At the ongoing COP29 World Leaders Climate Action Summit in Azerbaijan, a groundbreaking partnership has been launched to support farmers in Asia, Latin America, and Africa with innovative weather services aimed at combating climate change.
The new initiative, dubbed the Agriculture Innovation Mechanism for Scale (AIM for Scale), unveiled its first-ever Innovation Package, designed to provide critical weather information to farmers and enhance their ability to adapt to the impacts of climate change.
This ambitious program brings together a global consortium of partners, including the Gates Foundation, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank, USAID, NASA, and several other international organizations.
Collectively, these partners have committed to mobilizing over USD 1 billion over the next three years to drive the rollout of the AIM for Scale Weather Package, which will scale up weather services for millions of farmers.
The Director General and CEO of Nigeria’s Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Professor Charles Anosike, representing the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), shared Nigeria’s successes with seasonal climate predictions and ongoing projects funded by the Gates Foundation that are already benefiting Nigerian farmers. He expressed hope for strengthening agrometeorological systems in Nigeria, saying, “I look forward to further enhancing our weather services to support farmers across the country.”
Her Excellency, Dr. Amna al Dahak, Minister for Climate Change and Environment of the UAE, welcomed the launch, highlighting the accelerated efforts of AIM for Scale to find climate-friendly innovations and scale them effectively.
Nobel laureate Michael Kremer also underscored the importance of the initiative, stating that high-quality weather forecasts have proven to benefit smallholder farmers, yet reaching hundreds of millions remains a challenge.
AIM for Scale is a vital step toward addressing this gap and supporting farmers with the tools they need to thrive in the face of climate change.
This significant investment and partnership mark a vital milestone in providing farmers worldwide with the resources they need to adapt to increasingly unpredictable weather patterns and improve agricultural productivity in a changing climate.
