Our impact
Our impact

Climate resilience

Farmers are on the front lines of climate change. They must adapt to the changing weather now, and keep their land sustainable for generations to come.

Smallholder farmers contribute little to climate change but are some of the worst impacted. Their entire livelihood is often dependent on rainfall and an acre or two of land. Over 2 billion people rely on smallholder farms for food and income. Despite that, less than 2% of global climate finance aids these farmers in adapting to climate change. 

This is not a hypothetical future risk; it is a reality they are facing today. Smallholder farmers are witnessing devastating impacts on their crops, yields, diets, and families. 

Our 10-year climate strategy supports smallholder farmers to build a prosperous future despite a changing climate. Tailored climate-smart farming trainings and quality inputs (including optimal seed choices) increase crop yields and diversity, bolstering incomes while tackling climate-related challenges like pests and extreme weather. And products like crop insurance help provide protection when disaster strikes. 

 

Watch Building climate resilience among smallholder farmers on YouTube.

And One Acre Fund farmers are at the forefront of one of the largest tree-planting efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa. By early 2024, 2.8 million farmers have planted 250 million trees, and we are positioned to plant 1 billion trees by 2030.

How do we measure our impact on climate resilience?

One Acre Fund runs multi-year studies of soil fertility, measuring soil organic matter, nutrients, and acidity levels (which allows plants to soak up nutrients). In 2023, One Acre Fund supported over 1 million farmers in adopting at least one soil health practice,  such as reducing soil acidity via agricultural lime, applying compost to their fields to increase organic matter, or undertaking erosion control practices. This is a key area of focus, as healthier soils worldwide could store up to 20% of current global carbon emissions - while also helping farmers to increase their yields.

Two farmers planting trees
Farmers in Ethiopia plant trees that control erosion and capture carbon dioxide

 

A farmer in Tanzania harvests her maize

One Acre Fund's Global Croptake

Our Global Croptake warns of a global decline in crop yields of 3–12% by 2050 and 11–25% by 2100. This will have a direct effect on smallholder farmers on the frontlines. Learn more here

Invest in Climate Resilience

Small-scale farmers are stewards of our climate. Make an investment in the future with a monthly gift.

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Two farmers stand next to the trees they've planted as part of our climate resilience program