What it takes to make Somalia’s main crops climate smart
Maize, sorghum, and sesame are the three major crops in Somalia. Sorghum is one the most climate adaptive and drought tolerant crops, making it suitable for sustainable cultivation in Somalia’s climate. Recent droughts and interruptions to Somalia’s rainy season resulted in the country being forced to import large quantities of these crops, underscoring the urgency of improved agricultural resilience.
Somalia with support from the SCALA programme, under its private sector engagement facility, conducted a study on the sorghum, maize, and sesame value chains in Hirshabelle, Southwest, and Somaliland. The study identified key challenges such as poor seed quality and lack of technology. However, initiatives that individually target key challenges have proven insufficient for significant sector improvement and their outcomes emphasize the need for broader, systemic changes in the food value chain.
By engaging over 35 stakeholders to explore market potential and climate-related investment opportunities, UNDP Somalia and the SCALA programme have begun roadmapping avenues for transformative systems change to ensure lasting food security and climate resilience in Somalia.