Ecosystem-based Approaches for transforming smallholder farming systems in South Africa (GCF Project Preparation Services)

Through the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Project Preparation Facility, the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) is developing the project Ecosystem-based Approaches (EbA) for transforming smallholder farming systems that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change in South Africa (EbA-Farm) for funding by the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The EbA-Farm project seeks to adopt a participatory, action-learning approach using EbA to enhance the resilience of smallholder farmers in vulnerable catchments in four provinces of South Africa.

South African smallholder farmers are impacted by natural variability of the climate and environment, and these impacts are magnified by the effects of climate change, resulting in significant vulnerability for smallholder farmers. This is compounded by a lack of access to climate information and climate-risk informed agricultural advisory services as well as the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The EbA-Farm project seeks to address these vulnerabilities by improving resilience, through

(i) restored and conserved catchments and ecosystems/ecosystem services;

(ii) climate-resilient/adaptive smallholder and household producer practices and

(iii) coherent and inclusive institutional governance and norms, and finance for EbA approaches.

In development of the EbA-Farm project, SANBI sought support for their Adaptation Policy and Resourcing Division from the GCF under their Project Preparation Facility (PPF) Services for conducting all the necessary activities and providing all the deliverables that will form part of the preparation of a full GCF proposal. OneWorld, with Oxford Policy Management Limited (OPM) is supporting SANBI in development of the Simplified Application Process (SAP) Funding Proposal.

OneWorld is leading the assignment and the development of the funding proposal including key components such as the Climate Risk Analysis, engagement with national, provincial, and site-level stakeholders through workshops and site visits, the development of selection criteria for site selection, informed by the stakeholders and the Climate Risk Analysis, and various aspects of a GCF funding proposal.

Oneworld is responsible for key aspects of the funding proposal, including the: Baseline Study, Pre-Feasibility Study; Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP), Gender Action Plan (GAP),  Stakeholder Engagement Plan, Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM), and the Risk Assessment and Management Plan.