Photo:©️ ABF/GIZ

 As the world faces the growing impacts of climate change, agribusinesses are on the frontlines, confronting challenges such as unpredictable weather patterns, prolonged droughts, floods, and rising temperatures. These changes threaten food security and disrupt agricultural value chains, making climate adaptation and mitigation essential for long-term success.

To equip agribusinesses and agripreneurs with the necessary tools and strategies, the Agribusiness e-Academy has launched the Climate Smart Agribusiness: Essentials, a self-tutored online course. This is the first in a three-part series designed to help agribusiness owners, extension officers, teachers, master trainers, ministry staff, and other stakeholders understand the intricate link between climate change and agribusiness. By integrating climate smart practices into their operations, agribusinesses can not only mitigate the effects of climate change but also build resilience for the future.

What’s in the Course?

In just 3 to 3.5 hours across two engaging sessions, participants will: 

Module 1: Understanding Climate & Agriculture

• Explore the fundamentals of the climate system
• Understand the causes and effects of climate change on agriculture
• Learn about climate risks affecting different farming system

Module 2: Climate-Smart Agribusiness Strategies

• Discover climate-resilient farming techniques (drought-resistant crops, agroforestry, water conservation)
• Learn how to manage soil health and water efficiently
• Explore sustainable agribusiness models to adapt and thrive

Interactive Learning & Certification

• Engage with avatars and interactive activities
• Test your knowledge with quizzes and practical case studies
• Earn a recognized certificate after completing all sessions and quizzes

The course is tailored for agribusiness owners, extension officers, educators, trainers, ministry staff, and anyone looking to enhance their understanding of climate-smart agriculture. It is designed to equip learners with the knowledge and tools required to understand climate change and its strong interlinkages with agribusiness, and to respond effectively to these challenges.

Empowering Women and Young Agripreneurs Through eLearning

Young and women agripreneurs from the e-Academy Road Tour ⎮ Photo:©️ ABF/GIZ

Bringing online learning to the grassroots can be challenging, but the Agribusiness e-Academy Road Tour in Ghana has proven it’s possible, and highly impactful. Through this initiative, climate-smart agribusiness training reached students, teachers extension workers, and rural agripreneurs, with a strong focus on women and young entrepreneurs.

With stops at six agricultural colleges and rural innovation hubs, the roadshow introduced over 500 enrollees to the platform, providing hands-on demonstrations and fostering collaboration. Early feedback highlights a demand for digital learning to enhance agribusiness skills and create new opportunities for women and young entrepreneurs in agriculture.

Upcoming Opportunity for Climate-Resilient Agribusiness Investment Projects

Beyond training and capacity-building, efforts to promote climate-smart agribusiness continue through financial matchmaking and investment opportunities for viable climate-resilient agribusiness projects. This initiative aims to support innovative agribusiness solutions that enhance climate resilience, providing entrepreneurs with the initial resources and networks needed to scale their impact.

Coming Soon!

The e-Academy will continue to expand its offers with two additional, publicly available courses:

• Climate-Smart Agribusiness: Adaptation
• Climate-Smart Agribusiness: Mitigation

These courses will provide deeper insights into practical solutions for building climate resilience in agribusiness including climate risk assessments, relevant business and support services as well as climate finance opportunities.

The Agribusiness e-Academy platform is a product of the Agri-Business Facility for Africa (ABF), a project co-funded by the European Union (EU) under the Samoa Agreement with the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

Contact

Simon Striegel, Advisor; Co-Speaker Digital Transformation Working Group

Leticia Boateng, Junior-Advisor, ABF-eAcademy@giz.de