The Strengthening Emergency Preparedness and Response to Food (SEPAREF) Crisis project is funded by the Bank Group and implemented by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in partnership with national governments. It was launched to counter food shortages triggered by global supply disruptions linked to rising geopolitical tensions.
The project focuses on strengthening food resilience by modernising early‑warning systems, boosting production of climate‑ and drought‑tolerant seeds and enhancing the ability of national institutions to respond to shocks. Progress and lessons learned were reviewed during a regional validation workshop held from 4 to 6 March 2026 in Nairobi.
Participants included technical teams from the AfDB, FAO, National Agricultural Research Systems, ministries of agriculture and finance from participating countries, as well as private‑sector representatives.
Officials reported that more than 956 tonnes of early‑generation seeds have been produced to date, improving farmers’ access to resilient crop varieties. The project has also rehabilitated irrigation infrastructure and seed storage facilities, while supporting more than 250 seed out‑growers to strengthen local production capacity.
Through partnerships with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and the Technologies for African Agriculture Transformation programme, national research institutions are being equipped to ensure high‑quality seed technologies reach smallholder farmers.
Digital early‑warning and coordination systems developed under the initiative are already improving preparedness. More than 160 000 farmers have been registered on new digital platforms, giving them improved access to climate alerts and agricultural advisory services.
Speaking at the workshop, Pascal Sanginga, the Bank’s Regional Manager for Agriculture and Agro‑Industries, called for the programme to be scaled up to drive food and nutrition security, generate jobs and reduce reliance on grain imports.
“Despite these successes, significant risks remain,” Sanginga said, citing tight public budgets, donor dependence and limited access to capital for seed enterprises. He said lessons from the past three years should be converted into a structured roadmap for a multi‑country seed security and resilience programme.
FAO Kenya Representative Farayi Zimudzi stressed the importance of sustaining achievements beyond the project’s lifespan. He highlighted the need to anchor seed certification and digital early‑warning systems in national institutions and strengthen public‑private partnerships.
The workshop concluded with commitments from all stakeholders to consolidate and expand SEPAREF’s gains across the four countries.
