for the Australian Government. These priority areas were informed by country-specific dynamics and contexts to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed investments. A draft Investment Design document was also completed, outlining the development context, intent, expected outcomes, implementation approach, and risk mitigation strategies for the project. While PDA did not draft of full documents, our team played an active role in writing sections and shaping the final outputs through close collaboration with project partners.

The finalization of the Investment Design document is currently underway. This milestone will shape the direction of the AAPCRA initiative and lay the groundwork for impactful investments in climate-smart agriculture across Africa.