Abstract:
Climate change is intensifying food insecurity across Sub-Saharan Africa through erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts, and increased post-harvest losses. Women and youth, who constitute over 70% of smallholder farmers and 60% of Africa’s population respectively, are disproportionately affected yet remain central to building climate-resilient food systems. This paper examines innovative approaches that position women and youth not as passive victims, but as active agents of adaptation in agriculture. Drawing from experiences in Nigeria and across West Africa, the paper highlights three key pillars of innovation. First, digital and community-based training models including whatsapp farmer schools, voice-based weather advisories in local languages, and peer-to-peer demonstration farms are increasing adoption of drought-tolerant crops and soil conservation practices. Second, women-led cooperatives are enabling collective ownership of climate technologies such as solar irrigation and cold storage, improving bargaining power and access to climate finance and insurance. Third, youth-driven agripreneurship is transforming agriculture into a viable enterprise through solar-powered processing hubs, climate information services, and digital market linkages that reduce losses and create jobs. The paper argues that investing in women and youth through targeted training, cooperative strengthening, and accessible finance is essential for scaling climate resilience. It concludes with recommendations for policymakers and development partners to prioritize gender-responsive and youth-inclusive climate adaptation strategies to secure sustainable food systems in a changing climate.
Keywords: Climate-Smart Agriculture, Women, Youth, Cooperatives, Agripreneurship, Resilience, Nigeria.